[Model Mayhem - Moan, Ramp, Go Nuts]

Are we seeing a return to the 90's style winters those were often mild and were mostly westerly dominated just like the start of this winter has been

What we're seeing is bog standard UK winter weather. 2009/10 and in particular Dec 2010 were unusual to say the least. I can understand why some are disappointed but no one should be surprised. This is just the type of revolting crap we can expect at any time of the year. More's the pity.

[2012: A weather review]

Must agree with the Ponce. Largely hideous apart from the end of March, end of May and end of July. Unbelievable amount of rain from mid April to date. Apart from the pleasant spell end July, no summer. Again. All in all, even worse than usual; and usual's plenty bad enough.

[Southwest & Central Southern England Regional Discussion]

latest NWx radar grab for our region....awful, just awful....torrential rain pushing back N/NE into Som/Wilts

Hi. Just down the hill (Lyneham Banks) from you in Dauntsey Vale. Seems to be pepping up again now after a quieter spell earlier. Avon flows at the bottom of my garden; highest I've seen it last Wednesday but in truth it's been high regularly since April. A dry spell would be much appreciated for sure.

[Tomasz Schafernaker Returns to the BBC and Met Office]

It's all been downhill since Suzanne Charlton left.

I'll get me coat.

[Sound and how the brain reacts to it?]

Fascinating. Like Styx I react in a similar way but to certain smells rather than sounds. The most evocative/provocative for me being the smell produced by rain on city streets after a lengthy warm dry spell. Another is the smell of brand new CD booklets opened for the first time. Sometimes these can produce an almost hallucinatory state of bliss. Especially when I've forgotten to take my anti-psychotic meds.

[Winter 2012 / 2013 Part 3]

Any chance of picking my lottery numbers for tomorrow? Come to think of it could you pick them for the 1st Saturday in January?

Some of the posts in here are truly laughable - it's not even mid-October yet!

And yet in mid-October it appears to be perfectly reasonable to suggest that we might just as well be in Lapland for three months come the end of November.

[Your Wishlist For Summer 2013 (a Light Relief From Winter Thread)]

A repeat of summer 2003 would be most acceptable.

[Squirrel Carnage]

In my neck of the woods, there seems to have been a sharp rise in the number of squirrels over the last coupla months. My garden's teeming with the critters; way more than usual. And yes, the back roads are littered with the less fortunate ones. But then I guess more squirrels generally equates to more road kill.

[Sum Up Your Summer In 5 Words (or Less)]

Not enough sunshine or warmth

[Dullest Summer Since 1987 And Wettest Since 1912.]

We are due a good summer next year.

We were due a good summer this year. Sadly, good summers in the UK are hard to come by and getting rarer by the year.

[Saturday 25th August 2012- Weather & General Chat]

Lengthy electrical storm just come to an end; directly overhead for a time with all the expected action. Best one here in quite some time.

[The Psychological Effects Of Weather]

As a lover of sunshine and warmth I'm beginning to feel the will to live slowly draining from my soul. Obviously, one doesn't have wildly high expectations of a British summer but this one really does suck the big one. It'll be with enormous relief that I leave for Kefalonia shortly for a few weeks of much needed respite from this interminably crap weather.

[South Central England Regional Discussion Thread Part 2]

-1.5c now (after a low of -10c) and snowing steadily. Started about 20 mins ago and beginning to settle.

[Saturday 4th February - Weather & General Chat]

Gin-clear and -10c at 06:30, coldest since Christmas morning 2010. Overcast now, could be interesting later.

[Friday 3rd February 2012 - Weather & General Chat]

Crystal clear and -9c at 07.00, coldest since christmas day 2010

[Have You Had An Air Frost Yet?]

It certainly is. The pinnacle of human musical achievement in my own humble and heavily biased opionon.

First air frost of January here with the temperature 20 ft above the roof currently -1.0c.

All together now "A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"

-5c at 07.30, nice rime too

[Have You Had An Air Frost Yet?]

-4 here this morn, coldest so far this winter; still a smidge on the grass now.

Btw TM, is that Trout Mask Replica lurking in your avatar?

[25th July-22nd August 1995: Hot, dry and sunny!]

Ahhhh.........remember that spell very well, bliss. Got married on 3 August in Bath, roasting hot day and later on got stung in the mouth sharing a can of Stella with a wasp. Turned out to be a prescient omen. Apart from 76 and 2003, probably the best August I can remember.

[Winter 2011/12 - General Discussion]

I don't think I have seen a single post on December 1976, that was a cold December with a CET of 2.0C but I never seen anyone mention that month apart from the fact that it was a bookie white Christmas. I can only assume it wasn't especially snowy.

When people recall 1976 weather-wise, they're unlikely to be thinking 'cold'.

[What Springlike Signs Have You Seen?]

Sounds even more amazing than here.. Talking of tomatoes, we never picked one until Sept 19th, but the crop just kept coming and coming thereafter - we picked the last useable 1/2 dozen on Nov 4th and barbecued them on the vine while setting off fireworks. Rather surreal..

Yeah, it's a strange one for sure. This is potentially a pretty cold spot here in Dauntsey Vale on the banks of the Avon; -15c last christmas morning. Can't say I'm too disappointed though, starting to fantasize about the prospects of a long hot summer already.

[What Springlike Signs Have You Seen?]

Grass continues to grow, wasp wandering around groggily on the decking yesterday, quite a few ladybirds and amazingly, a couple of rogue tomatoes ripening in outside pots. This morning was 20c up on this time last year.

[Hot Or Cold?]

not everywhere is incompetent with snow you know!

I assume that's a pop at us hopelessly soft southerners; good to see the old "north south divide" is alive and kicking.

Actually, I did a fair amount of shovel-wielding last December living out in the sticks miles from any main road. Guess it was bracing and all that but I'd sooner be in the garden, 30c with a drink and a good book.

[Hot Or Cold?]

The United Kingdom will never experience months of sub-zero snowy conditions, it's a maritime island. If our climate climate was continental, then there would be none of those problems you mention because we'd be well adapted to deal with them. Not sure what point you're trying to make here, a cold winter isn't world war 2 and your post really has no relevance to what I said.

Of course the UK won't experience months of sub-zero conditions but you've implied throughout this thread that you'd welcome precisely that. It's a simple point really; prolonged extremely cold snowy conditions are very disruptive.

[Hot Or Cold?]

No, but I have endured 5 months of nothing but grey skies, drizzle and mist - I know which I'd prefer.

Months of grey skies and drizzle is certainly a drag but crucially, it doesn't really interfere with day to day life.

Unlike several months of sub-zero snowy conditions. Quite apart from the general hassle involved with getting around we'd probably be looking at food/fuel shortages after a while and the economy would surely end up in an even more parlous state.

[Hot Or Cold?]

So why would a sample of non-biased intelligent people differ from the opinion of weather-enthusiasts. I suspect because the definition of the latter may well involve white coats.

Because it would seem that a great many weather-enthusiasts are attracted to extreme conditions, ergo many will favour extreme cold, the very notion of which would fill the overwhelming majority of non-enthusiasts with dread.

Not sure what you're getting at re the white coats.