This is the catch 22 situation. Most people on this thread are naturally hoping for a decrease in SST anomalies to promote colder weather. However, as OP has just described, low SST's don't support large convective snowfalls from a continental easterly for example; unlike warmer seas which would allow for a 'lake effect snow' scenario producing heavy snowfalls. So the question is - do we really want below average SST's in the North Sea? Surely we couldn't refuse such a thing?!