BlueSkies_do_I_see

I would like to experience a blizzard. You don't tend to get too many of those here in Coventry! We did well for snow here last winter but it fell gently for long periods of time. I prefer whiteout conditions like the norwesters they get along the NE seaboard of the US! The last blizzard in the UK was the March 23rd one this year?

The weather models are less interesting right now but we all know what is round the corner - silly season on the model thread. I started reading this forum in Feb 2012 and was amazed by the late autumn of 2012 by the pace of activity on the model thread. Pages and pages of comments to catch up with each evening and during events such as the failed easterly in Dec 2012 I could see the frustrations on display. Then when things really got moving in Jan 2013 there were people announcing they were would have to stay up all night for the GFS 0Z run starting at around 3.30am because the pub run had had a wobble. And I found myself checking for myself at 5am after I had resettled my toddler! I'm an all year round weather fan but I particularly like continental type weather of hot summers and cold winters. The bits in between don't interest me as much, so I'd be more than happy with a warm Sept and early Oct and then kick off winter in style like lat Nov 2010. By March though I am ready for spring so found last March too much. Looking forward to seeing some familiar names appearing on the forums again when they "come out of hiberation"!

Looking like a warm first half of September, though it would take something exceptional to challenge 2006 and 1729 so will plump for 15.4

This morning's ECM 0Z run is not a good one for those looking to usher in an early taste of Autumn!

Mushy, is that setup similar to the end of Sept 2011 high over Europe that delivered the plume?

Which was the last summer to deliver the most sun and heat to most of the UK? Where noone missed out?

I have to agree with you there Milhouse. The July heatwave was great, but late August sunshine is my favourite. I can go out in the middle of the day for a lunchtime walk out of the office and the sun is pleasantly warm but it is not melting me like it was 6 weeks before!

So for some parts of the UK, especially the west, could 2013 have surpassed 2006 for the superior August we have had?

I was interested to read Sept 2006 was the warmest on record. It is not a month I remember much about as I was not as interested in the weather back then. Does anyone have any memories or facts of it they would be willing to share? What would make you happy for Sept 2013 realistically. More high pressure and warm weather in the low 20s / high teens? Or something more fresh? If you could relive a September's weather from your past, which would it be?

Didn't we only get summer arrive properly in early July? That's less than 2 months ago. After the coldest spring in years, I think we are owed this late warm spell of summer sunshine I'm all for a seasonal autumn and winter, but could we at least wait til the equinox on Sept 21 before we wave goodbye to warm weather?

Good question. This thread discusses it in detail!http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/77617-late-august-hot-spell-how-rare/ The 1906 heatwave is the most famous late summer into Sept event. 2nd Sept hit 35.6C that year..

The trend is clearly there for a run of cold winters. I'm spending a wedge of cash next month to insulate my draughty 1930s house next month as I am convinced we are heading for another cold one!

Ok, I forgot 2011/12 was generally milder. However, late Jan 2012 saw intense cold over Europe for several weeks. We caught the edge of it. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_2012_European_cold_wave

2013 has been fantastic compared to the previous 6 summers here in the Midlands. But how rare are back to back good summers in the UK? The only one I can think of in my lifetime is 1975 and 1976. Would 1995 and 1996 count as great summers? Any more spring to mind? Regarding cold winters, I believe the previous 5 winters, dating back from 2008/2009 have all been in the top 10 coldest winters (CET) of the last 30 years. Has this occurred before? I thought maybe something similar happened in the 1960s? I would say a 6th consecutive cold winter would be unprecedented in recent history..

Looking like Bank Holiday finishes better than it starts! Overall, I'm very happy with the forecast for the latter part of August. Not much rain in the forecast for the Midlands after Saturday. Put it this way, if someone offered me 2013 type summers for the rest of my life, I'd be more than agreeable! Of the summers in the last 20 years, I would probably rank 2013 4th, after 1995, 2003, and 2006. Would people agree with that? Have any summer synoptic fans on NW not enjoyed the 2013 summer for any reason? Also, if the good weather continues into the first half of September, that would make up for the cooler weather we had in June, although I admit we don't have the long light evenings by then..

Thanks for your replies. Amazing about those very warm Oct days in 1985 and 2011. I think we will see more remarkable weather events in the coming months, purely based on the successive weather patterns that we have been seeing over the last 6-7 years (cold winters, warm and cold springs, hot/dry/wet summers etc). It sure is a fascinating and exciting time for weather enthusiasts such as ourselves!

So barring any exceptional Spanish plumes over the next few weeks, it looks like August 1 2013 may prove to be the hottest day this year at around 34C. It got me wondering, has a warmest day of the year ever occurred outside of the summer months, such as May or September? Having read of the 1906 heatwave on this forum recently, I know 35.6C was recorded on Sept 2nd. Not sure if this was the warmest day of 1906 and if so whether any warmest days occurred later than this?

Well there is a good chance that question mark for August will be replaced by 2013 if this morning's charts verify!

That 1906 heatwave was incredible. 35.6C in September! If this heat extended into Sept I would not be surprised to see a 30C recorded though.

Could we be heading into a late summer hot spell that lasts so long it morphs into early Sept heat? If so, would we into 1976 territory?

Some of the weather mentioned is featured here http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/get-ready-for-summer/blog/top-five-severe-weather-youtube-videos?WT.mc_id=Twitter_Comms_GRFS

Thanks for sharing those memories. I am envious that you remember 1947 winter. We have had quite a few memorable times in just the last 3 years. Twice in 2010 were exceptional for cold - Jan and Dec. Then in 2011 we had an incredible April and latter part of Sept for early and late in the season heat. 2012 was exceptionally wet especially April and June. So far in 2013, March and July have been remarkable for cold and heat respectively.

There was a pretty much identical full UK snow covering satellite taken in Jan 2010 too.http://www.dundee.ac.uk/pressreleases/2010/prjan10/snow.htm

It seems Dec 2010 is a clear front runner here. How rare is a December like 2010? It is not unprecedented. Dec 1981 was similar, as was Dec 1890. But that is 3 such Decembers in 120 years! My memory of it was witnessing -18 in rural Shropshire and having to unfreeze the pipes on a ladder outside.

So it 10 years since the hot August of 2003, and it got me thinking.. Which is your favourite month of weather in your lifetime? December 2010? August 1995? I would have to say Dec 2010. Pretty dramatic and probably the nearest winter conditions to 1963 since I was born in the 70s.