wysiwyg

The radar hasn't updated since 22:25. Do we have any news as to what is causing the downtime? Cheers Wysi

They all use the same data - 15 minute ones are usually free. 5 minute ones with enhanced features are usually paid for and plot at a smaller interval between intensities. If the METO feed is down none of them will work.

Pennine snow shield still blocking the more N and W parts of the region. Really feel for the guys in the Ribble estuary and Fylde Coast areas. Nothing much here for me either but at least i got a bit on Friday. Hope the more easterly stuff gets over to you guys

It looks as though the second range of mini hills that make up the range just east of Chorley are hammering this band and stopping it getting too much further into NW Lancs, Ribble Catchment, Fylde Coast etc. Let's hope it's only temporary!

Well! The posting rate has gone up considerably - Check The radar is full of eastern promise - check Everyone is in high spirits - check Eno was in ramping mode - check Wysiwyg (in true old school ramping fashion) has posted a ridiculous pic of his imaginary swimming pool surrounded by two foot of snow - check Backtrack's mood swings have increased to 10 per minute - check The word "barbeque" has only been mentioned once in the last three hours - check 17 new posts have arrived since I started typing this - check There are some things in life money can't buy! For everything else there's the NW regional thread

yeah sorry I was responding to our friend in Littleborough - Forgot to quote his post!!!

It's all very light stuff showing on the radar just now. Chances are there will be some dry patches in there that the radar software is just painting over.

Youre all welcome to a dip in mine anytime guys!!

technically the radar is showing light ppn over most of Manchester City now so that has already crossed over the Snake Pass area

if it gets any warmer i'll be out mowing it!!

Hehe. Watching the radar this afternoon/eve has been like watching paint dry!

Yes an hour ago it was SE of Sheffield. Now just S of Leeds

That patch of snizzle extending from the E midlands to south of our region has been nailed in place all afternoon. But definitely another more organised band heading NW sliding along the top of the stationary stuff. It all boils down to what those pesky Pennines do to it before it gets here as to whether we get a dusting or zip!

The two controlling factors to me for the next 24-36 hours are the low currently centred over the coast of Belgium and the inevitable cold block that we've had for some time now. The low is making very slow progress N and is progged to be over E Anglia (ish) by 12Z tomorrow. This means that we'll be predominantly in an E to ENEly surface flow as the milder air circulates around the low and brushes against the colder air. A similar set up to Friday shifted E. Still a chance for snow anywhere in the NW overnight but small and patchy amounts with very little significant region wide coverage. 2-5cm in favoured E spots and 0-dust in less favoured areas. No chance of that stuff from SW Ireland reaching us in the next 24 hours IMO.

I think they'll have at least one reporter outside Backtrack's house - just in case!!

And they'll no doubt have regular interviews with random southerners blaming the government for it all!

The stuff over the east of England is definitely moving N. Albeit painfully slowly!

I think we should bulldoze them into the Irish Sea. We'd be east of them and no more warm sectors. WIN!!!

Yep that very light blob to our east seems to be slowly creeping west and intensifying dramatically from nothing to diamond dust

I can never work those graphics out. Seems they are deliberately vague. Never sure if white means fog, frost or snow. Rubbish! Their hourlies for my area do match the METO ones though.

The fax charts have the first band moving to sit over the very N of England by 12Z tomorrow and the second occlusion slap bang over the NW by 18Z. The whole thing is very slow moving and probably difficult to predict in terms of precip and amounts. Patience, lamp posts and managing expectations will be the order of the next 24-36hrs

Well the latest GFS 12Z is predicting an event similar to Friday's. My thoughts were that the GFS on Friday got the extent of the snow pretty spot on at short range. What it couldn't predict was the patchiness and intermittent nature of the falls. If the latest charts are anything to go by we could see another moderate fall in some places but with the same patchiness. Some areas getting a good few cms and others getting a dusting. Here's hoping the areas that got a dusting do better this time.

Congrats on the 1000th post

Well I had to get back to reality and do some work this afternoon - but since I was last on it hasn't stopped snowing here. Very light but another 2cm to add to the 3 from overnight and this morning. Seriously powdery stuff too. It's actually now more imopressive watching it being swirled around in the wind. Interesting day all round - not quite the volumes I expected but certainly prolonged and very cold with that evil wind!

Eased back to light flurry here now. All but over for now I guess. Topped out at around 3-4cm (hard to tell as its blowing all over the place) @Backtrack - just out of interest how does the Mersey affect your location when the prevailing wind is a SEly?