Snow Watch Thread For Midlands & C Southern England

[StormChaser]

The bbc have just said Thursday could be quite substantial snow fall for the midlands im confused about this becuase yesterday netweather said for my aera 92% for thursday and friday now its downgraded. Can anyone be kind enough to give a proper report? for my area. thanks. Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Edited February 3, 2009 by StormChaser

[Higher Ground]

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

[loopydreamer]

it's laying here already! roads are covered in a thin blanket which im surprised about cos i thought the temp was too high for it to lay!

[stewfox]

Yes, on the N-W radar they are heading for Brum and one is just about there now apperantly lol. They are dying out as they head North though so only expect some light and possibly moderate showers from it, not sure it will really amount to anything, depends on how cold it is over there, might give a dusting though.

Nothing here 90 miles south of Birmingham although it has clouded over

[mackerel sky]

Did drive home in light snow tonight from Milton Keynes in the clutch of dying showers moving into the Midlands from the Bournemouth area. By the time I got home there was a dandruff coating on top of the snow that survived today, which is a suprising amount compared to work - real thaw in that area after lunch - all surfaces remain covered here outside on the outskirts of the town 80-100m up. I think here was about the northern limit of where those showers survived before disintingrating. I did see a patch of altocumulus floating overhead about 10pm which surprised me... any shower activity during the night looks weak and a further 30 miles west if survives. The now, and long removed FAX charts from yesterday did have a trough sitting in the general area of the showers for tonight. Up until the 18z, the GFS tended to support it. I am not ruling out a chance 1cm of snow overnight, but it all looks pretty light. 18z not so good for thursday/friday prospects. Again, with these threads where to post, being on the border of three regions in these snow-watch threads. The weather doesn't abrupted stop at predefined admistratively or abitrarily defined boundaries!

[ISAAC]

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

still havnt arrived here

[Higher Ground]

The bbc have just said Thursday could be quite substantial snow fall for the midlands im confused about this becuase yesterday netweather said for my aera 92% for thursday and friday now its downgraded. Can anyone be kind enough to give a proper report? for my area. thanks. Didcot, Oxfordshire.

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.

[millzzz]

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

That's my fault, sorry!

Does anyone else find light snow falling really theraputic? As for current conditions; the snow clump looks to be taking a more nnw heading and I'm on the eastern edge of it. Anywhere west of Solihull towards Herefordshire will collect the main lump of it. That includes Redditch!

EDIT: Now moderate snow

Edited February 4, 2009 by millzzz

[stewfox]

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.

The BBC have snow for thursday even south of the M4 far more bullish then many on here. Heavy as well

Time will tell

[loopydreamer]

Hehe!

still chucking it down here! anyone have a rough idea of the current temp is around the midlands atm?

[adrian1477]

very heavy snow here complete thick blanket! did not see this one comin!!!

[Soma]

This is quality - everywhere white it's really coming down now!!!!

This is me on the Radar:

[loopydreamer]

very heavy snow here complete thick blanket! did not see this one comin!!!

seems to be pasting worcestershire area atm then

Edited February 4, 2009 by loopydreamer

[ISAAC]

snowing quite nicley here now

[Higher Ground]

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

[Koppite]

Moderate snow here, light dusting at present.

[adrian1477]

seems to be pasting worcestershire area atm then

just up the hill from you in redditch! flakes huge and so heavy now!

[loopydreamer]

im going to bed now too! Love it!!!!

[millzzz]

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 agree with that! I think the morning commute might be a little tricky. My road is already covered, and it has been gritted....eek.

[ISAAC]

wow

chuckign it down here now!!!

[Soma]

How's it looking in Redditch Loopy? Some areas are quite high above sea level Headless Cross for example. It's hoofing it down here - cursory glance reckons I've got about an inch from this - Bigger flakes falling now about 20p size. Just going out to have a closer look; I maybe some time...

[adrian1477]

wow

chuckign it down here now!!!

central weather said cold and frosty not heavy snow,coverin car tracks almost instant!!!!

[mackerel sky]

The BBC have snow for thursday even south of the M4 far more bullish then many on here. Heavy as well

Time will tell

Marginal is dictated by many factors though. 850s > -3C you are really pushing it. A good frost ahead, or subdued temperatures at ground level can maintain a freezing profile, particularly if the onset of precipitation is heavy. This is why you can get real local variations, often between rural and semi-rural locations and altitude not usually considered relevant, with those hanging onto snow and pockets of colder air. The NW charts generally turn snow to sleet when the 850s fall below -5C, although there is often a conflict between the Wetterzentrale precipitation type charts only updated once a day, on the 06z run. The latter tends to more follow the MetOffice strategy of going against the -5C 850 plan for snow, if heavy precipitation is likely. But again, > -3C, at lower than say, 1000ft snow, and lying snow is very unlikely irrespective of the intensity. But it boils down to maintaining a temperature profile from the 850 height below freezing to the point at which you wish to observe snow, i.e. a good degree at least below freezing.

Thursday does look very marginal indeed. But with snow cover remaining in some areas - although I think tomorrow most parts of the Midlands and SE will loose a lot - it might be a tad less. I've seen this before when after a "major" snowfall event, the forecasts tend to be "over optimistic" about upcoming events. Friday was looking very good indeed, but the 18z GFS now pretty much writes it off as anything of consequence. In my experience in the shorter term, the GFS precipitation charts tend to be a far better than the Met Office serve up on their website.

[ISAAC]

my word, heaviest snow ive seen in years, heavier than yesterdays and accumulating faaaast!

[Koppite]

Coming down really heavy now, starting to get a good covering.