Scottish Cold Spell Discussion 9

[Blizzardo]

This is a feature of this cold spell up there that I have never seen/noticed before. A lot of times somewhere like Altnaharra or Aviemore has been cloudy over night and then in the day the cloud has cleared, the sun has come out and the temperature has plummeted, almost as if the sun has no effect whatsoever up there! Does this happen in every frosty spell, is it because these places are shaded by hills? I really want the cloud to stay away just for one full 24hr period just to see how low it will go!

I do think that overnight cloud cover is making a big difference to the temperature and when its clearing with the snow cover in place the temperatures are plummeting. Obviously the sun is at its lowest at this time of year so its only really a factor in raising temperatures between about 11am and around 2pm and even then its really low in the sky in a location like Altnaharra. One of the of the other effects is the wind direction. For my own location the best direction, North East of Glasgow is a light northerly due to the mountains to the north sheltering us but the upper air remaining cold.

PS down to -16.5c now in Altnaharra.

Edited December 29, 2009 by Blizzardo

[Gilly]

An incredible spell of weather with most of December giving us low temps up until the snow came a week before xmas......and no sign of a let up for at least another week or more"

-10C during the night and Inverness Airport has reached the giddy temp of -7C at the moment and has been closed temporarily. They are hoping to be running again by mid day.

We have had a good heavy snow shower this morning........and possibly more running in from the North Sea during the next couple of days.

[Norrance]

I do think that overnight cloud cover is making a big difference to the temperature and when its clearing with the snow cover in place the temperatures are plummeting. Obviously the sun is at its lowest at this time of year so its only really a factor in raising temperatures between about 11am and around 2pm and even then its really low in the sky in a location like Altnaharra. One of the of the other effects is the wind direction. For my own location the best direction, North East of Glasgow is a light northerly due to the mountains to the north sheltering us but the upper air remaining cold.

PS down to -16.5c now in Altnaharra.

Yes and it also sows the advantage of having a cold snap in late December / early January when there is little strength in the sun as compared with more recent, not as potent cold snaps in Late Feb / March.

[Methuselah]

An incredible spell of weather with most of December giving us low temps up until the snow came a week before xmas......and no sign of a let up for at least another week or more"

-10C during the night and Inverness Airport has reached the giddy temp of -7C at the moment and has been closed temporarily. They are hoping to be running again by mid day.

We have had a good heavy snow shower this morning........and possibly more running in from the North Sea during the next couple of days.

It's fantastic, Gilly...Even if there are 10hr gaps between showers, nothing's going to melt!

PS: the Ness is 'smoking'!

[Stockaree]

Oh well here we go for the next chapter Blitzen !

Bright echoes to the east of me moving due west and "something" is imminent !

O the joys of living near the sea in Edinburgh,

Are we likely to be on the wrong side of marginal in the next couple of days? A very short distance inland can make all the difference.

[thejailender]

Another cold day ont he cards for us I think. We may not be hitting the depths of temperatures others have been during the night - mainly because we live near the sea, but another -8'C over night, and at present we are still -5.4'C (11.30am).

Not long back from a walk down to get the papers, and I noticed that the River Averon has frozen over in the last couple of days.

No more snow overnight though, just the small dusting yesterday afternoon. I think it's going to be a hit or a miss if we get any today too.

[Methuselah]

O the joys of living near the sea in Edinburgh,

Are we likely to be on the wrong side of marginal in the next couple of days? A very short distance inland can make all the difference.

You just might be, JDH???

One thing I've noticed up here is that, even with NErly winds aloft, the Interior is so cold that a land-breeze is always blowing from the W or SW...But, with the LP's influence edging ever-closer, that might change by tomorrow???

[Hairy Celt]

Another cold day ont he cards for us I think. We may not be hitting the depths of temperatures others have been during the night - mainly because we live near the sea, but another -8'C over night, and at present we are still -5.4'C (11.30am).

Not long back from a walk down to get the papers, and I noticed that the River Averon has frozen over in the last couple of days.

No more snow overnight though, just the small dusting yesterday afternoon. I think it's going to be a hit or a miss if we get any today too.

Unlikely until tonight or tomorrow morning, looking at how it's forecast.

[Methuselah]

Another cold day ont he cards for us I think. We may not be hitting the depths of temperatures others have been during the night - mainly because we live near the sea, but another -8'C over night, and at present we are still -5.4'C (11.30am).

Not long back from a walk down to get the papers, and I noticed that the River Averon has frozen over in the last couple of days.

No more snow overnight though, just the small dusting yesterday afternoon. I think it's going to be a hit or a miss if we get any today too.

Aye mate. We need to chop-off Caithness???

[blitzen]

Hopefully the showers will pep up in the north sea tonight/overnight. Dead flat calm here tho' I thought it was to be windy here today? Oh well, maybe later.

[Sunny Leith]

I honestly don't know JDH. Looking OK as I write ... DewPoints still a couple of degrees below zero so anything that falls should be snow.

It could go a bit pear-shaped for a day or two though, if all we end up pulling in from the east is mid NorthSea air in the mid 40's ... throw in a bit of modification from the cold lozenge that constitutes the still frozen east coast and we could end up with a "mild" couple of mid-to-high 30's days. Bit like Aberdeens hit last week ... Depends how agressive this fetch of air is, the slacker the better at this point ... if it got strong to gale-force (unlikely I think) then we could take a slushy hit to lying snow.

Anyway not worried at this point, the ground surface still seems extreemely cold and worst case I expect us to hang onto that, with the upside of a possible increase to snow (ok its really just crusty frozen snow now...) depth.

