Scottish Cold Spell Discussion:

[blitzen]

It just keeps going on and on doesn't it? I have never seen anything like it. We have friends coming up from Kent overnight Thursday for Christmas and New Year and the way it is looking this morning their journey could be rather eventful! It's a bit mesmerising really as we dream of a situation like this evolving year after year. I think this morning is the first time I have thought- wait a minute, this COULD get serious!

[Methuselah]

Well. well, well - the latest Fax chart for Sunday indicates Sneckie's best change of a snowfest for many a year, methinks: strong NW winds, sub528 air and (hopefully) widespread heavy snow showers...The only word of caution (I hope!) is that if the wind comes from due North, any falls will be that much lighter, or - perish the thought - non-existent????

Please God, keep a Westerly component in the wind!

[glasgow-guy]

well looks good again however as "catchmydrift" says its all down to ppn precipitation in my area is very light to be honest with 90% chance of snow sat looks to be the best day but any snow at this point is welcome at 0.2mm I am not going to be snowed in. hopefully showers will be more beefy at times.

first snow predicted to start falling 06:00 Thursday. so I will be up early get your cameras ready folks we could be talking about this one for years to come and might be even longer before we see conditions right again for this

event.

enjoy..

Edited December 16, 2009 by glasgow-guy

[Guest]

Well. well, well - the latest Fax chart for Sunday indicates Sneckie's best change of a snowfest for many a year, methinks: strong NW winds, sub528 air and (hopefully) widespread heavy snow showers...The only word of caution (I hope!) is that if the wind comes from due North, any falls will be that much lighter, or - perish the thought - non-existent????

Please God, keep a Westerly component in the wind!

The westlier the bestlier Something approaching a WWNW is best around here :lol:

[Zenarcher]

Weather here for Sunday is 50 to 60mph with snow might beat my wind chill record of -16c!

[Stuart]

Still looking fab for me when in Inverness

Edited December 16, 2009 by Stuart

[Methuselah]

Still looking fab for me when in Inverness

Well Stu, IF the models are right, snow should spread down from the North sometime late on Friday??

[Solar Cycles]

Can I join in on your forum please guys, mine has too much tumble weed blowing round!!

[Methuselah]

Can I join in on your forum please guys, mine has too much tumble weed blowing round!!

So long as you don't mention the MW!!!!

[Solar Cycles]

So long as you don't mention the MW!!!!

[Guest]

Can I join in on your forum please guys, mine has too much tumble weed blowing round!!

Ah, so that's Blackburn in Lanarkshire now??!! I'm sure Alex Salmond will be happy if we annex parts of England

Aye, you're welcome here SC

Edited December 16, 2009 by CatchMyDrift

[Methuselah]

Ah, so that's Blackburn in Lanarkshire now??!! I'm sure Alex Salmond will be happy if we annex parts of England

Aye, you're welcome here SC

No mate. it's the one by Aberdeen!

[JRMcLeod]

Since I have no memory of the 95 one, I cannot really comment, but I reckon this cold spell could easily be the best one in my snowatching career (e.g. -04-05 onwards).

LS

Winter 95 was one of those winters that i will always remember...it was pretty bad in Aberdeenshire, i think -15oC was recorded in Banchory

[Methuselah]

Winter 95 was one of those winters that i will always remember...it was pretty bad in Aberdeenshire, i think -15oC was recorded in Banchory

It was a stonker, for sure...We got -25C in parts of Glenurquhart. It even killed the broom!

[Polar Gael]

1995 was truly exceptional: here in the Weeg, the Clyde froze over in 5 days and it was frozen pipes a go-go as the temps plummeted.

I'd take that quite happily, though being an old(er) sod, I'd rather have another 1981-82 (cold then a brief respite before a record breaking reload of the cold stuff) or even a 78-79, the year of the last outdoor Bonspeil in Bonnie Scotland.

Having viewed this morning's charts, I am now more and more convinced that we are going to see a real, old school cold spell - i.e. one that doesn't shift easily and that will deliver snow at some point for everyone.

