Barometric

It may not be showing up on the radar yet but there is more convection now kicking off in N Kent over the estuary. Snow showers clouds apparant and moving in over Sheppey and beyond. These I guess will develop further during the afternoon and evening. Just heard the 12.57 Radio 4 forecast and actually mentioned areas around the Medway Towns for tonight and potentially disruptive snow and also the heavy snow forecast for the SE tomorrow afternoon and night, spreading to other southern areas during sunday. Finished by still saying 'No end in sight' James

Hmm indeed, well if his flight is delayed, which to be fair has a high probablity, perhaps I can get a lie in. Foolishly said I would take him as it would mean my mother being left with his rear wheel drive affair which is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard in this weather! James

I noted earlier the possibility of heavier snow from tonight onwards and especially sat afternoon/night as instability increases with very cold uppers and strengthening NE winds. Looks like those fears have rung true with severe warnings now out for 3-5" widely and up to 8" across Kent and Sussex during sat afternoon and night. With htose strong winds forecast there could well be places completely cut off on sunday morning especially small villages along the N Downs. All I am concerned about is getting my dad to Gatwick tomorrow morning from Newnham in the N Downs. The ironic thing is he is off to the Dolomites, skiing. If snow here stopped him going he would be gutted!!!! Sun is shining brightly across the snowfields of Iwade and the temp has fallen to -0.5c......Lovely! James

Cracking days weather. Heavy heavy snow along A20 driving back from Challock and Charing. Around 5" of new snow up at Challock and snow continued to fall all the way to Leeds Castle. Back home now in Iwade and just had a heavy shower and now another has just started. Fantastico James

Sitting here in a layby on the A20 between Charing and Ashford. Tipping it down and looking at the radar it seems this streamer is very localised indeed. Absolute carnage on the roads with lorries and cars sliding all over the place. Got to have dumped around 5cms in an hour or so. Over Detling just very misty with rime hanging off the trees and temps around -2.5c. Iwade was around -1.2c and cloudy after a covering overnight again. Along the A20, considerable drifting from the winds early last night, estimate around 2-3' deep in places encroaching onto the road. Snow depths seem to now be very constant from Detling to Charing at around 10-13cms. Anyway looking very wintry indeed here in N/East Kent, with no doubt a lot more to come over the next 3 or so days. Now the colder uppers are pushing down I would expect to see streamers set up tonight and especially tomorrow afternoon and evening as instability rising prior to the snow arriving overnight saturday from the near continent. James

Temp finally back below freezing here in Iwade for the first time in around 6 hours infact it's -0.3c. I am guessing the 850's are back down and approaching -10c again after flirting with -6's and -7's? Had a few flurries here this evening after our deluge last night and this morning. Looking forward to the next 2 days and nights of convection; with cold uppers, stronger winds and lower day time temps its looking great here for Kent and the SE in general. Is it just me or does Rob M always ramp up snow in the SE? He couldn't stop mentioning us lot in the 10.35 BBC bulletin. Always liked Rob!!! James

Been snowing here for around an hour now and probably had around another 2cms. Difficult to say as it is blowing around a lot. This really has been a cracking start to the day. Reckon here in Iwade we now have around 5 inches and with the temp at -2.4c and heavy snow, this is the coldest it has been whilst snowing in the last 6 years since living here!! James

Heavy blowing snow here in Iwade. Probably another cm in the last 25 mins. Blowing around a lot too off the roofs of the near by houses. James

Here in Iwade we have around 8-9cms of powder snow. We should have more today, tonight and for the next 3-4 days. So will imagine by the end of the weekend we cold have some fairly impressive totals. J

An absolutely stunning morning here in Iwade. Blue sky, even deep snow cover and a temp of -5, down from -3.9 an hour ago. Best snowfall for years. Looks like Kent will get yet more snow today and more particularly tonight and tomorrow. Cracking! James

Snow still falling and temp dropped by around 0.5c in the last hour. Snow now blowing off roofs and cars and powdery to touch. At last, dry snow. Waited a few years for that here. 4 inches now and it hasn't finished yet!! James

Still snowing in Iwade steadily. Very impressed with this streamer, dealt me a lot more than I was expecting, we will finish with around 4 inches and thats pretty much at sea level!!!! And more tomorrow afternoon and eve, with up to 5cms and locally up to 10cms, so Kaddy just said on BBC SE forecast. I have always liked Kaddy!!! James

