Midlands Cold Spell Discussion

[we_want_snow]

Only thing I'm being forcast is sleet on Tuesday. Temperatures 0-2c. Cold in its own right but not what I was expecting. I've herad severe be mentioned, seems a little pathetic given my forecast

[cyclonic happiness]

Only thing I'm being forcast is sleet on Tuesday. Temperatures 0-2c. Cold in its own right but not what I was expecting. I've herad severe be mentioned, seems a little pathetic given my forecast

The word "severe" is a southern term for "nippy", here "severe" mean -25'c and 40ft snowdrifts

[PolarWarsaw]

I hope this isnt another cold spell that's going to bring nothing here - i might give up if we get absolutely nothing from the next 10 days or so.

[jimben]

Sunny blue skies, breeze from NE. Overnight low of -2.4c. Max so far today 1.3c which is the current temp. Dewpoint currently -1.8c

[Bolton67]

Sunny blue skies, breeze from NE. Overnight low of -2.4c. Max so far today 1.3c which is the current temp. Dewpoint currently -1.8c

Looking ok for friday seems we are just under that heavy band line from the wash to Portsmouth.

[Snowcheeks]

Temps going up, surely it must be time for the PPN to come now

[weather_it_will]

Looks like I will have to lower my expectations for this week.

If I see one single snow flake falling I will be happy.

Not seen anything here since before christmas.

[jimben]

Looking ok for friday seems we are just under that heavy band line from the wash to Portsmouth.

Yes !! I will accept that Northants is in East Anglia and south east after that forecast haha

[we_want_snow]

I've got a positive, it's potentiall my first ice day. Maximum temperature -0.8C as it is now.

Thing is, i'm getting used to the cold now as it doesn't feel that cold outside.

I think while the E/SE will get 20cm from this week, i'll get about 2/3cm, whick i'll be pleased with because I've rarely known anything different here

[andy_leics22]

Looking ok for friday seems we are just under that heavy band line from the wash to Portsmouth.

Gahhh Friday! Too far away to trust. Shame it wasn't the forecast for the shorter term like Tuesday.

[Shiny_Bottom_1]

Morning peeps Well I think i am over the worst from last night lol. Having a 4 days out of date quiche clearly was a bad idea!

I have to say in regards to the BBC and MET forecasting rain/sleet/snow for next week... They could well be right about that. Yesterday they forecast sleet for my area and sleet it did. I expected snow and thought they would be wrong but I was the one who was wrong :winky:

Brickfielder has posted something, a point, that I think is going to be crucial for next week, is the 0oC Isotherm.

The last few days, from what I am starting to read, was down to the 0oC Isotherm level. I think that this has been the issue, and is something we need to keep watching over the coming week.

Overall, it is looking more promising than the past week, so fingers crossed.

Well my view on Tuesday that it will either fizzle out before it gets here or we will get mild sectored again and it will rain. At best it will snow but it'll be moving so fast it'll just leave a dusting.

That seems to be the form so far this winter here.

Hi Gord. See above. I dont think it has been down to mild sectors, but 0oC Isotherm level.

I'm about 75% confident this has been the reason parts of Midlands has not seen snow, whilst other parts of the country (from the same ppn) has.

Outside of this, H500 and 850hpa readings are all in the right place.

So, three things to watch from my perspective (available on GFS runs at least - although accuracy is something that needs to be taken in to account:

1. 850 HPA - -5 or below

2. H500 - 528 Damn Line or below

3. Purple (0m level) or very dark blue on the 0oC Isotherm Charts.

Not sure, and perhaps something BF can answer on (?), is why when we have <-5oC 850's and <528 Damn, is the 0oC Isotherm level at times been so high?

[Nick L]

Fingers crossed for my first ice day here also, temperature has stopped rising at -0.6c, sun is going down now and hopefully a harsh frost tonight.

[Bolton67]

Gahhh Friday! Too far away to trust.

Agree with you, anything can happen yet!

Yesterdays radar viewing told me that.

[Severe Siberian icy blast]

So can any tell me pls why this is marginal for the mids when this cold spell has made headlines ? I fail to understand why it always seems to warm up for us b4 the ppn arrives . I dont remember 10yrs ago and we always use to get at least some snow during cold spells , but this year really has been a massive let down for the mids , also , although i can understand why fronts loose intensity as they push south but this time it looks more notalbe than ever , im very confused and very fustrated to be honest , and it makes me very moody about every day stuff when it shouldnt but im a weather freak and cant do a damm thing about it .

Just read the post above so its just been answered by in large .

Edited January 3, 2010 by shaun wilmer

[Nick L]

Correction to my last post, I won't have an ice day as it was 0.3c at just gone midnight this morning, unbelievable.

[cyclonic happiness]

Correction to my last post, I won't have an ice day as it was 0.3c at just gone midnight this morning, unbelievable.

Well It may as well be an ice day here, nothing has melted even in the sun, we got the faintest coverings of snizzle from last night (does that count as snowcover?)

I hope to god we get something this week, as was said before, it never used to be this hard to get a snowfall in the middle midlands.

Even "up north" is stealing our low temps.

[Supercell]

Just checking with anyone near me whether they reached anywhere near 3C today ? My thermometer is usually very accurate (part of DVP2 set-up), but 3.1C seems a bit high, particularly when it was recorded just before lunch.

[Serendipity]

1.7 is the highest I've recorded here.

[we_want_snow]

I had a covering of snow yesterday morning, well 80% covered. The temp got to 3.8C so it all melted.

How low would the temperature have to be for it to be sunny but for frost/snow not to melt?

[Nick L]

I had a covering of snow yesterday morning, well 80% covered. The temp got to 3.8C so it all melted.

How low would the temperature have to be for it to be sunny but for frost/snow not to melt?

I think around freezing would be low enough, possibly pushing 1c or so if the sun is very weak (ie. early Jan and mid-late Dec).

[we_want_snow]

Thing is though, today my maximum is currently -0.7c but the frost/ice/snow has gone in the sun and even the water is evaporating from the road

[Supercell]

Thanks.

I'll be able to judge tomorrow whether the sun is having an influence if I record a high at a similar time. Also, I can have a look at the met-office max temps of the day for our regions.

[chapmanraven]

Temp here 1.8c a few grains of snow on the ground, I've seen it whiter under a frost lol

The canal was frozen over this morning but the ice has been broken up by passing boats but not melting.

Getting depressed now at lack of snow, stupid I know as is such a lovely cold and sunny day.

[Essan]

Trouble is it's a boring cold, sunny day. No clouds. No frost or ice. Nothing to photograph. Might as well be 22c.

I'm really starting to look forward to the return of some westerlies and some weather....... :lol:

[Terminal Moraine]

I had a covering of snow yesterday morning, well 80% covered. The temp got to 3.8C so it all melted.

How low would the temperature have to be for it to be sunny but for frost/snow not to melt?

It depends on the dewpoint. You could have a max' of 3.8c but if the dewpoint remained below 0c there would be no thawing of the snow in the shade and only a slow thaw in full sunshine if the snow cover was almost complete.

On the other hand you could have a max' of, say 0.6c, but if the dewpoint is above 0c there will be a continuous slow thaw.