They are when a low comes bashing into the cold, and a battleground commences though! I grew up in East Anglia where rare E's always provided lots of snow showers, but I was always envious when a low came barging in and the W and NW got dumped on! I have now lived in Manchester for 4 1/2 years and I am moving back to Australia in 2018 and it hasn't happened since I have lived here(yet).. hopefully 2018 will change things!