Sun Chaser

raz.org.rain You never know, genuinely curious how many SSWs have led to warm March/Aprils? Would I be right in saying 2007 had an SSW

Seen some mention of a late Feb SSW in the model thread. Feel a little bit sick now can't face another grey cold wet March

Actually there's been a surprising amount of enjoyable Februaries. In recent times, 2018 and 2019 were both very sunny. 2019 was my favourite hands down due to the snow at the start then very springlike final two weeks but I did enjoy 2018's frosty and snowy spells ending with the BFTE. While Feb 2023 was almost bone dry and very springlike too with some beautiful sunsets. What I'll also say is that many others have had up to a week of very sunny, mild and dry weather towards the end such as 2021 and 2022 which I didn't enjoy the first three weeks of but then they turned. Going further back I also enjoyed Feb 2008 and 2012 for how sunny and dry they were. Feb 2009 was very snowy which I liked. Had I been alive for Feb 1998 that might've even beaten out the others! If I was to rank them: 1. 2019 2. 2008 3. 2023 4. 2018 5. 2012

Thrilled.

Haven't posted much here lately but I just wanted to say how the past ~10 days of winter weather has been absolutely perfect. 10c+ maxima and bone dry with plenty of sunshine and light winds. That's as good as it gets this time of year!! Particularly today which has been 14c and sunny - that's incredible for early Feb. Today it genuinely could've been April it's just been insanely springlike! How could anyone want this to end for cold and rain?? Here's some pictures of the weather since Jan 24th each taken on separate days. What a spell it's been in the south.

Harry233 I'd add 2012 and 2013 (and most of 2011) but I agree!

In Absence of True Seasons May 2022 I remember as having nice weekend weather and then being completely grim in the weekdays. Remember 7th/8th then 21st/22nd and 27th/28th all being very sunny while the preceding days were dull and wet. While June was the opposite with some grim weekends surrounded by lovely weather in the week - a good example being a hot week from Mon 13th to Fri 17th followed by a cool wet weekend, then another warm sunny week from Mon 20th to Fri 24th!!

Harry233 Didn't love September 2021. The first week was stunning with some heat records broken but after that it was often wet, humid or cloudy (though there were some more nice days around midmonth). I do remember a cracking thunderstorm on the 8th though. Then it turned cool and unsettled around the 23rd. Sep 2020 was a fair bit drier and sunnier which I find most important that time of year! Having said that we've had 6 decent (or better) Septembers on the trot now. 2022 was iffy at times and 2023 had a poor second half counteracted by an incredible first half. But all had some consistent great moments which wouldn't have been seen in a lot of Septembers from 2007-2017

@Harry233 September 2020 was a brilliant month, a rare combination (in Sept) of very warm and sunny. I rate it higher than 2021 and 2023 for that reason. The extended summer of 2020 as a whole was great it was just a shame about the 3 months of actual summer!

Usually done with it by around now, can't wait for the longer evenings and warmer days. In the next couple of weeks sunny days above 10c suddenly become possible again and it's that I'm looking for by now. By late Feb all eyes are on spring and any late cold is just a nuisance. Especially if there's no snow which there usually isn't. Having said that: love some cold weather in late autumn! October or November snow/frost is always interesting (much better than mild rain) and the novelty is great as the evenings are still drawing in. Generally only look for cold in late Oct to mid Jan* *one recent exception being that freak sunny warm spell in mid Nov 2022

I'd bite your hand off to have the July and August that these are showing!!

Summer 2020 much worse having lived in the south west for both. Two brief heatwaves surrounded by weeks upon weeks of cloudy dross. Summer 2021 was mixed with some glorious spells of weather mixed in with some pretty poor ones but the poor spells of 2021 weren't as bad as the poor spells of 2020. But 2020 was more memorable I guess with its heatwaves and the insanely sunny spring!

Was thinking that!! April 2022 definitely an underrated one coming after 2020 and 2021 which were both exceptionally sunny. But Apr 2022 was consistently well above average and fairly sunny from around the 11th onwards and very dry too. I started learning to drive that month and I remember lots of fine afternoons driving around

Well there's definitely potential for the first "springlike" day of the year under a ridge on Friday, 12c and sunny in late Jan is as good as it gets! On predictions for spring - March to be unremarkable but pleasant (2015 ish maybe), April 2024 just doesn't sound like a good month in my head and it's been a long time since a properly bad one so maybe the worst since 2012 sadly. Just a gut feeling with 0 actual reasoning so I'm hoping this is a reverse jinx. May 2024 - another nice one, maybe peaking in the first half which hasn't happened recently

Wednesday to be the first semi-springlike day of the year?? Fully focused on springlike conditions now

Despite the upcoming mild spell and the mild start to the month, it's looking possible that this January will be the coldest since 2010 for many parts of the south, even if it was mostly unremarkable.

Jan 2021, 2022, 2023 all some of my favourites. 2021 was snowy and frosty - especially the first half. 2022 exceptionally sunny with some frost but also some mild sunny days which were welcome. 2023 was poor until the 12th but instantly turned beautifully sunny with a little snow before some springlike days at the end which were great! Of course Jan 2009 and 2010 some great memories as a child. Don't remember details though. Jan 2017 and 2019 were dry and fairly sunny which is always nice this time of year. 2019 also gave an unexpected snow event on the 31st which then led into one of my favourite winter months. Not really much else I remember fondly

Actual "summer" 2020 was horrendous where I was with the first half of the summer averaging ~18c maxima (early July was particularly poor) while June and Aug both recorded above 100mm. Not to mention all three months recorded less than 150hrs of sunshine. Just that one week in August was pretty exceptional but I think people just remember the extremely sunny spring which happened to coincide with a very memorable period of life anyway so they forget the horrible June and July. Obviously not on this forum as we're more aware of the weather so we remember this summer for what it actually was (mainly pretty bad). But I've seen a lot of comments and spoke to a few people who remember this summer as being hot, probably equal in number to the ones who remember it as cold and wet. I suppose it's down to the part of the summer you spent more time in the actual weather!

Not summer related but won't forget how the long range models all predicted February 2023 to be a barrage of low pressure just two months out. Remember looking at a HUGE blue anomaly over the UK. Fairly sure in reality we didn't have a single day that recorded below 1015mb!

I feel like some see summer 2023 being pretty good as they remember the 5 weeks of sunny weather from mid May over anything else. The same kind of phenomenon that gives summer 2020 a stellar reputation among the general public due to the historically sunny spring despite June to August itself being consistently poor.

It's very unlikely that the ENTIRE high summer of early Jul to mid Aug will perfectly line up with a barrage of rain and cloud like it did in 2023. It does happen, you just have to get unlucky - only every so often ie 2023, 2015, 2008. Even 2012 improved significantly in late July. Even if we don't get any proper heat I can imagine at least one of July or August will end up being sunnier and drier than average

The GEFS 06z - especially the op could be looking at a historically cold January. Not usually a cold fan but you can't deny it's pretty interesting when there's the prospect of something like this especially with all the potential snow

Obviously!! Especially with the CFS anything on that model I usually take for fun and not much else. Remember checking CFS in February 2023 and it was showing July to be another heat fest with high pressure to our east the entire month. Turned out well didn't it

Lovely mid April warm spell on the CFS! Not long to go until this kind of thing is possible again.

Winter is almost always uninspiring no matter what. Might as well get some snow or sunshine out of it! Looks like we're on for a cold January, I could see this being the coldest in a while