Horrendous drive home from Maidstone to Iwade. Strangely enough the snow is deeper here in Iwade, around 3 inches. Must admit I haven't seen snow that heavy for some years. Those 3 inches fell in under 2 hours and its still snowing as I type. My wife has had to abandon her car and her father (who is gritting Detling Hill and A249) is coming to get her. Best snowfall here for a number of years, we must have hit it just about perfect. James

Indeed I think the potential from the band is being underplayed. Its not just the fact that its expanding and intensifying but also the fact that its not going to go anywhere fast. My educated guess is that during daylight places in Essex will get a good fall, then as the evening wears on Kent could have some good totals too. Combine that with dropping temps, dew points, 850's and increasing wind, these is potential for drifting too. Then following on bitter temps under clearing skies, tomorrow will be an interesting trip to work for many. James

I for one would like to say that the Meto have called this just about bang on and in a situation which is constantly evolving, they have done extremely well IMHO. Their graphics illustrate the radar almost perfectly which is very seldom seen. James

Totally agree with this TEITS. I think we will see renewed Meto warnings for East Anglia in the next few hours. This band is also giving us snow here in N Kent. Could get very interesting later on this afternoon and this evening as I feel this is where the main focus of snowfall will be. I think some places will hit 10cms from this and maybe as much as 15cms with elevation in N Kent overnight. James

Nice streamer setting up just north of the Thames Estuary now and after a dry 6 hours the snow is lightly falling here in N Kent in Iwade. I have a sneaky feeling these 2 features; the Wash and S East Anglia will expand and intensify as they only very slowly trundle southwards. I think Eastern Kent will hve its snow later today and especially tonight. James

Coming down a real treat here in Iwade. Must admit I wasn't expecting my snow until tomorrow so this is a big bonus. James

Now coming down here in Iwade, N. Kent and I'm pretty much at sea level here. Temp here 0.4c Roads, cars and pavements all white. This is just the start, looking forward to wed, thurs, fri, sat and sun................Doesn't really get much better than that does it?

I for one am delighted that Central Southern England are due the bulk of the snow. I still have lying snow here in Iwade and know that we may not get much in the next 18 hours but then again we were never forecast to get any until wednesday, so all this is a massive bonus. My interest lies in tomorrow and then for the next 7 days, when I think the SE and especially Kent will see plenty of its own snow. Micheal Fish has already indicated that from tomorrow into the weekend, Kent is going to see snow every day; I can live with that!!! All incredibly fascinating and although I said I would bank the ECM run from 2 days ago I have decided to give that to charity and bank the 00z instead. An absolute snow fest if that was to come off. I am loving this cold spell already and with another possible 10 days to go, it can only get better and better. James

Great to see the 12z ECM on board along with the stunning 12z UKM. GFS doing its normal backtrack up to around 120. I'll be just sticking to these 2 Europeans from now on during this spell. UKM had been in a word....SOLID! James

12z now running. I see that it now has the GH at 1050mb at midday today compared with its 06z prediction of 1045mb for midday. First frame and already changes!!!! James

Well what a cracking days weather today. I decided on a little trip from Iwade this afternoon, over the N Downs to Detling and then along the A20 to Charing and then onto Challock and Wye. The trip up Detling Hill from Sittingbourne was a bit dicey with only one lane open and heavy snow. The weather then cleared until Lenham where the snow started falling again. The snow then fell all the way to Wye. Max depths were probably on our return and around Challock/Charing (top of Downs) where there was around 5cms. By this time the snow was falling hard at around 5pm and the roads were white. The snow then fell continuously along the A20 back to Lenham, with much of the road covered. By the time we got back to Iwade the land was green but I have just looked out and everything is now white here too! All in all a great start to the cold spell today, no marginal stuff, all light powdery snow. Infact at the top of the Downs the ground was rock solid under the snow. So today saw the start of at least 10 days of snow cover for parts of North/Mid Kent, cant moan at that in a 'modern' winter. James

Edit, now snowing again!!! James

Just had 2 snow/soft hail showers here in Iwade, Nr Sittingbourne leaving a dusting on roads, pavements and roofs. Sunny again now but with more towers to the NE. Temp is at 0.5c. James