North West Cold Spell Discussion

[John_T]

-10.8c here. In regard to the fog which some people are reporting, I understand that when the famous -27.2c was reached in Braemar in 1982 it was foggy.

[SP1986]

there will be if it goes lower than the 850hPa temperature which I believe it's close to.

Generally the moors and highlands of the region are registering quite high temperatures.

[HotCuppa]

Never trust those BBC charts when they show precipitation, they seem to change them on an hourly basis, throwing up blobs of white on one forecast only for it to dissapear on the next, and they seem to be stuck on showing big white blobs hitting the Pennines and then just dissapearing or showers suddenly missing some areas but suddenly appearing again - there computer model doesn't seem to like Cumbria much at the moment showing bone dry weather and no chance of any precipitation.

As ever, watch out for short term developments with small trough features suddenly appearing in the next 48 hours. The snow band being shown for Sunday looks very odd, it seems to break in the middle with heavy stuff over N england and S England then lighter in the middle, yet the warnings are only for east england and at the same time temps are shown to be 3 degrees - there computer model for Sunday seems to have been corrupted.

Back to the here and now, very cold day I think we maxed at about -2 degrees after a low of -10 degrees. I note Shap was at -14 degrees a couple of hours ago, however, we may well have bottomed out so to speak with cloud building later in the night and some light snowfall in southern regions, indeed southern parts of the region are doing exceptionally snow wise at the moment, everything seems to just want to descend on the southern pennines.

I'm hoping we may catch a snow shower tomorrow night to give a bit of new cover, again Sunday shows the snow banging on our door but not getting any further, plenty of time for upgrades I feel on this, with snow risk building further north, those winds will certainly be strong enough to blow snow over the Pennines and with a more SE/E wind there will be less of a block preventing the snow from getting into the region especially in you live in the se of the region.

At the moment, I thinking along the lines of something we had before, which is mainly pennine districts will be hit, with snow becoming less frequent as travels wests towards us in the south of the region. I am still sceptical about the forecasts being banded about by the beeb in particular. Some things are just not adding up.

I can't see the temps being anywhere near +3C..I wonder where they plucked that number from? Baring in mind we still have quite a considerable amount of snow cover and even lower night time averages...so the question is where is this milder air suddenly coming from if the wind is a brisk and bitingly cold north easterly? I haven't seen anything that points to milder air especially in our region...maybe down in the south west by the coasts..but certainly not this far in land...also note the upper air temperatures.

[Backtrack]

-6c here, going misty - Can mist/fog melt snow?

Anyway -6.0c and down down down it goes!

[James M]

Some of you may have seen this before apologies, but take a look at this Nasa Sat image of the UK today!

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/2010007-0107/GreatBritain.A2010007.1150.500m.jpg

[cheshire snow]

Good evening from the frozen wastes of Manchester airport

Current reading here at 2250 -13c DP -16c

C.S

[HotCuppa]

-6c here, going misty - Can mist/fog melt snow?

Anyway -6.0c and down down down it goes!

Not at these temperatures I wouldnt think, wouldnt the water vapor just crystalize by the time it lands on the ground?

Current Temp -10.2C

Dewpoint -15.4C

LJLA -5.6C

DP -6C

Looks like LJLA as bottomed out, it may drop again tho since its been stuck at this temp for the past hour

*Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Edited January 7, 2010 by HotCuppa

[Osbourne One-Nil]

'Up' to -10.8C now. I can only imagine some high cloud's come in because it's still dead-calm, but checking would mean getting up, and I can't be bothered.

[James M]

there will be if it goes lower than the 850hPa temperature which I believe it's close to.

Generally the moors and highlands of the region are registering quite high temperatures.

That's true I notice Emley Moor is only -4C, here it's still only -9.1C and holding steady.

Edited January 7, 2010 by James M

[Backtrack]

Not at these temperatures I wouldnt think, wouldnt the water vapor just crystalize by the time it lands on the ground?

Current Temp -10.2C

Dewpoint -15.4C

Certainly bloody hope so!!

[martinj2]

Garston has hit -8.3C right by the Mersey and its still dropping quite fast there too. But then it is the coldest spot in Liverpool. Hope they got the gritters out there..by all accounts the roads there was treacherous yesterday.

Yet West Allerton wund is only showing -5.4C, I'm getting-6.5C

[Hail Seizer]

-6.3 here in Wavertree, and dropping like a stone. Fully expecting a double figure minus tonight.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Hail Seizer

[Backtrack]

Temp gone from -6.2c to -6.1c - So expecting another 0.4c drop, and minus 7 in an hour or so.

[HotCuppa]

Yet West Allerton wund is only showing -5.4C, I'm getting-6.5C

I think that Garston is lower down than West Allerton that and I believe some sort of inversion is going on to create such high minima's.

[martinj2]

Some of you may have seen this before apologies, but take a look at this Nasa Sat image of the UK today!

http://rapidfire.sci...7.1150.500m.jpg

That is SO cool

Edited January 7, 2010 by martinj2

[thewirral]

-7.3 here

[HotCuppa]

Temp gone from -6.2c to -6.1c - So expecting another 0.4c drop, and minus 7 in an hour or so.

I think you meant it was -6.1C and as climbed to -6.2C

Garston seems to have also bottomed out..so whatever is causing it, started by Runcorn as is working its way down towards Liverpool..Runcorn Hit first, then LJLA and now Garston. Something odd is happening on the Mersey lol

Edited January 7, 2010 by HotCuppa

[Backtrack]

I think you meant it was -6.1C and as climbed to -6.2C

Nope - Infact it's now -6.0c - It's because of a breeze, in order for the temp to go down, it must first rise a little here.

[John_T]

I think you meant it was -6.1C and as climbed to -6.2C

Or 6.1c and has fallen to -6.2c

Edited January 7, 2010 by John_T

[Weather-history]

Foggy here at -13.9C

[martinj2]

Fiddlers Ferry pumping out massive steam plumes tonight-looks like they are heading over Runcorn way.

[HotCuppa]

Foggy here at -13.9C

Got some Mist here, not foggy as such yet..though I imagine it will be soon enough.

[karyo]

Some cloud has appeared to my east, towards the Pennines. I expect the temperature in Manchester to rise a little in the next half an hour.

Karyo

[HotCuppa]

Garston -8.4C Fog

Liverpool Airport now reporting -7.3C Fog

Temp here -10.5C Mist

Edited January 7, 2010 by HotCuppa

[damianslaw]

I just can't wait until Saturday when I can get away into the lakeland fells and explore the wonderful winter wonderland on my doorstep. Reports of 100cm of snow on Helvellyn and general 80cm cover - great depths indeed. Hoping to see some frozen lakes will be interesting to see where and what thickness it is on the likes of Rydal and Grasmere and how much ice there is on Derwent Water and Thirlmere, but it takes exceptional cold for Windermere to start to freeze.

However, I'm not expecting the blue skies of recent days, shame to be at the work the hills these past few days have looked simply stunning, doesn't get much better for deep winter wonderland scenes.