Walsall Wood Snow

I'd rather we didn't. That's way to warm for Winter. Each to there own though I suppose. Saying that though I suppose it depends what happened beforehand. I mean if say December and January were very cold and snowy a warm February would probably be quite a nice contrast. But if we got nothing but mild muck beforehand I would find it frustrating.

Well that's reassuring. Being as this December looks like starting unwintry (not sure that's a word) hopefully this Winter won't pan out like Winter 1997/98 and the true Winter weather might come later in the season.

What you remember would undoubtedly have been the very snowy February of 1991. I have only vague memories of it myself being 5 at the time going on 6. But I have since through the records been able to narrow it down to then. Though what I remember could have been early December 1990 as there was apparently a big blizzard then here in the Midlands, though it apparently didn't effect the South East so what you remember wouldn't have been then. February 1991 though was a nation wide event and affected the South East pretty badly with train cancellations due to 'the wrong type of snow' i.e dry powder snow. You can look this Winter up on Wikipedia. Just type in 'Winter of 1990-91 in Western Europe' and you can read all about it. It was undoubtedly the best Winter of the 1990s for snow by some distance and followed three consecutive mild Winters and therefore was the first cold Winter since 1986/87. It wouldn't have been 1992 though as I believe both the Winters of 1991/92 and 1992/93 were rubbish for snow. November 1993 was quite snowy however but not waist deep. Hope that helps.

Well done guys . Though I must say I hope the predictions of above average temperatures in the south of the UK are wrong for December and February. I'll take the below average predictions for January though. Appreciate the effort nonetheless.

There wasn't any snow in our part of the country that day but I do remember news reports of snow in Scotland. The snow arrived here on the evening of the 27th.

The White Christmases I can remember so far, all occurred since the New Millennium (most can only loosely be called that). They are Christmas 2001 when we had a brief snow shower in the afternoon that left a few specks. Christmas 2004 when we had a few tiny showers throughout the day then a more heavier and prolonged fall in the evening that left an ok but fairly thin covering. Very loosely I might say Christmas 2009 when there was the very odd small patches here and there that was left over from a fall on the evening of the 23rd but disappointingly thawed throughout Christmas Eve. Then of course my best example of Christmas 2010 when it didn't actually snow but there was still a deep cover that was left over from the falls of the 18th and the much better one of the 22nd. I suppose at a push I could add the Boxing Day snow of 2014, but though in the festive period was a day after the big day itself, so I suppose doesn't really count. Hope to see a true White Christmas one day though, say where we get a blizzard throughout the day with a deep covering and massive drifts. I can dream can't I lol. Here's hoping for a White Christmas 2015 and a cold and snowy Winter 2015/16. Perhaps.

I remember visiting my Dad that Christmas and him commenting how it felt more like Spring than Winter. Quite a contrast to Christmas 2001 when we officially had a White Christmas here with a brief snow shower, then even better 4 days later when we had a good covering on the evening of the 29th that lasted a day or 2 into the New Year. In fact that was the coldest New Year's Eve I can remember so far I think.

Talking of Christmas weather, although we all here know better because we're weather enthusiasts, so our memories of weather events are probably better than most I get the impression that most people have either false memories of Christmases past or they're just being intentionally deceptive. For example i've heard the odd middle aged or older person make out that Christmases were always or usually white when they were a young un but the records simply don't back this up. In fact I reckon as a 30 year old i've probably seen nearly as many white Christmases as an 100 year old. And although I must concede that someone of that age would have seen alot more cold snowy Winters at this stage, the number of White Christmases they would have seen (provided they spent them all in lowland Britain) could probably be counted on one hand. Ask any old person about the Christmases of their youth and they will often make out it always used to snow, despite that not being the case. That's what I find anyway.

Hasn't snow at low levels in the south during the first half of December always been rare though (not just nowadays)? In fact wouldn't the records show that only a handful of early December's produced snow at low levels through the whole of the 20th century? And being as we had a snowy and very cold start to December a mere 5 years ago it's not like we're overdue one. This is the UK after all not Siberia and almost all harsh Winters in this part of the world start much later than this, by a month at least. To realistically expect such conditions at this time of year in our part of the world is quite a detachment from reality and it seems that 2010 has really skewed perceptions (amazing how one year can do this). Winter may officially start on 1st December by the meteorological definition but in reality I think the astronomical definition of on or around 21st December is a far more realistic benchmark, with the first two thirds being more Autumnal than Wintry. Much like how the start of September doesn't feel much like Autumn and can often be quite Summery, with the trees still fully leafed and green. I think expectations are maybe too high for this time of year, and we'll have a better idea of how this Winter's going to pan out as we head through December, but not necessarily a clear one. So to anybody writing the Winter (which hasn't started yet) off already is getting way ahead of themselves. Oh and I'd also like to add there were some posters who were throwing toys out their prams back in February 2013 (despite just having a snowy end to January) when the following month we had our coldest March in half a century. Nobody really knows whether we'll get lots of snow a bit of snow or no snow yet.

