[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Yep a howling, gusty and persistent wind all day from the early hours.  Well forecasted... not an easy day for landing planes that's for sure. My main back garden is East facing so thankfully furniture & bins quite sheltered from the North westerly.

Not the best day for doing any festive shopping.  Online wins on a day like today. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Light levels so poor this morning my back garden cam is still in infra red (night mode)...crazy, but alas...one more day and then the days will get longer.

A dull, wet at times & windy theme for the next few days, and temps above or around average.  Bog standard. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Finished late shift at work and -2 out with a sharp frost... one of the rare occasions I'll be going sleep to a frosty scene but waking up to mild and damp as a weakening weather front arrives overnight from the west. 

Yes, hope Frost Hollow is OK - he was few miles from me in Medlock Valley hence his Forum name but wasn't sure if it was the Oldham or Ashton end.  

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

The trouble with the MAD thread is because of the South East bias they are not interested in North Westerly flows, that said although it ticks off the 'moisture' box in the list of snow falling criteria in my parts it really does need a good dollop of cold air mixed in and warm sectors booted out for it to transition from cold wet sleet, to decent appreciable snow depths from a NWstrly.  2010/11 the holy grail (x3 snowy footfalls) from Nwstrly shower streamers.  As usual hilly ground tend to do well in this usual setup.

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Narrow band of persistent heavy drizzle setting up on a streamer now...we always lay out the welcome mat for that type of weather here.  No wrong side of marginals for heavy drizzle in our parts.  Keeping the moisture topped up on all surfaces exposed.  Light levels are ridiculously low.  Bleak if not quite yet mid-winter.

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Weather's been a little kinder today, a little rain earlier on and then a quiet window for a few hours before the dying last rites of Storm Fergus piles in the heavy showers into late evening. 

Thankfully after a few unsettled days to open next week it looks like calming down towards the weekend with the lesser spotted High Pressure nearby.... and that's as far as I'm looking for now. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Ain't no rain shadow/shield here when the winds are blasting in directly from the West and the Irish Sea moisture generator is on...rain just piling up and gaining intensity on west facing hills.  Lashing against the windows here.  Winds very gusty now and I bet the Mcr Christmas Markets will be quiet tonight.

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Lashings of rain this morning, a brief respite but we never got brighter skies...and now the drizzle fest is returning off the Irish Sea.  The day pretty much put to bed before it's even started on these very short daylight hours.  If the heavy showers combine with the strong winds later this evening from Storm Elin, then indoors will definately be the place to be.

[Northwest Weather Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Discovered a new level of darkness driving home just before 4pm...heavens opened under grey leaden skies and because it wasn't quite sunset the street lights weren't active.. so they must be time sensitive rather than go off light levels.  Suffice to say it was pitch Black, not good driving conditions.  

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Yep enjoy a frosty and gloriously cold sunny start to tomorrow because its all downhill after that.  Will tonight be the last region wide frost of 2023?

-2c

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

BBC forecasters appear obsessed with counting down the days and craving in that milder weather on the way...what they are less enthusiastic in pointing out is that those glorious, sunny crisp cold mornings that we had will be replaced with grey leaded skies with bucket loads of rain.  It won't be all that mild you'll not be putting the heating on either. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

5 hours ago, Iceaxecrampon said:

Been awake since 2:45 am. 
Dark Very Dark 
The Cold Icy Lancashire rain. 
Been to the Care Home to see my Mother  

19-4-28 - 4-12-23 

Rest in Peace Mum 

Deepest condolences  

What little white was left has turned to grey here.  Slightly less cold than of late. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Just rain here now... lying slush slowly melting away...the transition to mild & wet almost complete.

The model thread getting quite technical at the moment and most of it goes over my head, but you can learn a little something once it quietens down and all the drama queens have gone. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Yes ended up with a couple of cm here too but not the fluffy white powdery stuff, already looking in it's wet, slushy defrost state.  Need a dryer more frigid source aka easterly for snow you can have fun with. It's a good start to Meteorological winter though.

Now back zzzzz

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Had a break, and I'll think I'll go back to watching the snooker...all a bit messy here now, slushy and icy...the precipitation just isn't heavy enough.  Sporadic bursts of sleet...you feel it could be quite snowy if it pepped up considerably but I never expected much as this level.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

1 minute ago, iand61 said:

I know there are probably scientific reasons why it happens but why does it always seem to be the same with UK snow that someone’s gain is another’s loss.

Yep snowfall is a very localised operation... somebody somewhere will miss out...last time i remember there was a more widespread regional coverage was those glory years in late 2010/11.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

8 minutes ago, Day 10 said:

What a downgrade to 2 hours ago!

We ain't called Costa Del Wirral for nothing!

I'll stay up to watch the hour of sleet at 10, can't wait.

80% chance of 5hrs of heavy snow here... but Oldham is very varied in topography and I certainly won't be seeing anything like that in my backyard. 

Edit: mmmm...bit of pepping up to the showers in the Irish Sea on the northern flank...

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

There's no intensification yet with the band running through North Wales-Cheshire-Gtr Manchester and lots of gaps... the Cumbria streamer is the bees knees.... that's what we want to develop further south

1 minute ago, Scuba steve said:

Got a thunderstorm going here regular flashes and thunder ,what a day ,lol

Congrats... thunder snow is an exclusive club to be part of... only experienced it once here

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

16 minutes ago, Snowmad79 said:

Dandruff ? Not sure where abouts in this town you are but the flakes are decent here and pretty hefty at times.

Sholver... your twice my height ASL ;)... don't worry ill be watching your reports and if warranted ill be up Ripponden Rd & Higher Counthill in a jiffy tomorrow with the camera..

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Congrats for Cumbria getting the snow streamer... too be fair they get a lot of rain when it just sticks from a moist south westerly, so it's about time they had something snowy.  The Lakes will look wintry picture postcard tomorrow.

The dandruff has stopped here...a little nervous the heaviest stuff will edge further south but C'est la vie.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

1 minute ago, damianslaw said:

8-9 inches so far..

That would satisfy most...erm....dandruff now falling... could be an interesting evening ahead. 

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Temps have risen a little bit here after a -5 overnight severe frost....currently 1c...the sun having more effect than yesterday.  Hope it doesn't rise too much.  Met video has the precipitation fizzling out into nothingness by the time it reaches my destination so I'm not going to torture myself over watching the radar...if it happens I'll be happy.   Now time to make the best of the weather with an outside stroll.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Jeez... its actually painfully cold out there now... even just a 5 min walk back to car after finishing work was enough to want inside warmth pretty quickly.  God help anyone having to sleep out in this. 

My expectations for any snow before the slow creep to less cold weather makes way next week...is...zero.  maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Mmmm... might not be game over to milder westerlies next week... latest ECM shows the cold putting up a bit of a fight.  Would be nice to see the North West a sweet spot for any potential battleground... even if it does pull down the GMcr snow dome... at least we'll have bragging rights over the southerners who'll be cursing their cold sleety rain.

[Northwest Weather Discussion]

Sugar coated dusting here too...a wintry shower just managing to scrape over the Pennine hills to my North East.  Funny enough I got a Google photo reminder from last year 28th Nov which left a decent covering of snow.  Sadly that was as good as last winter delivered.