Snowstorm: Britain's Big Freeze

[TEITS]

The worst part for me though was actually the Met Office bigging themselves up throughout. Absolutely cringeworthy. "We got this right, we got that right." Yeah but you didn't call a below average winter back in Oct did you?

Indeed and they failed to mention how they got the 5th Feb snowfall wrong only 90mins from the actual event occuring. If anyone can't remember what actually happened, the Met O put out updated warnings at 22.30 (Feb 4th)warning of heavy snow in Wales, SW Midlands and nothing for the E Midlands. However just a glance at the radar mean't they had got this wrong as the snow was much further E. At 7am on the 5th Feb much of Cambs, Northants had seen 8 inches of snowfall within 4hrs!!

As for last nights programme it was a pile of crap. The way they kept mentioning the collisions of weather systems was way OTT. Rarely do I watch these programmes on TV because they are usually rubbish.

[Nick L]

Hang on. Didn't they get the snow in the south west on Thursday night/Friday morning (5th/6th) completely wrong? Because didn't the Met think it was going to go east but it just stuck over the west?

And I hope in their winter forecast assessment they refer to the original forecast, and say what went wrong, and NOT say we got it right because we changed it nearer the time. Nothing wrong into admitting they were wrong.

Edited February 27, 2009 by nick2702

[Zenarcher]

I watched it all found it kind of boring the only part that interested me was the history parts.

[TEITS]

Hang on. Didn't they get the snow in the south west on Thursday night/Friday morning (5th/6th) completely wrong? Because didn't the Met think it was going to go east but it just stuck over the west?

And I hope in their winter forecast assessment they refer to the original forecast, and say what went wrong, and NOT say we got it right because we changed it nearer the time. Nothing wrong into admitting they were wrong.

I do remember they got it wrong for the SW although I can't remember the date. I know on the friday 6th we had another 3 inches of snowfall.

Personally I feel its been a very disappointing season for the Met O. The LRF for winter was wrong because they played it safe and stuck with above average and their nowcasting is shockingly poor.

Cue John H. B)

[BurwellWeatherWatch]

yes it is over the top....but still worth the watch

why is the narrator whispering :lol:

Because it was Sean Pertwee! cf his character in Cold Feet - I think that's how he normally talks.

Good footage and moderately enjoyable to watch - but overall it was hugely sensationalist and the Met Office came over as unduly self-congratulatory. There were some very dubious generalisations, especially at the opening.

I'm glad they didn't try to draw too many global warming conclusions from this one-off event (on either side of the argument). The oversimplistic link between the SSW and the 'event' - outlined at the end - was also rather misleading.

But overall, the actual snowstorm (?) strikes me as less amazing than the fact we went for best part of 20 years without one, given our northern latitude.

[Cakie]

Hang on. Didn't they get the snow in the south west on Thursday night/Friday morning (5th/6th) completely wrong? Because didn't the Met think it was going to go east but it just stuck over the west?

And I hope in their winter forecast assessment they refer to the original forecast, and say what went wrong, and NOT say we got it right because we changed it nearer the time. Nothing wrong into admitting they were wrong.

They didn't get it completely wrong for the South west. Some snow was forecast but they expected it to move over to the East but it just stayed over the South West, that coupled with the convection caused the localised heavy snow.

[JRMcLeod]

I thouht the programme was pretty rediculous to be perfectly honest. The fact that there as 6" of snow and the country was portrayed as a bit of a joke in being able to handle it...

I laughed through the majority of it and for some reason or another i found myself getting angry at how it was reported and how is was dispayed as being the most serious thing that has ever happend to the UK...all i hope is that it wasn't broadcast to countries that actually get 'SNOW'...

[Phil UK]

I do remember they got it wrong for the SW although I can't remember the date. I know on the friday 6th we had another 3 inches of snowfall.

Monday 9th Febbrrrruuuuy TEITS. The Channel storm. The one which expected much snow over the Midlands but the south and anywhere of the East Midlands caught more of it. Those further north and west than Birmingham ended up with more rain and sleet.

In fact, the whole programme seemed to concentrate on just the one week (maybe less than that)... Exeter, Dartmoor, Huddersfield... But mainly London bias.

