kate1

I totally agree - I'm sure it's only weather geeks like us who bother even to look at the matrix. I have mentioned on this group before that I find the warnings map very confusing and hard to use and making that more user friendly might help. Do we need a weather early warning system by text (one that works)?

I think the issue is that we get so many yellow warnings now people pretty much ignore them. If an amber warning can encourage people to take the weather seriously - securing things like trampolines which are likely to cause a hazard, doing any emergency home maintenance which might avoid serious damage, and most importantly keeping themselves safe - then surely that can only be a good thing. Admittedly here in my corner of Kent we have seen more damage and disruption in recent years under some yellow warnings than we did under last night's amber, but that's not something that can always be predicted in advance and in this case all the indications were that this could well be an extremely nasty storm for most of the UK. The MetOffice have to be cautious where people's lives and homes are potentially at risk.

Words could not describe how happy I am not to be on that plane.

Is this in line with expectations? (Sorry, am not great at interpreting the fax charts)

Probably the same people who would have objected to the introduction of seatbelts on the grounds of wanting the personal freedom to be thrown through the windscreen

The MetOffice warning maps are ridiculously confusing IMO, especially when there are several out at the same time covering different types of weather. Surely they could come up with something better given their importance?

To be honest their last storm warning for severe winds came too late, at least here in the South East where thousands of commuters were stranded in the evening after train services were suspended due to fallen trees on the railway lines. If they'd put out an Amber warning a day or so beforehand I suspect many people would have arranged to work from home that day. So maybe they are erring on the side of caution this time.

To be fair at my location in West Kent we would have had that had it settled - snowfall was quite intense for a while. Presumably that was because the ground was so sodden from previous rainfalls but that won’t be a problem next week.

Snow is one of the trickiest forms of weather to forecast accurately from hour to hour, but good on Kasim for admitting he may have got it wrong on this occasion - would that some of the other rutting male egos on Netweather forums (Model Discussion Forum, I'm looking at you!) followed his example.

All the very best, Tom and lots of luck with your treatment

We had that about 20 minutes ago but it’s vanished now and snow is starting to fall - keep the faith!

I take it all back, it’s proper snow now and starting to settle on the ground IMG_0498.MOV

High excitement here now - just look at it piling up!

Not sure whether we just saw sleet or snow here in West Kent - it left the lightest of dustings on top of our car. It’s very dark and miserable out there….EDIT: more incoming now

That is at odds with what the MetO is actually saying on its longer-term forecast which mentions the possibility of snow several times - indeed it even mentions that snow showers could develop in its forecast up to 18 January.

Not sure if it's the odd flake of snow I'm seeing or if a particularly large droplet of rainwater is being dislodged by the fierce wind! - it's really horrible out there..... Edit: Definitely the very odd flake of snow mixed in. I'm amazed it's cold enough

Can I just say, this special snow-dedicated thread for all members has been a brilliant idea? From a personal point of view, though I don't have any snow now it's great to hear from those who have been more fortunate this time round and to be able to access that all in one place rather than having to dip in and out of the various regional threads. Also really appreciating the more congenial atmosphere compared to the MOD forum - where model ignorance makes me too scared to comment. I know I won't get shot down in here! Anyway, am genuinely happy for those who have got plenty of the white stuff on the ground today (though possibly I wouldn't have been if I hadn't already had a week's lying snow in December) - stay safe, everyone! And hopefully we will all be back here again before March is over.

To be fair we had lying snow on the ground for over a week in December - and I do remember times in the past, when spring was just around the corner, when fairly intense snowfall was followed by a very swift melt. I have a feeling this happened in April 2006

Quite heavy snow here now in Tunbridge Wells but it does not appear to be settling at all and the roads and pavements are wet. Just goes to show how hard snow is to predict as a few hours ago this wasn't forecast

If anyone is planning on travelling up to London on the Hastings-Charing Cross line this morning, there are currently no trains due to a tree on the line. Still snowing lightly here in TW - sad to think there is rain on the way soon. But a big surprise in March to wake up to quite a bit of settling snow

It is snowing here in Tunbridge Wells - settling on cars and a bit on paths from what I can see

Sleeting gently here in Tunbridge Wells. I can hardly contain my excitement. But hopefully we in the SE are in with a chance of something - which would be better than nothing at this point

More than enough for a decent-sized snowman so we're happy! He is quite camp, or should I say gender-fluid? Predictably we've decided to call him Noel.