Jay Lad

Usually the coldest part of Greater Manchester for minimum temperatures is around the area where the coldest temperature of last winter occured so probably around the area of Woodford near Stockport, the cold filters down off the Pennines over that particular area which sharply falls in elevation, also it is not in the busy city centre, the city centre and nearby being low down should be a frost bowl but with the warmth from the thousands of buildings it obviously isn't. The snowiest part of Greater Manchester is most of the time reserved to the NE part, particularly the villages of Saddleworth, the villages of Diggle and Denshaw would be a sure fire bet for the snowiest award. The boroughs of Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside coming not far behind., also these areas are usually colder with the maximum temperatures throughout the year on average in Gtr Manchester. We have a very varied climate to say the least!

Manchester Airport is only about 69m asl, wheras Sheffield is on average 140m above sea level so in turn elevation helps. It's also noteworthy about where I live, I live about 14 miles from Manchester Airport and it can be a blizzard here but rain at the airport, sometimes I have the same weather as West Yorks yet I am classed as in Greater Manchester. So with a difference of about 350 feet between here in the Pennines and the airport it can make a huge difference. My family live between 200-240 feet lower then where I live, just a few towns away and the snow melts quicker than here, about a week earlier. So you have to go about 200 feet higher and the weather can change quite dramatically here in the UK.

True but the last time it snowed here in May was in 1996 and that was only about 2cm if that...........we had a decent snowfall in late March 2008 woke up one morning to a good 5 inches but by the end of the day it had all melted in the warmish sun, personally Northerlies are crap here in this part of the region, you may do better in Cumbria as your further west - we are too sheltered here in the Pennines as all we get is sunshine from a Northerly with little cloud........we do far far better from an Easterly or a weather system off the Atlantic bumping into the cold air, for northerly the North York moors are prob the best place to be along with the Cairngorms and probably Snowdonia

I hate to say it but I think Monday may be the last chance for any measurable snow (unless you move to the Scottish Highlands), looking at the models it keeps putting back any real cold each day and now sends it almost into March and beyond, If it wasn't for December this winter would of been boring, so thank god for that. The sun is now noticeably stronger, the days are getting longer, it feels positively springlike with even the birds are chirping more now.

Well it's still on for now, the cold that is. My link By this time next week we *could* be under Siberian air with a strong Easterly, which 99% of the time I do great from, not sure about the snow chance in the west of the region though in terms of significance

I've recored 71mm over the past 2 days, then again I am a high level area, Buxton has had almost 90mm I think.

What a turn around over the last week or so, look at these runs My link My link My link - bitterly cold East to North East winds, also to note the operational and control runs for London are basically showing us something we haven't seen since Jan 1987. It could certainly change but the enphasis on the cold is growing. The Met office have also now updated their long term forecast to cold and even very cold.

Lashing it down out there, small branches broken and blown onto the road. Must be easily gusting to 60mph now.

Definately, but they are by far the best runs for about 5 weeks, so certainly encouraging.

Ladies and Gents, a *possible* return to the freezer by the 12th take a look at these charts from both links My link My link

We can all hope yes

About 95% of the time that's not the case, when cold snowy weather exits the USA and Canada and makes it way across the Atlantic it gets moderated by the mild gulf stream which in turn brings rain once it arrives in the UK rather than snow, infact what we have had today was from the USA and originally it was snow when it was across the Eastern part of the US. And what we get this week coming up will also be from the USA and it will be rain, unfortunately.

Don't give up hope yet - I have pictures of April 1981 (when I was almost 2) when we had about two feet in as many days, the week before it was warm apparently, so don't fret people it's only Feb.....looking for sustained cold? it's getting a bit late for that especially by the end of this month, but for snow it's not, I've known a covering of snow as late as May here.

Your quite a bit further North which makes the sun less strong at all times of the year than here.

Snow would last a day in April yes, you can also get slight sun burn in April from direct sunlight, but if it were Dec it'll be more likely last up to 2 weeks dependent on tempertaure as we've seen during this winter. The sun has literally no affect in Dec, same with early and mid Jan and all of Nov. Snow would last a few days in Feb but only dependant on temperature, in 1963 the only reason it lasted longer on the ground in Feb was it snowed on nearly every day in that month so it was bound to stick around after a cm or 2 a day even if the sun was gaining alot of strength compared to in early winter. There is also more areas in later winter and into spring where the sun can get to as it is higher in the sky, already it's getting into the corners of my garden where it didn't in Dec, infact I felt a bit of warmth from it today which I haven't felt since about late October.