I know that for London to see such a severe and prolonged snowstorm is a rare occurence but I, in a sense almost cringed when I watched how the 'Authorities' didn't have a bloody clue as to how to deal with such... 'White Armaggedeon'*

There were 5 bloody days warning. How naive do you have to be to not take preparations??

Then there is a famine where it comes to rock salt. :lol:

Anyway!

Looked like a knoked up in 5 minutes documentary. Bit disappointed on the whole. Channel 4 can knock out some great documentaries but on this occasion, I'm sorry but must do better next time.

* = I bet if the Russians, New York and Canada were watching the shock, horror news reports back at the time, they would have been wetting themselves laughing at our ill preparation for such an event.

Embarrassed, yup! First world country with third world ideaology.

Phil.

[dogs32]

AND JUST TO ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE...

Sarah the weather girl from the BBC kept saying we were spot on...And just like Nick said they got it wrong as the system went more North than East..

My brother as no interest in the weather and even he said to me this morning that the programme was over the top

but I did enjoy it even though

Edited February 27, 2009 by dogs32

[Phil UK]

I did enjoy it myself to be honest, but in a kind of surreal sense.

Only person who probably did make any sense was in fact John Kettley. That RISK meteorologist... Bit of a 'risk' having him on at all wasn't it? And I think even Stuart Robinson's wife could have done better with the narrative.

Sorry but it was like the furniture equivalent of the old MFI/IKEA DIY...

... Looks good on the brochure, but will fall apart after a while.

Phil.

[Optimus Prime]

Enjoyable once you ignore the silly survival stories (the pregnant women in ambulance was laughable)

[Devon-Nelly]

They didn't get it completely wrong for the South west. Some snow was forecast but they expected it to move over to the East but it just stayed over the South West, that coupled with the convection caused the localised heavy snow.

I think they were also caught out by how quickly the rain turned to snow, it was never forecast to do so before the early hours of Friday down on lower levels.

[Michael Fishermans Friend]

Yep completely over the top programme. I wonder if London wasn't so badly effected by the snow for 2/3 days (yep thats along time ) if this programme would have even been made. Statements such as 'the whole country blanketed by snow' and 'all of the south east saw heavy snow' was way off the mark and full of inaccuracies. Crikey a woman gave birth in an ambulance in the snow!! and a man walked 20 miles so he could get to Guys Hospital in London zowwiee! they really know how to pad a programme.

Shows what a mamby pamby nation we have become when we get some deepish (not everywhere) snow for about a week, shame the programme was a waste of time apart from the historical part towards the end.

Edited February 27, 2009 by Timmy H

[Phil UK]

Enjoyable once you ignore the silly survival stories (the pregnant women in ambulance was laughable)

Forgot about that.

Wonder what the birth certificate would have read.

Born : "Freezing ambulance with Channel 4 crew watching".

Weight : "Me or the ambulance?"

...

But fair play to the radiologist who showed committment and walked to work even if it did take 8 and a half hours to get to his destination. But did laugh, well, shamefully when his train crawled through the snow then stopped.

Geez!! Wrong kind of snow again was it?? (Circa 1991)

Phil.

Yep completely over the top programme. I wonder if London wasn't so badly effected by the snow for 2/3 days (yep thats along time ) if this programme would have even been made.

Tim.

Apart from London, Exeter, Dartmoor, Rotherham...

The West Midlands didn't even get so much as a mention!

BIAS!!

I rest my case. Now had this been December 1991...

Phil.

[Nick L]

Yes I certainly knew about the SW snow! Quickly checked the Met Office website the night before as I was heading back to Cannock from Somerset in the morning, and they didn't seem to be making much fuss about it. It snowed all night and for most of the morning in the end. The Met Office are usually very good, but I have to say they have been below par this winter.

Edited February 27, 2009 by nick2702

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

Yes I certainly knew about the SW snow! Quickly checked the Met Office website the night before as I was heading back to Cannock from Somerset in the morning, and they didn't seem to be making much fuss about it. It snowed all night and for most of the morning in the end. The Met Office are usually very good, but I have to say they have been below par this winter.

In Golf to be below par is a good thing, maybe the phrase should be above par :happy: