Northernlights

Yes just the same here dry dull and calm today. Young Mr Northernlights taking stones off fields today in dusty surface conditions. Will we begin sowing at the end of February this year? Currently 6c Speaking to an old ghillie today and he said they had to wait till September last year to get enough water in the river Findhorn to get fish to run but that it turned into an excellent last month of the season. We also discussed prospects for this year and both of us are already concerned about the lack of rainfall /snowfall in the hills for fishing prospects and also for farming on the southside of the Moray Firth. One consolation we both agreed on that winter has only really just started up here with at least 3 months of winter left on low ground and up to 4 months on the hills with spring snow much more likely than autumn snow.

Sky became even clearer as the day went on and the frost has started to set in harder in shaded areas. Currently -0.5c

Just come back from the steading over a very dusty surface . The lack of rain here this winter still very noticeable and my concerns for next summer if it is dry grow with every passing week of dry weather.A few northerly based winds and plenty of snow showers would help in the next couple of months.All these south winds fail to deliver any rain here due to the rain shadow effect of the Cairngorms. Curently 2c and sunny with a slight ground frost.

See there are a line of snow showers across NE Scotland on the radar just now with one just to east of me south of Forres/Elgin, Currently overcast and 4c

Much more seasonal this morning at 5c with a fresh NW wind and overcast.

Typical just as we are about to wander down to our little community bonfire there is a fresh wind from the NW with the temperature now down to 6c and falling. Full winter gear on tonight.! See the odd light shower on the radar to the north has turned to snow on the mountains to the north.

Another springlike day with a strong west wind and sunny intervals. Lots of washing hung out by Mrs Northernlights as I told her tomorrow will be cooler with less drying conditions. Currently 12c. Calves racing up and down the newly bedded fold just now feeling good.Almost no coughing so pneumonia vaccine must have worked well. A Happy New Year to everyone.

Funnily enough Hairy Celt estate planted lots of trees alongside the side road boundaries of their fields about 18 years ago and most of them are now growing away from the prevailing wind into some fairly obscure shapes. Just an indication of how exposed we are to wind from most points of the compass.Great place to make hay in summer however. Still 10c and the surface of the ground getting dusty in the fresh drying wind . RH currently 40%

Fine day again with washing drying well, almost unheard of in late December. Just put sheep ino field behind house and steading onto about four inches of green grass and all they can do is lift the gates off the hinges for fun and escape.Watched them doing it this morning.Just a bored bunch of teenagers with full stomachs. Could also be that they are sensing a change in the weather as field is completely without shelter to the north!! Currently breezy , overcast and 11c

The switch from winter to summer in mid April was the most interesting event on the farm when muddy fields became dusty in a week here followed by the extreme dry weather for most of this year. We missed out on any snow in February /March on SE winds. Had to to start feeding cattle winter forage in July because pastures were so burnt up. We had a very early harvest similar to 1975/76 and 2003 starting on the 5th of August and finishing on the 12th of August. Hay sales for horses peaked in March when we broke all previous records selling all the stocks built up in the previous five years. We had another sales record broken in August when horse owners panicked that hay yields in spite of superb quality were low and there would not be enough to see them through the winter and were stocking up months ahead of normal. Spring barley sown late in mid April went from germinating to ear emergence in under 7 weeks another all time record We still have a two inch soil moisture deficit here .We have seen almost no mud since mid April and the soil surface is still dusty in parts although a bit of grass. grew in the autumn as we got some showery rain and we were able to keep cattle out till the first week in December ( another record) My biggest concern for next year is that we will not get enough rain over the rest of the winter to survive another dry summer. 2018 another year that confirms that extreme weather is becoming the norm.No more three fine days and a thunderstorm in the summer its usually too wet or as has happened this year too dry

Another fine day still shirt sleeve weather and unusually we are able to work in boots or old shoes instead of the usual wellies at the cattle most unusual for mid winter when the mud is usually clinging to your feet. Instead between Inverness and Elgin we have dry dusty fields. 2018 has really been an extreme year weatherwise.

Spring like T shirt weather this morning with a soft SW wind at 13c while feeding and bedding the cattle. Spring bulbs now racing ahead and grass fields looking very green. For coldies I have to say that over the decades since the sixties Christmas was nearly always green with New Year much more likely to be white

A big turnround calm and -2c this time last night now this evening its 12c aand breezy.All the walls in the steading are sweating with water dripping off them.

Just finished prepping tatties, sprouts, carrots and parsnips for tomorrow and its a fine starry frosty night at -2c just now so very seasonal.

We had no snow late February early March this year just wind and -6c. Watched all the snow fall on the north side of the Firth around the Golspie/Tain area. I think its the disappearance of strong cold N or NE winds in winter over the decades that has stopped providing snow days in this area. Even November/December 2010 was completely calm.

Fine sunny day with frost lying in shade. Just talking to Aurora Storm about winters of old and how snow days for kids and teachers have become rarer. I remember in the sixties and seventies there was always at least one snow day a winter with on occasion several more days but in the last twenty years it has fallen to a day every four or five years so our winters are becoming more benign. Currently 1c

3c here too this morning, calm and with patchy cloud. Still great weather for working outside. As far as the farm is concerned the weather and the politicians will probably be our biggest challenges next year. This probably applies to nearly all buisnesses! Wishing everyone on here a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Same here fine day for working outside and both yesterday and today there were wintry looking showers out to the NE across the Firth making the horizon very colourful as the setting sun highlighted them in pink. In spite of the overnight frosts most of the bulbs are breaking the soil surface so signs of spring already.

Another stormy night very windy again with southerly gales. Always feel that these very stormy periods precede changes in weather patterns. Currently 7c

Yes maximum day time temperature of -5c with heavy powdery snow and a northerly gale.Just made it to secondary school 7 miles awayand was immediately turned round. Took 2 hours to travel back 6 miles and then bus got stuck and we walked the last mile through the fields as the farm road had filled in between two four foot high dykes. Arrived home with one side of our faces snow encrusted. Still have the fax chart for middday from my grans Daily Telegraph as even then I thought it was something special. November / December 2010 almost matched it but was lacking the strong wind.

Violent winds here now hope we get some rain soon to calm it down. Cows went out to neeps for about an hour and then ran back in this morning and are now snoozing on a fresh straw bed Currently 2.5c

Really wild out there today with a gale force SE wind and currently 2c so stunning . Cattle very happy to be inside. Dust flying around. RH 34% A day for feeding cattle only and then into house to do end of year paperwork if electricity does not go off as its flickering quite a bit.

Yes a true winters day with frost persisting in most areas with a maximum temperature of 2c. Currently partly cloudy and already -1c

Just like a day in late spring with grond drying up rapidly . Been a strange old year for weather. Speaking to a hay customer who is a private jet pilot about the topsy turvey atmosphere and he was telling me about a fairly new flying problem they have had in the last few years.They normally fly at about 40000 feet but have suddenly hit pockets of much warmer air that will not support the aircraft which would stall . All the warning instruments come on and they have to drop quickly about 5000 feet to get colder air to support the aircraft. This according to him is not usual and is maybe another sign of a disturbed atmosphere. Not an expert but perhaps another sign of climate change

Strong gusty SE wind off the mountains this morning drying everything up very rapidly especially with an RH of 22% with dust blowing about. We have had almost no muddy days so far and we keep on getting closer to next summer and another potential drought. 75 and 76 were both very dry summers so it has happened before. Fabulous sunrise and currently 3.5c