Higher Ground

I've started being lazy and using the Vaisala traffic weather reading for Lickey Hills rather than venturing out into the snow/ice to look at my own thermometer...... http://www.trafficweather.info/roadWeather/rwisMap.jsp When I've checked both, my temp is normally a fraction lower as I'm slightly higher than the Vaisala station. So sometimes the temp readings I post are the Vaisala temp minus 0.1C!! Sorry if that's cheating slightly but it's pretty accurate. But lapse rate (drop of temp with altitude) can be up to 1C per 100m so that would explain difference in our temps. As for blizzards, here's from wiki: "the Met Office defines a blizzard as "moderate or heavy snow" combined with a mean wind speed of 30 mph (48 km/h) and visibility below 650 feet (200 m)".

OK this is starting to get serious now. Temp dropped below 0.5C about 15 mins ago and now approaching 0. Pretty much all snow now rather than sleet, and flakes getting larger. Wind is strongest I've seen this month accompanying snow. I think I might just go and check the definition of "blizzard" again - might need the word after all if the current trend in the weather carries on..............

Head up to the Lickey Hills and you'll see he's sensing what is lurking only 150m or so higher up.............................

WOOHOOOOO that was so cool. It just turned to snow, just like that!!! I was shining my torch into the sleety rain and then it turned to wet snow while I was watching! People this event seems to have a sharp transition.....................

Possibly on the turn here finally. Hill fog dispersed/lifted, temp under 1C finally, PPN heavier and first wet snow flakes mixed in.

This is strange to have colder air encroaching from the SW. At 1730 Weatheronline have Bristol as the coldest station south of the Pennines! Still sleety rain at best here, but reports of snow in Bristol and Bucks. Probably means we in Mids have been under influence of weak "warm" sector, whereas encroaching air has colder uppers as well as heavier PPN lowering surface temps? Heavier PPN looks to be struggling to reach us but if it does then I wouldn't write off the blizzard forecasts. (Go to weatheronline.co.uk - current weather - temp/large map/1730/go - to get latest temps)

Still finding it difficult to be patient lol - just a passed a significant milestone though, as now most of the larger raindrops hitting the window have bits of ice in them, rather than just some of them I think i'm gonna have to close all the curtains and not re-open them for a few hours, as i've got lots of study to do and this is way too much of a distraction...........

Still light rain against window with bits of ice in bigger drops. Not enjoying the continued sound of rain and thaw outside, and the murky fog/cloud suggestive of continued "warm" sector and raised dewpoints. Hope the heavier PPN will blast the murk away sharpish and proper winter can return. Still, apparently Rob McElwee said 5pm for first snow in West Mids so better not be impatient.........

PPN got heavier here, bit of ice in raindrops hitting N-facing windows. Temp 1.1C Looking at radar, even heavier PPN on its way from SW - could bring first snowflakes....?

According to weatheronline, snow and 2C reported for Bristol at 1420 and 1450 (I know that's in SW but surely relevant and good news for us...and of course for Bristol lol)

Thanks hope you're right :lol: Will try to send some your way......... Hopefully everyone will get loads.

No snow here so far, just sleety rain earlier. Temp now 1.3C. Visibility 100m or less i.e. we're in the clouds. Fair amount of thawing today. Snow depth now down to 8cm/3 inches from 13cm/5 inches last thing yesterday.

For once, brightest colours on radar are just queuing up to hit south birmingham WOOHOO! http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/radar/

I wonder if anyone said that in Devon/Somerset on Thursday lol

Don't wish the snow away :lol: At the moment i'm very surprised by the size of the flakes falling out of the sky here lol

Wintry scene here - been proper snow all the way. Snow depth now increased from 8cm to 9cm. Temp -0.7C. Has anyone else noticed how cold it's been up north today? latest temps 15.30: -7C Great Dun Fell, -6C Loch Glascarnoch, -11C Cairngorms

It's AWESOME here: I can finally report moderate/heavy snow for the first time this month, and starting to settle nicely now

here comes the snow here comes the snow it's alright....... just started, proper snowflakes no mush :lol: EDIT: sorry if beatles reference was too obscure, i had the tune in my head earlier but snow seemed more appropriate....... snow still quite light but with decent sized flakes

Just measured latest snow depth here: 8 cm/3 inches. Thaw has been very limited really. Now waiting to see if we will get much of a top-up this afternoon/eve. Just saw latest MetO warning for Mon/Tue suggesting up to 20cm over hills, and possible blizzard conditions. If that comes true for us, then goodbye Feb 1991 and hello Feb 2009 as most impressive snowy month here in last 20 yrs.

[slightly shamefaced] Just following on from my last post, I went out to measure the snow depth and we have reached our 6 inches of snow (15cm) after all! I thought we'd only got half an inch overnight but that was all that seemed to have appeared outside the window, but it looks like that was to do with heat from the tiles preventing the light snow from accumulating. So anyway, now looks like we got an extra 4 cm or 1.5 inches overnight. (including light/moderate snow of last half hour). Temp currently -1.6C. I think the altitude has really helped us build up snow over last few days - hardly been any thaw except for briefly during Wed in the sunshine. Definitely not complaining now, as reached threshold I like to think of as pasting!

Yeah not much more down here, just a light extra covering, not much over half an inch probably. Overall this cold snap has been great, as been sledging twice and even built an igloo! But at the same time, a tinge of disappointment as we haven't reached more than 5 inches deep. It's twice now (earlier this week, and night before last) we were forecast up to a foot and never got more than 2 inches from PPN bands that skirted round us, and then last night the PPN looked like it couldn't fail us yet it's hardly delivered. Still, we're lucky generally because we often get a bit from each snow event, and it accumulates without melting too much. (Whereas the places that get more than us from any one event don't necessarily have the consistent snow/cold over time) So overall not complaining!!

night all really enjoyed watching the brummie streamer hit....... millzzz - not as therapeutic as watching moderate/heavy snow like we've got here at the moment

I don't think anyone really knows. Hopefully someone more expert than me will comment, but the impression i get is you're still likely to get snow, but it's now more marginal as to how deep it gets and how long it sticks around. Still, at least this means you're in with a good chance of a few cms I think.

Can i have the current conditions on repeat for 12 hours LOL

happy days indeed!!! light/moderate snow here, large flakes, visibility right down. i missed it starting because i was enjoying looking at the old dec 1990/feb 1991 thread, great memories