NeilN

I just hope it's not another false dawn - I think we will get there eventually

Some good model output - just keep the faith! Would Bristol / North Somerset area get any snow showers if anything?

What's been showing for next week is a good building block to something better. Heck, even us in North Somerset would get a dusting - haven't seen any snow for four years!

I believe it will come off - have faith and patience. January 1987 the remix is on it's way.

Is there a man made way to shift the slug other than a nuke?

I've a feeling it will come off. I'm getting 2008/9 vibes here....never forgot the unexpected snow on February 1st in 2009. I didn't pay attention and thought it was lies from the weather forecast. Went out to meet a friend in Brum City Centre, it just came down. We went back early as we were frightened of being stranded. Following day, I was covering at another home - it was like a Christmas card. Got a taxi to and from work, and they fed me! Have faith - even if it's February we've bloody done it. I'm confident of the models coming off.

I do hope some of these models do verify, and we get some snow / wintry showers and real cold. Something surely has got to give easily.

No matter what, I think we're going to spend January in the freezer and I am happy after a benign December.

It's bizzare how Christmas Day is rather mild, yet around it it's average / seasonal! I've never known anything like that. I think this is going to be a winter that will catch us off guard and I reckon it looks promising reading the models for the start of 2017.

It's been a mild December, despite the cold start but there has been some chilly nights. Nowhere near last year's ridicilousness at all. If anything, it's been a standard December to put it bluntly.

I do wonder in pre-internet days where we've had winters start slow then deliver (1986/7, 1994/5 with it's snow intercepted with mild) did people think "Oh God, winter is over!" only to be shocked a few days and weeks down the line?

3.1 - Almost bang on average with some colder interludes and milder ones.

My Mum has used this December as a comparison to 1986 - cold start, mild middle and a cold end, then the epic snows in the January to March of 1987. My sister was born in the December, and when she had to go to Marston Green Hospital for a six week check-up, she had to cancel it as there was snow everywhere! The winter I was born in (84/85) was bitter she said and the amount of snow in January and February. I was 6 in December 1990, and I do remember it vaguely being very excited it was snowing - the February is legendary that year.

Thank you - I just hope for everybody's sake it isn't anything too dramatic. Bad enough last year with the floods.

That's true - I mean I've heard a few people on here and my own Mum say this is like December 1985/6 - now to have an epic January and February would be the dream. The storm forecast, any hope of it dying down so it's not that bad or still severe?

This is how I measure winter - This does feel like a 1980s one though.

My Mum said the same - she said this feels like December 1986 - cold start, mild throughout then cold towards the end and freezing January's and February's. Nothing is a write off, however I am cautious of a stormy Christmas.

I dunno what it is cheese, but I think we're due something like those three. I mean I could be totally wrong and 1976's record goes.

I think Jan to March will have some wintry spells intercepted with mild. Spring will have a below average March and April and a wet May. I'm also thinking we're due a proper duff summer. Think something like 1988 / 2012 - very wet and very below average.

To the mild weather:

As I'm still learning to read the models, does that mean it'll be cold and miserable? I mean surely average temperatures this Christmas would be better than last year's mildfest?

I remember it as a child (both those months) playing out in the snow and no school for about 3-4 days.

I was thinking - would anyone take winter 1994/5? Mild on and off but the odd snowy interlude in February and March? Better than bugger all.

A serious post here - This could be the models drunk, and bare in mind computers can get it wrong or we're just going to have face the truth. Our climate is changing, and not for the better.

Can't we fire a rocket in the sky to burn away the warm air?