East Anglia & South East Cold Spell Discussion XXXIII

[sarah7meme]

can one of you lovely people gie me a brief summary of SE current status/expectations (particularly kent) to save me reading 33 threads and pages ! thanks in advance x

[Stu_London]

Also signs of precip strengthening on the eastern side of the front, needs to become far better though if its going to do anything of note.

I've noticed that as well

I think the area over the north sea is part of the front and we may be seeing some convective effect on the eastern part of the snow band.

[SussexmarkyMark]

I think a reality check is needed as the vast majority of people in the South East have seen but a minor fall of snow and temperatures around freezing. Bog standard winter weather.

Kent for example is around 4200 square miles in size and very few areas have in excess of 5cms of lying snow. This was beaten in most winters during the 90's.

Media frenzy of "Epic Freeze" and alike is nothing other than sensationalism and fantasy. Television news "hysteria" is laughable in the main and causes more harm than good as it frightens the old and vulnerable into thinking things are worse than they really are. Plant a young female reporter next to a motorway with a couple of inches of snow on it and tell her to fill us with stories of stranded motorists and accidents doesnt cut it. Put her in the middle of Helmand Province in broad daylight "with the pink bobble hat" and then see what reality really is like.

I think you will find that Kent is the exception. Large areas of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex have over 20cm of snow. Certainly not bog standard !

[cj114]

Kold. Here is the revised METO warning for our region (Courtesy of moi!)

East of England:

Southend-on-Sea

Thurrock

Light Sleet 1100 Wed 6 1800 Wed 6

Further outbreaks of sleet will turn heavy through today giving no accumulations and make the ground wet. This will cause widespread wrist slashing and shortages in Prozac supplies in this screw zone.

The South Essex public are advised to take extra doses of Prozac and refer to the Samaritans for further advice.

Oh R.O.F.L

We have around 3" and it's still snowing. Not as heavy as it was earlier but still under the band of Snow which is going nowhere just yet.

Issued at: 1134 Wed 6 Jan

[pinball wizard]

Still waiting for this front to slide southwards, NAE output takes it south right at the peak of daytime heating, surprise surprise!

Saying all that it should tilt the wind flow to something far more favourable for snow and wouldn't be surprised to see temps drop once the wind shift occurs.

Also signs of precip strengthening on the eastern side of the front, needs to become far better though if its going to do anything of note.

Kold, any chance you could post up pics or links showing NAE ppn predictions?

[dubmuffin]

Great photo tomavenell, I think it's what we all wanted to see this morning, I'm off for a drive to Haselmere later then!

[Upgrade]

As big freezes go, I agree with others that it's a bit tame. Daytime temps seem to always get above freezing these days. I remember past winters in the 70's and 80's when these Easterly set ups kept daytime temps at -3 or -4C and night time temps were -6 downwards. Then, when the snow hit every one had powder snow for days, with no snow melt. Anyone else remember??

i certainly remember the feb 91 event with 3 or 4 days of -4s and -5s during the day. This spell does have time to get more potent, but so far it is not that harsh for london. i love watching the hype on tv, i just wish it was as bad as they say it is, for us!

Edited January 6, 2010 by jimmyay

[ickledoozer]

The road outside my house.

[Downpour]

i certainly remember the feb 91 event with 3 or 4 days of -4s and -5s during the day. This spell does have time to get more potent, but so far it is not that harsh for london. i love watching the hype on tv, i just wish it was as bad as they say it is, for us!

We have now had three falls of around 1" in Ealing, so certainly decent winter weather, but as you say, unless London gets a proper dump it cannot be called an epic cold spell!

[lizzieloo202]

I think you will find that Kent is the exception. Large areas of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex have over 20cm of snow. Certainly not bog standard !

Indeed it's just sour grapes.

"If it's not happening here, in my street it's not happening"

[Tom D]

i certainly remember the feb 91 event with 3 or 4 days of -4s and -5s during the day. This spell does have time to get more potent, but so far it is not that harsh for london. i love watching the hype on tv, i just wish it was as bad as they say it is, for us!

I think you'd find that was an exceptional winter no matter when it occured. Conditions were probably perfect on the continent (cold and wet). This event has been somewhat less cold and drier but by no means a usual winter spell. Go a bit further north and into Scotland and this is an exceptional winter so far.

[kold weather]

Agreed about those depths - the nose just says 'no'. Moderate snow here, wettish variety, blowing about a bit in a strengthening wind that looks very much south of east at the moment. Sleet would depress me too - feel for you Kold, you sound mighty fed up; the only kind of 'fed up' that snow disappointment can bring!

Just the way it goes sometimes. I don't actually feel all that bad though because as I said I'm heading to Guildford where they've had a FOOT of snow, so should still be all of that left tomorrow so I will see that sort of level of snow, just maybe not in my own backyard...

