Shunter

Stopped here now, think thats it for today. About 3" in total depth. Temp still 0.3c. DP 0.0c Need clouds to break now in order to freeze the pack. Back tomorrow.....lol !

Reverted to light snow now after a 30 minute deluge.......everything covered again including conservatory roof which had avalanched off earlier. Pack Depth 7cm. Temp 0.2c Dp -0.5c

Heavy Snow now in Shorne but only settling on frozen snow. Temp 0.5c falling. DP -0.3c Pack depth 5cm max

Not according to the latest Met Office update it isnt... UK Outlook for Monday 11 Jan 2010 to Wednesday 20 Jan 2010: Next week looks set to remain cold or very cold across the UK. There will be a good deal of dry weather especially in the west, with occasional wintry showers in the east. However, outbreaks of snow, which may be heavy in places, at first in central areas on Monday (11th). Windy at times across many parts with significant wind chill. Overnight frosts and ice with very low minimum temperatures in the north. Risk of snow in far south on Friday. The trend from next weekend onwards looks most likely to continue cold or very cold with further snow showers in eastern parts. There remains a signal for less cold weather by the end of the period but there is low confidence in this aspect. Updated: 1200 on Wed 6 Jan 2010

I think a reality check is needed as the vast majority of people in the South East have seen but a minor fall of snow and temperatures around freezing. Bog standard winter weather. Kent for example is around 4200 square miles in size and very few areas have in excess of 5cms of lying snow. This was beaten in most winters during the 90's. Media frenzy of "Epic Freeze" and alike is nothing other than sensationalism and fantasy. Television news "hysteria" is laughable in the main and causes more harm than good as it frightens the old and vulnerable into thinking things are worse than they really are. Plant a young female reporter next to a motorway with a couple of inches of snow on it and tell her to fill us with stories of stranded motorists and accidents doesnt cut it. Put her in the middle of Helmand Province in broad daylight "with the pink bobble hat" and then see what reality really is like.

Thanks

Hi Nick....when is the cold upers and lower dew points due to arrive in the South East ? We are just about hanging on to our 2cm snow depth but temps and DP's slowly rising again. Now 0.8c DP -0.4c

Very light Snow now in Shorne, Kent. Temp 0.6c DP -0.5c. Depth - 2cm

Colchester & Felixstowe seem to be the Northern limit of the Essex snowband at present. Its all moving slowly South now and intensifying as it crosses the Thames to Sheppey, Medway, CLiffe and Gravesend. Currently 0.4c DP -0.3

White !

Temp rising here still. 0.4c DP 0.0. Really borderline now even with 83m elevation in Shorne. Anybody know when these DP's are going to fall back?

Yes the band around Colchester to Chelmsford had developed in the past couple of hours and is still intensifying. It doesnt seem to be moving anywhere either so I would suggest peeps currently in this area will get a nice fall in the next few hours.

Putting this present spell of weather into perspective, it hasn't been anywhere near as severe as 1987 or 1991 for Kent in general. In 1987 I was snowed in for 5 days and had to receive milk and bread via "drops" to local pub ! The snow was over 30cms deep with drifts in excess of six feet. Temperatures never got above -5c for several days. In 1986 my car literally froze ( no anti-freeze ), I abandoned it until the freeze relented ( over a week ) and found the core plugs had popped out of the engine. In 1991 it snowed for three days and was several degrees below zero throughout. People were skiing in powder snow at the Warren in Gravesend. All this was in my present locale. The current freeze has been extremely marginal, I've seen several Snow to Sleet events and temps have not dropped far below freezing even with snowcover and light winds at night. Currently light snow is falling. Temp 0.2c DP 0.0c

about 2cm here in Shorne, a bit of a damp squib really considering the hype that preceded this spell. Looking at todays proceedings the LP area is heading away in a SSW direction taking the remaining snow with it. Dew points are still marginal in the Thames Estuary but these should start to improve later as a colder Easterly feed develops. As for precipitation, I wouldn't expect much if anything this morning in the North Kent area. Maybe a developing feed into the Estuary as the Easterly picks up.

Can somebody explain why with 520 Dam and 850mb temps of -8c we are still getting drizzle and dew points around freezing in the Thames area?

You wouldn't have liked it at Sainsurys, Pepper Hill, quite a bit of panic buying today by pensioners.

Pleased for you KW. Really good call on the Eastward developments today. You deserve every flake you get mate

Same here...I am at 83m asl though so I suppose it helps to have a little altitude in these marginal situations.

I'm close to the Inn on the ( frozen ) Lake at Shorne. Its snowing heavily here, about 2cm. Feels warmer than of late. Temp 0.5c DP -2.3

Really Heavy now in Shorne, settling everywhere. Approx 1cm. Temp 0.6c. Got a feeling that the Thames line will hit the jackpot tonight / tomorrow.

Raintoday website showing Snow for the whole of Kent now and also into Grays,Essex. If anything it seems to be decaying West of London !

Raintoday website showing Snow for the whole of Kent now and also into Grays,Essex. Seems to be decaying West of London !

Should be crossing the Thames to you now Kold !

Steady Snow here in Shorne, nr Gravesend. Temp 0.7c falling slowly

The Easterly extent of precipitation has now reached the Eastern Coast line and it appears to be heading North slowly. If this continues I would expect it to reach the Thames in about 30 minutes or so.