Bottesford

Who thinks the clock move should be around now? It seems pointless waiting until the 28th as daylight at 6-7pm is more useful than daylight 6-7am. I'd say move it this weekend (two weeks earlier) giving sunrise 0722 sunset 1907 (here in Nottingham anyway). Think the US moved it a few years back to save on energy (more lights on in early evening than early morning) - I think we should do the same!

I think March 1st - 21st is spring but really equally belongs to both winter and spring (winter dominates, with inklings of spring). Same as 1st - 21st Sept is both summer and autumn (summer dominates with inklings of autumn). The other two differ - I find 1st - 21st June is definitely summer as the days are long and the weather can be hot (although often isn't). December is definitely winter right through - it's cold & dark (Dec 20th def doesn't feel like autumn!). To be honest I'd go as far as putting late November in that category too as it's so dark and often cold too. May, although very light is still prone to being chilly at times hence doesn't fall into the summer category.

Mixture of cloud and sunshine so better than I thought it'd be. We've finally hit 10c! 10.1c max a little earlier - first double figures in months!

I generally go with March 1st simply down to daylight length. By March 1st I'm cycling home from work in just about daylight which signals the end of winter (the darkness has gone on since November- probably why November is often classed as a winter month by many people). Certainly it isn't that much warmer yet (although it often can be by now) but night to day temperature variations are marked, the sun feels warm and the days end early evening instead of mid afternoon - to me that's spring!

A cold start with a min of -3c. Clear and sunny this morning pushing temp up to 7.4c. Now the North Sea low cloud muck has rolled in - the standard state of affairs under easterly driven weather. No doubt it'll last all week too.

Alas a spring & summer of easterlies would bring endless low cloud to many places east of the Pennines (with perhaps exception of far S or SE perhaps). There would indeed be some clear, blue skies & sunshine with a nice cooling breeze but I'd think it'd make up only 20% of the time with the rest being low cloud and suppressed temps with an annoying chilly wind. Give me the stifling hear & sunshine! Think we may have had this debate before

-2.5c min here (which is on the very cold end of the range for my city centre in a dip location). Only managed 5.4c max at 1246 and now 4.2c falling. So yes indeed - some very low temps under such clear blue skies. Dew point is down at -6.4c too so some very dry air around. Expecting -3c or below tonight as it's clearer and we're starting from lower max than yesterday.

2006 was certainly a special year for heat as it seems to reign from early summer right into mid autumn. June was hot & sunny followed by July - the hottest month on record. Then came the August blip when I distinctly remember going down to London early in the 'blip' period without a coat and feeling cold at night (which we hadn't felt in months by that point). The warmest September on record then followed on (remembering 27c being recorded early in the month) and I even remember sitting out in a t-shirt at night in mid October at one point. If we could replace August even with a fairly average but sunny and not too wet month you'd have the absolute perfect summer for me. I live in hope we're treated to some long dry & sunny periods this year - preferably with high temperatures too.

Some light rain this morning which cleared to a bright and often sunny afternoon with light winds. Feeling pleasant in the sun with a max of 7.5c. Dropped like a stone tonight under clear skies - now 1.4c.

A stunning sunny day with some cloud around. It now feels genuinely pleasant in the sunshine and we can finally get the windows open again in the office for the first time since October. Everyone seems much more positive and happy too - finally spring is upon us (and yes I know it can still be cold and it no doubt will be tonight - but that's part of spring!). Min of -1.4c this morning now risen sharply to 9.0c. You know spring is here when temps change 10c+ day to night!

A pleasant spring day with a good deal of sunshine. Max of 6.5c after a low of 1c this morning.

Likewise I hope it's not homogeneously cold either - like this winter has been! I would certainly prefer a sharp changeable spring - flipping from cold to warm (pref very cold to very warm and back) before settling down into a warm to hot & dry summer...

Rain has missed us gladly. A day of gusty winds, a lot of cloud and a little brightness. 6.8c max after 3.6c min this morning.

I'm with you - crisp (and sometimes warm in sun at times) sunny days and frosty nights sounds just perfect after the non stop cloud & rain of the past month. You can keep your grey cold easterlies till next winter!

Crikey these get earlier and earlier! Thinking about next winter is a bit like thinking "oh I wonder how miserable Monday morning will be" as you head to the pub on a Friday night with a whole joy filled weekend ahead! Maybe that's just me

Less rain would be the most important factor for me. The last three July's have been mostly terrible. Two events stick out - July 2007: heading to the pub on a Sat night in the pouring rain with temps around 13c (and so coats needed). No improvement was being forecast either - we were all thoroughly depressed. Precious summertime being lost to awful weather. July 2009 too: 7 days in Cornwall. Rainfall on 7 days several of which it rained all day non stop. A damp, cold wind blew in off the sea. A real downer it was to say the least. In a perfect late spring/summer (well my perfect summer) would be: May - ample sunshine and very little rain. Any rain falling in convective showers courtesy of the one or two northerly or NWly spells. Temps around 20c with the odd cooler and the odd hotter day. June - mostly unbroken sunshine (especially around the solstice) with next to no rain at all. Temps low to mid 20s by day but cooler at night with fairly 'fresh' conditions early month. July - mostly unbroken sunshine with rainfall only coming from very infrequent thunderstorms. Temps 25c+ by day (some 30+ too) and nights not falling below 18c (some even warmer). August - mixture of hot sunshine & thunderstorms so somewhat wetter month. Temps 25c and humid bringing in those big storms. Muggy warm nights. September - pleasant sunshine slowly ebbing to the _first_ return of Atlantic storms (which I would like gone by early April!). Temps around 20c dropping later in month. Things I'd ban in summer- Sub 15c maxima Sub 12c minima Low cloud off the North Sea Winds from east for same reason as above (only SE direction is allowed!) Atlantic rain storms Drizzle Excessive cloud I don't ask much do I? :lol:

Yes agreed - it's been unending greyness, drizzle and boring temperatures (2-4c generally). There has been the odd nice day but nothing like the sparkling first week of January. At least it is getting lighter now - I can head home from work and actually see people's faces again with street lights only just coming on. Gladly the dark afternoons are finally behind us for this winter.

Grey, damp and chilly. Now a not quite so cold but still miserable 6c. Roll on spring!

You'd have a field day round here then! All clockwork gas lamps that some guy goes around once a week winding up and changing the on/off timer. Or do you prefer more modern sodium or (back a bit) mercury lamps? (Yes I take an interest too!).

My lamp post in full glory this morning! A good covering here but it feels wet underfoot as temp is 1.6c. and looking the other way too:

Good covering of snow here (5cm) - probably about matching what we've had all winter up to now. Very unexpected! -0.7c the low now 1.2c rising so not sure how long it'll last on the ground.

That won't happen of course! We've had very little snow here - but a whole lot of low cloud and drizzle! But if it did I'd take it! Eugene - winter cold has no effect on summer weather - just look at the stats...

...and it probably will! Now snow here - we've not had much this winter at all, just what seems like endless days of low cloud, drizzle and temps 2-5c. Vile! Longing for a change here - really am. Atlantic mild would suit me better!

Not much happening here - still just wet ground with nothing much falling. Business as usual!

A vile mix of cold rain and sleet/snow feeling very, very unpleasant. Some areas not far off getting a dumping of snow but precip too light here (it fizzled out just as it came close as ever!). 4.7c max now 1.4c - colder air certainly here now.