The thing is as well, my area has been lucky for this region, we probably got 2cms and caught the eastern edge of the snow...some places just to my east have barely a dusting!

[Southender]

OMG. Pic of the day. That is what we are all craving. Congrats and enjoy.

Edited January 6, 2010 by LeighShrimper

[simon65]

all the tv hype makes money ! they love a bit of drama but theres allways a button you can push to switch it off lol as for me ,its fun and some people love it ,if they want to stand in a field with a tv camera so be it ,the saying that comes to mind is "the bigger fool looks on "

Current data for Linslade

06 January 2010 11:52:27

Temperature (°C):

Current 0.9

Trend (per hour) +0.8

Average today -0.8

Wind chill 0.9

Humidex -1.5

Dew Point -1.2

Rel Humidity 86%

Wind (mph):

Current Gust 3.8 E

Average Speed 0.7 SSW

Pressure (mb):

Current 1003.1

Trend (per hour) +0.3

Edited January 6, 2010 by simon65

[mispy]

About 12 cm of snow now in Borehamwood - 7 cm of that have fallen in the last couple of hours. It's brightened up and the snow has eased off a bit now - just small flakes falling. Temperature reading 0.1 but my thermometer has been reading that constantly for the last 36 hours...(!)

Not sure from the radar where this afternoons snow showers are meant to come from? Are they expected from the blob of precipitation currently in the north sea?

Mispy

[Blackie]

Yeah right!

My version below...

East of England:

Southend-on-Sea

Thurrock

Light Sleet 1100 Wed 6 1800 Wed 6

Further outbreaks of sleet will turn heavy through today giving no accumulations and make the ground wet. This will cause widespread wrist slashing and shortages in Prozac supplies.

The South Essex public are advised to take extra doses of Prozac and refer to the Samaritans for further advice.

Issued at: 1134 Wed 6 Jan

lol, like it LS. I can't believe how that front got so close last night and then pivoted away from us just as it got to the Thames Estuary, leaving sleet and a few wet snowflakes. And then the streamer this morning set up just to the north of us, again giving just a few flakes, and now seems to have lost all its energy. Not doing anything here at the moment.

I'm not moaning, though. It is great to see others have had some spectacular snowfall, and it really does prove that even in the era of the so-called m*dern winter (unlucky to say it out loud), you still can get some surprising events. Our turn may yet come, perhaps over the weekend if not later today or tomorrow.

Its probably because your a little further inland then where I am on this sort of flow, a ESE wind usually makes it very marginal here and raises temps...this is quite honestly a little depressing, the only good thing is I've got a chance to see some proper snowfall depths tomorrow, its the only thing keeping me going lol!

Hi Darren - that is unusually downbeat of you. And you say you are going to see your girlfriend in Guildford, but the only thing keeping you going is the chance to see some proper snowfall! I bet she'd love reading that!!

[jojobut]

Stopped snowing in Burgess Hill now

Temp 1.0

Dew -0.3

Ok snowing again now! lol

Edited January 6, 2010 by jojobut

[Ocean Transit]

Firm agreement now of the end of the cold spell coming for the South-East:

http://www.meteogroup.co.uk/uk/home/weather/services/ensemble_forecast.html

Still a week away though

[Upgrade]

We have now had three falls of around 1" in Ealing, so certainly decent winter weather, but as you say, unless London gets a proper dump it cannot be called an epic cold spell!

yes, i agree i tis a good cold spell but not epic until we have 9 inches in central london.

[Downpour]

Bizarrely the N24 forecast has just forecast heavy snow for pretty much the whole London area this afternoon, main dump at 1500. Does anyone believe this, can verify it?

They said up to 10cm. I just can't see anything like that amount although I guess they think they are on to something.

[Southernman]

Stopped snowing in Lowesoft.

[Timmytour]

Just light snow now. Thought it got very heavy a few minutes ago looking at a reflection of my window but I think it was lumps falling off the telephone wires! However the lines remain coated with the stuff for the most part!

[bunny1972]

next to nothing here yet again and radar looks terrible so so annoying

[damp patch]

Browsed these forums for ages and thought it time to contribute.........

Not seen many updates from those in Kent this morning - here, nr Lenham ( between Ashford & Maidstone ) we had some fairly heavy snow for an hour or so late yesterday evening which added to the snow we had from previous occasional falls. Estimate around 5 cm's lying at the mo.

Its has been snowing lightly with the occasional heavier burst for most of this morning - which has been a little suprising given the bbc forecasts for here this morning.

Hoping for some further addition later and then perhaps more likely over the weekend once we hopefully start getting some convective stuff - always great in this part of Kent with an E or NE feed.

Current temp around 1.3c and its been aboove freezing here since late yesterday - and yet no sign of any melt.

edit - snow heavier again now

[yukichon]

Just see the N24 forecast which said to expect a further 10cm for areas north of london from the front pushing south ????