Jackfrost

I called this cool spell correctly before it even started, back when the MOD thread and TV forecasts were wetting themselves over a "screaming Northerly" (Helen Willetts's words) and "significant snow". I was insistent that it wouldn't deliver in this part of the world based upon nothing but intuition and past experience. Well, what do we have now? Endless sleet and rain showers interspersed with sunny periods, temperatures of 4-6C and a gentle, chilly breeze. Oh yes, it really is bitter out there, isn't it? True Arctic conditions! The hype over weather in this country is truly embarrassing. The one positive that may have come from this experience is that we'll all ignore the MOD discussion, TV forecasts and Met Office warnings in future and just watch the sky. N.B.: Tuesday: Rain or sleet for most of Wales as a warm sector gets involved, snow above 250-300m. After that chilly (not cold) and dry until the breakdown and return of the Atlantic. Next stop Spring!

Afraid so, as has Monday/Tuesday's event.

An expedition you say? I'm going to the Himalayas (well, South Asia in general: India, Nepal, Tibet including Everest Base Camp, and Bangladesh) in October/November and Papua New Guinea in 2016. It sounds like you have my dream job!

You looking forward to spring and summer, WAG? I think it's fair to say that despite the mediocrity of our recent winters, the last two summers and most recent springs have seen long spells of sunny, hot/warm weather. Indeed, I remember May, June and July last year being warm if not hot pretty much all the way through.

South Wales was forecast snow overnight and parts of it were under a warning. Monday's low now looks like staying out in the Atlantic so yet another missed opportunity for us. With the breakdown of the "cold" spell looking like next weekend and no sign of snow before that - the week ahead looks bone dry for most areas - it's looking like February and therefore the winter could pass by without any major snow events. Bar the modest fall in January 2013, we haven't seen anything significant since December 2010. Even the winters of the late 90s and 2000s were better than this.

For the vast majority of Wales, it seems, yet another example of forecast heavy snow and Met Office warnings amounting to nothing but heavy rain, with our snow being diverted to parts of the country which have already seen heavy snow three or four times this winter. I suspect that Monday/Tuesday's event will be rain in South Wales.

Has the fact that all of Wales (and even Southwest England) have been issued snow warnings for Sunday and Monday been mentioned in here? I quote: "Periods of enhanced snowfall are possible within this general flow, with parts of Wales, the Midlands and southwest England at greater risk on Monday"

The very blurry webcam of Storey Arms appears to show snow-related chaos on the A470 there. Showers turning to snow here.

I sometimes get frustrated with Derek's lack of enthusiasm for snow and his downplaying of potential but when it comes down to it, he's more often right than wrong.

I'm convinced this will become ever more frequent in the near future thanks to climate change and warming.

Snap. Those long summer nights, verdant foliage, barbecued kebabs and ridiculously large inflatable garden paddling pools are calling.

A little over a month and the flowers will be in bloom and warm (ish) days become a possibility, thankfully. This winter is more depressing than last for its missed opportunities. At least we had an endless succession of incredible storms; this is just mediocre.

With February upon us and having seen no lying snow beyond three pointless coverings, I'm starting to grow a little itchy to see something. Within the next week or two the days will begin to grow noticeably longer and the power of the sun will start to increase and, with no meaningful snows in sight (for this part of the world) and heaps of uncertainty, it doesn't bode well.

2C and snow, Gurnos, Merthyr. Sleet here in Nelson.

I'm going to say this and I know you're going to throw things at me (takes a crushed beer can to the head) but I like wet, stormy weather a lot. There was something genuinely awe-inspiring last Winter knowing that the storms we experienced had travelled thousands of miles across open ocean to reach us, all the way from North America. I'm fascinated by the Atlantic and oceanography and the effects the seas have on weather so the UK, for me, is located in the perfect position on the face of earth despite its moderating effects on any potential cold. And standing on a hill on a grey, blowy day as a system approaches, looking west towards the ocean and watching the changing cloudscapes rolling towards me? Heavenly. I'd take snow any day, but I don't find howling gales and rain as depressing as many seem to.

I'm feeling more optimistic about the coming days after my recent pessimistic, negative mood and depressive diatribes about this cold spell and the winter in general. I believe snow is possible in many inland parts of Wales beginning tonight. I don't foresee much settling but time will tell!

It's not negative Jay, it's realistic. I suspect our mediocre winters are down to climate change. Since 2000 (or 1990, if you like) how many severely cold winter months have we had? One - December 2010. Several have been notably cold. That's one severely cold month and a handful of notably cold months, no more than five or six depending on definition, in twenty-five years. Twenty-five years. I fear we're going to have get used to a lot of this in the future. The odd blip may happen, we might see a cold spell here and there, but in general I suspect winters like 2006-7 and 2013-14 will become the norm. Our winters may resemble those they currently see in the Mediterranean (but with our summers much more variable, naturally).

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic (and almost 1000 miles to the South of us in Wales): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30978320 And to think it's an enormous achievement to see 10cm in this country, while the prospect of 2 is enough to send us into a frenzy!

Cold spell has been watered down overnight; not at long-lasting, not overly cold and with most snow restricted to the North. I noted my inkling that this would happen the night before last and was poo-pooed. Story of this winter I'm afraid.

I really don't like to be a party pooper but given our past experiences (last week being the most recent example) of being sorely disappointed, I'm finding it hard to get too excited about this potential cold spell. Charts showed blizzard and TV forecasts talked of several Atlantic assaults on the "stagnant cold air" with excitement which never materialised, and it eventually got so watered down that most of us struggled to see sleet. If this happens then great, fantastic, it'll make the winter for me, but if it doesn't then I'm largely beyond caring. The two months with the fewest hours of daylight are behind us: once February gets started the increasing strength of the sun will see the back of any lying snow within a day or two. All I'm saying is don't be surprised if this turns into another three day cool spell with temperatures of 3-7C, culminating in a cold rain and sleet breakdown event, with any snow in the usual places. All this said, I'm starting to question my interest in British weather. Why do we settle for the measly leftovers, the dribs and drabs? Even our greatest, most fondly remembered snow events are not a patch on nor as frequent as those seen elsewhere. The same can be said of our storms, heat, cold, gales and even rain. It really is the height of mediocrity and stinks of desperation on our behalf. As you can tell I'm feeling rather jaded with the whole rollercoaster ride of UK weather watching where disappointments are commonplace and positive outcomes are rare and vastly overshadowed by events elsewhere in the world. Climate change is accelerating at such a pace that it makes further severe events less and less likely as time goes on. Sorry.

My hope is that we'll see another trio of 2008/9-10/11 winters very soon. My fear and expectation is that, with climate change and warming accelerating, "cold" spells and let downs like the one we've just seen will become the norm in coming winters.

Cowbridge?! I find that very hard to believe, must be a glitch with the system. Nothing but (very) cold rain with occasional sleet in these parts.

Time for those of us in South Wales to give up on this "event", I think.

This is a definite streamer setting up with the lower and central Valleys in its sights.

Heavy snow here in South Wales with a cm or two now lying. Hope some it moves up your way!