Bottesford

Ah but not as narrow as vast chunks of Jan & Feb with ranges like +1.2 to +2.1c a typical example for days last week.

+0.3 to 6.5c... hmm not exactly noteworthy here!

Because real ale tastes best in a pub of course! It's like comparing a well cooked pub meal to some sandwiches you made 6 hours earlier.... Absolutely - we had just such a night last August when we had a bbq (one of the only such nights like year) and got to enjoy sitting outside till gone 10pm in t-shirts. Perfect for a bbq!

Not for sitting outside in evenings as it cools off too quickly. Unlike in mainland Europe for us to get 'sitting comfortably t-shirt evenings' it either needs to be humid or be a very hot day. I'd take dry heat if it hung around a bit after work!

Yes but that's an average maximum which means for the other 22 hours of the day it will probably be lower than this. Normally I (and I'm sure many other folk) have evening bbqs by which time 21c is now 18c or lower which quickly feels chilly when you sit in it for any length of time. High humidity helps though for sure.

Saying most BBQ's are loutish anti social affairs is like saying all pubs have people fighting outside them at kicking out time - sure it happens, but it isn't the norm! The reason we love BBQ's so much in the UK is because its a rare thing in our climate. To enjoy a BBQ your guests need to be warm (and dry) enough and especially for an evening do that means some very warm weather (for most 21-22c is comfortable sitting temp assuming just indoor clothes worn). The fact that it is rare makes it more appealing and exciting especially after months only seeing your garden when you nip out to take the bins round. In more comfortable climates outdoor eating is the norm so they don't get so worked up with the first breath of warm sunshine arrives!

Perhaps this is down to higher ground being above the constant low cloud layer that has affected lower ground more? This would lead to the colder nights and increased chance of ice days. Don't think we've had an ice day here as it rarely got below freezing at night although if it had the temps could not rise during the day.

I think it comes down to impatience really- after months cooped up indoors in mostly dark & cold conditions you're just desperate to feel the warmth of the sun on you and get started on outdoor activities again. But yes March is the 4th coldest month of the year but the most contrasting with anything from warm sunshine to icy cold snowstorms possible. But then same goes on 1st Sept when its all winter talk which is still far away yet. For me I like to see contrast during March (and April) with some warmth but with snow & frost still around at times. By late April the cold desires rapidly fade if nothing else to finally save on heating and for plants trying to grow.

Guess we're getting summer in April again judging by that forecast! :lol: Hope not - don't want to see a wet regime setting up in May just when things really get growing as I know how long these things take to shift.

Well its been fairly snowy at times with some decent falls even for less snow prone areas like here - so that's a plus point. The cold periods during Jan/Feb have been extremely dull however and provide the reason why we've had very few low minima. The low CET has come from suppressed maxima during daylight hours from the cloud laden easterlies. There have been some milder periods which have brought the brightest weather of the winter (early Jan for example). It started extremely wet but has turned much drier towards the end. The snow has 'made' this winter as unlike last year it has been very cloudy and lacking the extreme low temperatures of 2010. Despite the lack of low minima it has felt 'cold' a lot and required the burning of vast amounts of natural gas to keep warm. Overall - 6/10.

Last spring (and summer) were very unkind of wildlife (and human life tbh) - here's to a much better two seasons this year!

Sounds like our office - absolutely boiling today in sunshine (lovely) but soon as the sun goes it becomes freezing rapidly. My house of course remains the same old tale I've banged on about forever - cold and the gas is burning away now (we just hit 20c at last!). Surely thought the most comfortable weather is when the temperature outside is the same as you'd like it indoors - so roughly 21c? Then you can roam in 'n out as you please...

Arg you can prove anything with facts... Perhaps look at it another way - for how many months of the year must you heat your home or wear protective warming layers vs how many months must you actively try to cool your home or keep cool when walking around? And for that one it is definitely skewed in the cold direction! A very unscientific argument yes but there you go...

Ah by 'heat' I'm talking 30c+ which has been extremely rare since July 2006 (perhaps only 4 occasions since?). 25c is not hot! In contrast it has been cold for about 40-50% of this winter (just look at British Gas profit announcement!) and for plenty of other recent winters too. If you don't like cold you've had a bad few years but if you don't like heat you've had only a few weeks at most in 6 years to complain about!

Don't like heat? Good job (for you) we haven't had any in years!

I'm like the inverse - May-September I want a 1976/1995 repeat and the rest of the year can do whatever*. *Strictly not true but - ample sunshine helps loads! Oh and a bit of snow... obviously.

Many folks are seasonal on here with a large number only around from late autumn to the end of winter. I'm around all year (although admittedly showing much much less interest in winter) but nothing like some hot weather charts to spark my interest! I'm sure the current weather is bringing everyone down and igniting the interest in spring with its sunshine & improvement in these bloomin' awful low temperatures and raw wind. Sadly this time of year is the most common time of year for easterlies and their cloud - lets hope the month of it we've had so far this year will use up the quota!

hmm doesn't really look great that so hope the bit about May is wrong. March is too early to bother me too much - it really is April onwards it starts to matter. Anyway we shall see and if it fixes itself for June I'd be happy with that!

I remember how sunny last winter was - it was lovely and it seemed to be sunny almost all the time. We had very few easterly dominated spells during winter/early spring hence why we, in our locations, saw such high sunshine totals. More westerly driven weather seems to end up sunnier than average in our locations in the winter part of the year. In summer the opposite seems to be true with westerlies bringing endless cloud and rain.

Today really feels like spring - a cold, clear night leading into a perfect sunny day. Feels just wonderful and shows just how nice Feb can be at times (no wonder its my fav winter month!). Sadly it looks like vile low cloud rubbish is on its way this week. Still hopefully we can 'use up' this kind of rubbish weather now and have something better for spring proper. Of course it doesn't work like that but one can dream...

Absolutely counting down till that very first warm feeling sunny day with temps into the teens you can get anytime from late Feb onwards (but normally late March). The nights are still chilly but the sun is up for a decent number of hours a day and actually feels proper warm again. Not long now... Nevermind hot or dry summers we must be long long long due a sunnier than average one with far too much cloud since our last decent one in 2006. Spring wise we're statistically not due a warm or sunny one (much as it'd be nice!) and for me I could easily take a dire March and indifferent April for a good May and more importantly a perfect June....

Ha know exactly what you mean! This time of year really can drag on. Very ready for the new season.

Because we're surrounded in temperature moderating ocean which keeps temperatures up in winter and down in summer. That's a the short version of it...

ooo - please please can I have dream summer charts on 22nd June this year that's all I ask! 1400 feet asl in Buxton my wedding is taking place that day and I know just how dire it can get up there... A massive hp right over the UK would be just perfect!

Fixed - works now