Benvironment

Down to -2.1C up here, which already makes it the coldest day of the winter so far for us.

We had a meagre sprinkling here in the Lomonds this morning.....but most of it has now gone. Nice and cool though, at 0.4C.

Weirdly, it's snowing quite heavily but I can see the moon up there too.

It says a lot that this meagre offering has got me as excited as it has

Yep here too.....for only the 2nd time this winter.

It's all a bit bonkers eh? Yeah a pal of mine had to remove a tick when he was in Northern Ireland over Christmas. I've done quite a few forest walks in Fife over the last month or so and I've been checking myself after every single one. Thankfully nothing but I really wouldn't be surprised to find one tbh.

Winter in Fife

Well said. Those five words, more than any other I've seen, sum up winter so far.

But then.......on reflection there have been plenty of winters that offered lots of good snowy outings in Oct/Nov/Dec but then fizzled out into Jan and Feb. 2012 springs to mind when all the upland snow disappeared and come 1st March NONE of the ski centres were open. Then we got that weird record breaking heat in March, and just a week later almost 3ft of northerly snow fell on the Cairngorms. The crazy lottery that is our weather

No worries, point taken Just getting frustrated with the winter as it's unfolded thus far The winter hillwalking / snowshoeing season is the absolute highlight of the year for me and in 15 years I can't remember a worse start up here.

It's certainly been cold at times and there was a good snowy event mid month for much of upland Perthshire and southern highlands but compared to 'normal' Decembers (whatever those are these days) it's been noticeably milder than usual in the highlands I'd say. Fewer hard frosts. Thankfully there's not been any of those crazy 17C temps you get in some Decembers but even so, Moray and northwest highlands had night time temperatures in double figures between Christmas and New Year. I've certainly noticed it during my attempts to get snowy hillwalks this season, there's just been drizzle up north instead of snizzle, and on the few occasions I went up to Braemar in December it's been quite dispiriting to have it feeling more like October, with brown hills and swollen rivers

9C and bright sunshine outside, with fresh green grass pushing through. If I didn't know better I'd say it was a lovely spring day in Fife

<faints>

A fine end to the day up here. Currently 2.8C and oddly calm after yesterday's shenanigans.

Was that the year when it was very windy too? Or maybe that was the year before, I can't remember. But I do remember driving back to Edinburgh from Killearn (first visit in more than 20 years!) on Christmas Eve in one of those years and there being snow

Aww, I spent the first four years of my life there. Lovely wee place

I was gonna head up the hill first thing but it's 3C and the snow is therefore that horrid slippy stuff.....but with the added interest of a layer of ice beneath. Horrid to walk on so I'm content to gawp out the window. Car's still covered in glaze despite the thaw.

It's been a peculiar and memorable day of weather

Absolutely bucketing down with snow....on top of almost 1cm of ice.

Genuinely unsettling. I'm a little worried now tbh, if it accumulates to any thickness.

There's a weird clicking noise outside as the rain hits. Doesn't sound like the usual hail or sleet.....and there is definitely ice on every surface. Alarming how quickly it has appeared. Folk will definitely get caught out in this.

Ah. There is ice on everything outside!

Likewise.

Ha ha! Fife does seem to drive a wedge sometimes doesn't it?

0.9C and a -6C windchill. Gawd it's cold outside!