O the joys of living near the sea in Edinburgh,

Are we likely to be on the wrong side of marginal in the next couple of days? A very short distance inland can make all the difference.

Think this is stall a battleground area Blitzen (OK not much of a battle going on but definitely some kind of transitional area). I'm back home now and the far distant Fife horizon looks clear and sharp - so still very cold there I think.

To my south and east we have scuddy cloud motoring past at a fair pace and thats either going to snizzle, snow... or do nothing. Aiport says 1c/DP -2c so still looking good if anything at all was to fall from the sky (nothing here though since the slight snow shower of 2 hours ag)

Hopefully the showers will pep up in the north sea tonight/overnight. Dead flat calm here tho' I thought it was to be windy here today? Oh well, maybe later.

[Guest]

Hopefully the showers will pep up in the north sea tonight/overnight. Dead flat calm here tho' I thought it was to be windy here today? Oh well, maybe later.

Here's the reason why it is flat calm today Blitzen:

And here's the reason why there should be more action tomorrow:

For anyone unsure of this, the first chart shows the Met-O analysis from 6am today with wide isobars across the country so less wind. The second chart is the Met-O forecast for 24hrs ahead, which shows much tighter isobars and therefore much stronger winds which should bring more showers which will travel well inland.

[JoeShmoe]

sleety snow here in E Edinburgh - very light and wet but dark out

heavy wet snow now

[snowy owl]

Receiving our second large snow fall of today here!!! yessss. Temps still playing ball. From todays snow so far we've now got another good covering of 2-4cm on top of the existing ice/snow. Lovely.

Just phone mum-in-law and shes in Edinburgh near coast and said it wasn't snowing there.

What are projected temps likely to be tomorrow?

Edited December 29, 2009 by snowy owl

[JoeShmoe]

Receiving our second large snow fall of today here!!! yessss. Temps still playing ball. From todays snow so far we've now got another good covering of 2-4cm on top of the existing ice/snow. Lovely.

Just phone mum-in-law and shes in Edinburgh near coast and said it wasn't snowing there.

What are projected temps likely to be tomorrow?

It is here (Duddingston) and starting to settle.

Bypass looking dodgy again

http://www.trafficscotland.org/views/delay/Stra.jpg?ts=091229121359

Edited December 29, 2009 by JoeShmoe

[Sunny Leith]

Ditto. Heavy wet snow here in Leith too.. All the hallmarks though of a day where it might snow like hell here all day on the coast but accumulate little or nothing (could go to mush).

Inland/higher areas still favoured today I think.

Here's the reason why it is flat calm today Blitzen:

And here's the reason why there should be more action tomorrow:

For anyone unsure of this, the first chart shows the Met-O analysis from 6am today with wide isobars across the country so less wind. The second chart is the Met-O forecast for 24hrs ahead, which shows much tighter isobars and therefore much stronger winds which should bring more showers which will travel well inland.

Edit: In the midst of a graupal/snow grain blizzard here in Leith ... currently its happily lying (no surprise on those cold surfaces)

Edited December 29, 2009 by by-tor

[JoeShmoe]

[Guest]

Inland/higher areas still favoured today I think.

I don't doubt that by-tor I just think that tomorrow will be the relatively more showery day. I expect snow showers right across Scotland tomorrow with that wind, today they will mainly be in the east of the country (but not exclusively east coast!!).

The odd shower may even make it through the central belt to Glasgow later today, looking at how well showers are going on the radar.

Edited December 29, 2009 by CatchMyDrift

[blitzen]

Dewpoints still very favourable here at the moment at -3.2c temp steady at 0.2c and wind (or lack of) NE. That looks like a nice stream of showers there across Embra!

[snowy owl]

How are we looking temps wise tomorrow? i thought we were expecting slightly warmer temps which might lead to problems with rain/sleet rather than snow?

[Sunny Leith]

Tipping it down here CMD, visibility has closed right down and the radar shows this still to be piled up to the east - almost lake-effect LOL !

Where I lve is now under half a centintre of fresh white stuff, everything is absolutely pristine white at this point ... cars, house roofs, trees, side road. Any grassy areas out the back where snowman building had lifted the snow from the turf are now covered again.

Any metoffice warnings out yet

Edit: its distinctly piling up on the window ledge as graupal/soft hail type of stuff but snow by any other name !

I don't doubt that by-tor I just think that tomorrow will be the relatively more showery day. I expect snow showers right across Scotland tomorrow with that wind, today they will mainly be in the east of the country (but not exclusively east coast!!).

The odd shower may even make it through the central belt to even Glasgow later today, looking at how well showers are going on the radar.

Edited December 29, 2009 by by-tor

[blitzen]

Just heard that there is a shortage of salt in Fife now. Oh joy! :lol:

[su rui ke]

Looks like we are also now in the less cold air. Temperatures have suddenly risen to just around freezing.

[spud_nick89]

We have light snow

now getting heavier and blowing about a bit, it dont look like lasting long though but i wouldnt know

Edited December 29, 2009 by spud_nick89

[Sunny Leith]

Just about stopped here having had a reasonably heavy 20-30 minutes of snow. Stuck to all surfaces at ground level (where it matters :lol:) but quickly mushing at window-ledge level (where it doesn't matter I guess ).

That one followed the estuary , heading from ENE to WSW ... don't see others behind it though - not yet anyway. Still slightly wary that whats behind it will be increasingly less cold as the day goes on but what the hell .... yet another piece of this amazing cold spell has unfolded today !

Edit: it caught the traffic napping, all backed up on London Road here.Possibly more disruption here right now than on the M4

Edited December 29, 2009 by by-tor