Northernlights

Dull , dark ,dreich and misty a real November day currently 3.5c so getting colder. Ben Wyvis had a fresh cap of snow this morning, Food is brightning up the day however. Merry Christmas!!

Another very wet start to the day after a promising day yesterday started to dry the ground with its strong wind and temperatures up to 12c. Its cooler today at 7c. Outside round bales of straw wet again so will use dry ones from the shed today for the cattle.

Periods of really wetting drizzly rain today fields are just like bogs again.Ground conditions in these last few months are really as bad as I have ever seen them with just odd days dry enough to spread dung,plough or lift turnips. Will be glad to see the back of this year as it feels its been a constant battle with the weather since July with only my interest in Netweather helping us to get on the ground just when conditions were right as they could be. Currently wet and 6c May I take this opportunity to wish everyone on the Scottish thread a very Merry Christmas

Just for a bit of background my mother was a Londoner but my father was born here on the farm ( a farm tenancy of 300 odd years where some of our ancestors came from the borders) so I have a foot in both camps. I agree there can appear to be an English bias more a London bias on here sometimes but then the bulk of the UKs population live there . For the sake of the unity of the UK a recognition that we are part of the UK a more balanced interpretation of the weather forecasts for the whole of the UK would be helpful . Yes we are always likely to have more wintry weather up here as we 500 plus miles nearer to the Arctic Circle. I often despair of National land agent firms who think Scottish farm rents should match English ones but forget our costs are higher with 7 month winters up here compared to almost no winter in the far SW of England as it has always been. Just a final comment. Was in the supermarket last night and there was hardly a local accent with most being south of UK so Scotland must be doing something right in spite of our climate to attract them to live here. Currently dry and 6c

Cooler today with a maximum of 7c currently 5.5c. A lot of weak winter sunshine today but in spite of this all surfaces remained soaking wet. A bit of a breeze in the afternoon took the worst of the dampness off Mrs Northernlights washing. She has a bad throat just now and has lost her voice !!! Saying no more.Therefore she is a teacher with a bell!!! Cattle sweating a bit these last few days .YoYo temperatures not good for man nor beast.

Yes 52.5F in old money here just now with a strong breeze . All the walls sweating in the steading tonight. As above fine if its good weather to Christmas to allow all the travelling etc.. to go ahead easily but a flake or two would be fine next week.

Currently clear, 1c ,with ground frozen again even a few small patches of frozen snow in the shelter of the woods.

Don"t despair yet, in 50 plus years of watching the weather we are far more likely to have a green Christmas followed by a white New Year so not long to wait for winter to return. Just an aside it seems that ice growth in the Arctic is a bit better this year possibly as a result of the sun becoming less active its just a matter of time before we see cooler winters. Parts of the side roads round here are covered in black ice tonight too! at 3c.

Got up to 6c earlier today with some rain overnight but skies cleared this afternoon and its currently 3.5c.

I think that early in the winter especially November and December we have a very humid wet cold but later on after New Year when the air hopefully becomes dryer the cold never seems so bad. All iced up again this morning at -1c

I think the biggest problem this last week is partial thawing leading to water on the ice making surfaces even more slippery. especially for the more mature members on here.

Total agreement. Walking round the farm on tiptoes trying not to fall over is hard on the back.In spite of this the frosty days are welcome to dry up the mud. Its really felt like winter these last few weeks and it feels like its going to last in spite of a mild spell next week. The sky has just cleared and its currently 1c

Started off thawing this morning but as skies cleared around middday the puddles started to ice over. Lots of wintry showers on the horizon to the west and north and currently1.5c. Even if it warms up next week and there is no more snow this winter we at least up here have had a proper wintry spell and can say we have had a winter.Very slippery out there now with frozen snow.

Very cold start to the day with a very wintry looking Ben Wyvis. Got milder as day went on and a bit of melt started making the ice covered ground even more treacherous. Had some light rain earlier in the evening but its cleared and its now breezy and 2.5c.

Heavy wet snow for while this morning and with a temperature of 0c all surfaces are very slippy.Clearing now.

Light to moderate snow here again with a fresh sparkly covering settling on all ground now its frozen hard from last nights frost. Currently the high of the day at 0c.

Beautiful sunshine and still -2c Some photos around the Firth with some snow showers to the north.

Not as cold as some but still the coldest morning of the winter so far at -4c with clear skies. No mud -bliss!!!!

Have had a fresh top up this evening which is sparkling in the door lights. Currently -1c

Have to correct the type of tree, they are Sitka Spruce not Douglas Fir and a lot of the woods around here are compltely planted with them. Thanks to Hairy Celt for the correct identification. I should stick to farming!!!

Being a miserable mean grumpy old farmer I noticed a patch of self seeded pine like trees growing on the site of an old shed about ten years ago and thought I would just leave them to grow. Turned out they were Douglas Fir, free and absolutely cat and dog proof as their needles are very sharp so careful decorating is required. However they are a good shape. Got it up last week with some seasonal cursing as it stabbed me as I got it in the door. Less wind but still the odd flurry today and currently -0.5c with lots of ice and even icicles.

All this snow to my east must be giving off some heat as we have warmed up to 1.5c but no precipitation although cloudy so its a bit warmer tonight than it was during daylight hours.Currently 1.5c Snow dog enjoyed herself in spite of being on a lead to give stitches on her back time to knit (small skin lump removed as precaution by vet) Trying to keep a spaniel calm and restrict movement for 12 days especially a young one is hard work.

Fine sunshine now but ground frost setting in, ice on any puddles and icicles hanging from north facing roofs.

About 2 inches of dry windblown snow this morning and any bits of clear ground begining to freeze up at -0.5c

Same here dry snow falling and now 0c