Yeah. Probably would have seen alot more yesterday. Unfortunately I work most Saturday's (as I did yesterday) so it wasn't an option. Still it beat staying in all day and I did get to actually touch some snow, so it wasn't all bad lol.

Well I went to Dovedale earlier today and went up Thorpe Cloud. Hardly any snow there apart from the odd residual half thawed patch that was smaller than your hand. Although you could see bigger patches on another hill across from it that had cattle grazing on, whatever it's called (if it even has a name?). Bit disappointed as I thought there might be a lot more, although there probably was yesterday. It was a nice trip out nonetheless. Still back here in Walsall Wood we're having our first frost of the extended Winter 2015/16 season which is good to see. Here's to many more and hopefully a good dumping of snow with good and long lasting cover at some point in the season to make up for the failed snows of Winters 2013/14 and 2014/15. March 2013 feels like a long time ago now. Surely were due a break in this snow starved village.

Well that will still be more than I can see here, except for a bit of residue that has remained on next doors collapsed fence panel that is. It'll be nice to have a walk in the country nonetheless.

Thanks PM. I'm setting out for there in about half an hour.

I asked last night but nobody answered. If I were to go to Dovedale today would I see snow there?

Just wondering if I were to go to Dovedale tomorrow would I see lying snow there?

Typical. In fact I'd rather it stayed dry rather than rain. We'll see though.

Well perhaps so. You sure though? Not that I'm saying your wrong, just wondering whether that's what has been defiantly forecast?

Always the pessimist. Still at least you can't be too disappointed if it does rain being as that's all you expect and if it does snow I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'll keep hopes up for both of us then. Not that I have any reason to, being as I don't have a clue but I refuse to let myself go all negative. Still whatever happens tomorrow lets just remind ourselves that it's only November (still Autumn) and that we've still got the whole Winter ahead of us, with the guys and gals on the MO thread starting to talk positively about the Winter ahead at least.

Woke up about 4:30 am and it was snowing heavily with big thick flakes which you could see without any light source. Despite this it refused to settle and the only sign of it now is a few dots on next doors car. Bit annoying but at least it's only late November so maybe next time. Any chance of some more over the weekend?

Wow lucky you. Hope we get a covering like that here.

Just looked out the window about 10 minutes ago. Moderate snow that has stuck to grass, roofs and cars. Too damp on pavements and roads though, will need to be heavier to stick there. Good to see nonetheless.

Sleet here at present.

Had a sleety/graupeley mix shower earlier today at work in Aldridge that lasted a couple of minutes or so. The first frozen precipitation of the extended Winter 2015/16 season. Hope to see more soon and hopefully pure snow that settles. Things certainly looking up for us West Midlanders. I'll try not to get too excited though as the failed (to stick around for more than a few hours) snowy snaps of Winter 2014/15 are still fresh in my memory. But after getting on for three years of no decent snow surely we deserve a break.

Guess we won't know whether we get snow or not until it literally falls in front of our eyes or not. Not too worried though as I see this weekend as a bonus and won't be too disappointed if we get nothing. Would be nice to see a bit of premature Winter though. But I'd rather get nothing now and a repeat of 1962/63 later than a blizzard now and mild muck in the rest of Winter. Not that it means anything of course, but I'm always a bit anxious about getting cold and snow too early especially with the record of cold spells since the 20th century. I was disappointed that the cold spell of Winter 2010/11 ended before the New Year. Then again there does seem to have been cold Winters that started early in the 19th century and earlier that lasted well into the New Year so maybe we're overdue (more than) a Winter that starts early and ends late. Though I suppose it was the LIA back then making such Winters more likely. You never know though.

If it wasn't for the snow on the morning of 22nd December 2010 when we had a few inches maybe even a foot (can't remember the exact depth), the December 2010 cold spell wouldn't have been so great here either. In fact the snow that morning was probably the deepest snow round here since possibly February 1991, or at least 1996. People elsewhere go on about 18th December 2010, but despite snowing all day left only a fairly thin covering round here, possibly half an inch like you say. The 22nd made up for it though but being as the snow on that date isn't as famous as the snow of four days before it must have been much more localised. Then again we always seem to do better with these surprise events than we do with the more hyped up and forecast well in advance events round here for some reason. Anyway I'm not overly bothered by this weekends event really, and just think if we do get anything it'll be a nice bonus. I'm going to wait till winter proper (1st December-29th February) to let my snow cravings really take hold. I think it'll be nice to just get a frost at this stage, something that's been lacking so far this Autumn.