And when I say deliver snow, I'm talking about a whumphing, not the "dusting and melt" rubbish that we've had to put up with in recent winters (last winter sorta excepted).

Cannae wait for it - not long now!

[Guest]

I'd take that quite happily, though being an old(er) sod, I'd rather have another 1981-82 (cold then a brief respite before a record breaking reload of the cold stuff) or even a 78-79, the year of the last outdoor Bonspeil in Bonnie Scotland.

My parents have a huge pond in their front garden and have had the curlers on it several times since they bought the house in 1992. If this weather keeps up then there will be curling again this year. And they live just up the road from me, in lowland Scotland

Am I seeing things?? That would give us a pasting. Perfect wind direction for snow in the west:

[Polar Gael]

My parents have a huge pond in their front garden and have had the curlers on it several times since they bought the house in 1992. If this weather keeps up then there will be curling again this year. And they live just up the road from me, in lowland Scotland

Am I seeing things?? That would give us a pasting. Perfect wind direction for snow in the west:

Good stuff re the curling! All we need is a prolonged really cold spell and we'll manage to get one of the lochs (or the Lake of Menteith) frozen enough for the Grand Match - believe me, this is like the Holy Grail of Scottish winters for muggins here!!

Superb chart. This is a bit of a ramp, but I really think we're in for something a bit special - the models keep progging very unusual cold synoptics over and over and it's getting to the stage that if just one of these runs comes off, we'll get blootered by the white stuff and once the cold is embedded it will be difficult to shift.

One of the things I remember from my youth was obituaries of old spells frequently being written far too early and any eventual breakdown would be delayed with the battleground between mild and cold often giving us a serious dumping of snow.

Can this happen again in 2009? Suspect we shall soon find out.

[Hairy Celt]

Latest offering looks to give most of the north some white stuff early Saturday as a showery band moves south, then it's just bits and bobs, all hanging on how that low develops. Certainly rather cold and probably wind-chilly too, and staying that way as far out as is reasonable to look. Here's hoping for a white Xmas, please please not a damp dreary one!!

[blitzen]

Slightly less snowy run this one but that will probably change again. Still looking brrrrilliant tho'!

[Methuselah]

Also, some potential for a freezing-fogfest, should that flabby area of LP hang around?? Back to the Good Old Days!!

[snowy owl]

Well just logged in for a wee look this morning and i cannot believe what i'm seeing. I've been a nw member since 2004 and this is AMAZING stuff!!!

I have kept quiet to everyone saying yes we'll probably see a little snow, but now that we're inching closer to the snow it seems we may be in for some fun.

Edited December 16, 2009 by snowy owl

[Methuselah]

Yo SO!!!

I must admit, that in the 21 years that I've been up here (1995 excluded) I've not before seen an outlook quite as promising as this one's shaping-up to be! Maybe, I'll even see one of my old (MK) favourites of yore: snow falling through freezing fog???

That was 1963 btw!

[snowy owl]

Now snow falling through freezing fog that would be something!!! I don't think i'd ever thought of that happening before.

Very exciting times and some superb charts, hope i can shift this dratted cold I have so I can get the kids and I out in the snow!!

We bought a proper sledge in Aviemore of couple of years back and have only just managed to use it once, so that would be great.

I keep telling my kids what the winters used to be like, snowed in and 6ft snow drifts etc. great stuff.

Have stocked up the food cupboards, have charcoal in garage, have candles is there anything else??

Sorry must stop this ramping, i think its the paracetamol and the hot toddy!!

Edited December 16, 2009 by snowy owl

[blitzen]

Have stocked up the food cupboards, have charcoal in garage, have candles is there anything else??

Sorry must stop this ramping, i think its the paracetamol and the hot toddy!!

I'm sending hubby out for a couple of hot water bottles to keep handy if/when the national grid crashes!

Edited December 16, 2009 by Blitzen

[Hairy Celt]

Met Office have issued an 'advisory' for Sunday for snow for northern and western areas. I guess that means it's getting more likely!

Snowy Owl, you could add a good whisky to your list of essentials...