London & South East Cold Spell Discussion

[Paul Sherman]

Ed

Yes I dont think we will get Mild for a Long time tbh, but days on end of Cold Slate Grey SouthEasterlies is depressing esp in January and that is the reality for us as the Low Pressure's attack affecting the SW & Midlands during the middle of next week, wether we get that reload is the Million Dollar question, but I dont doubt we will get a few more shots at the proper Easterly before March is out!

Regards

Paul S

[Barometric]

Excellent post from Steve M.

And yes, the jackpot zone is exactly where you mention after driving around N Kent over the last day or so. Somewhere between Charing/Challock and Detling has some incredible depths, however its now all filling the country lanes as there is precious little on the fields!!!!

I have hit it lucky here this time nr Sittingbourse (and pretty much at sea level), which makes up for the failed event from Feb last year when the wind was too 'easterly' and you guys in SE London and Surrey got pasted.

This event has been a far cry from the marginal rubbish here last Feb.

We have had a week of snow (falling and on the ground) which has (albeit for a few hours) been powdery.

Pretty much rivals the 2005 event of Feb and Early March for falling snow but 2010 has delivered far more snowfall and less melt between falls.

Even if it were all to end tonight, I would have had my fill of snow for winter 2009/2010 and some.

James

[nick sussex]

Yes

Pretty much agree with Steve here, we have had some amazing 1980's style Synoptics but the Wind direction has screwed over 85% of the South East Population, and when the wind does finally get to the east (If ever) then it shifts pretty sharply to the South East and we get a dry Continental Feed and grey skies!

I was going to (and still am) start a thread next week entitled "How was it for you" seeing as we are having a prolonged Cold Spell and not 2 days of Snow and Temps of +5 Melting our Snow before Lunchtime.

Mine is Nowhere near 1987, 1991, 1986, 1979 and even the Snow on Thur 17th & Fri 18th December was better than this when we topped out at 17cm in one hit, we even had Thundersnow from proper Convective Showers (This due to the fact the wind was actually ENE In the Estuary for 10hrs)

Even 8th January 2004 was better than this with 15cm of Snow on that lovely Thursday Morning Snowstorm!

Not a rant just missed opportunities and time is slipping away

Paul S

Yes it just goes to show what a difference there is between a ne and ene flow for the SE, I did mention yesterday it wasn't an active front but more a prolonged period probably of lighter snow to be expected generally, but even i thought it would be a little more substantial than whats been on offer so far this evening. That upper warm front would have been better not showing up at all as thats brought a veil of cloud killing convection.

Some places could still end up though with a few cms as its likely hang around for quite a while but i think the ukmo warnings and the media in general have overplayed tonights events. Having said all this though it's still been quite an exceptional cold spell in terms of longevity. For down here in France some unbelievable scenes towards the Med, to my west they've been cross country skiing on the beaches in San Sebastian, Spain! And here its been bitterly cold with a good cover of snow, in fact I've seen more snow here than I ever did living in Sussex! although i think i missed out recently seeing as inland areas of West Sussex did very well!

As SM says there needs to be another reload from the east to deliver more snow for the se although of course still some uncertainty as to how far north any precip will get from that shortwave midweek.

Edited January 9, 2010 by nick sussex

[DanDan]

I have to agree and also with Mr Murrs post too. Unless something has gone drastically wrong with the weather. I remember the guy Joe B from Accuweather saying the UK was going to get the mother of all snowstorms last Sunday then having to backtrack a few days later, I sense the same happening with our own forecasters and yet Francis Wilson on Sky was forecasting this snow it like the BBC were earlier... unless of course they know something that isnt apparent to others. If so we will wake tomorrow to the forecasted centimetres nationwide however at the moment it seems the party is over for now... who's got the hoover! Im off down the pub!

Make mine a cider! Or snowball ?ha!

[Nick.F]

Maybe it's this lot coming!!

German Blizzard

Get your steel helmets out.

Yes been watching that for a couple of hours now, just not sure that it is either noteworthy precipitation wise, or going to head to the places that seem to be touted by the somewhat overblown TV forecasts in recent hours.

It does seem to show however, that the Netweather radar and Buienradar.nl has some major shortcomings in coverage that far across the North Sea.

However, there are always surprises. I am off to go read some german weather/news forums to see what they are saying. As the TV tonight is sh*t! As normal.

[Snowdays]

I have to agree and also with Mr Murrs post too. Unless something has gone drastically wrong with the weather. I remember the guy Joe B from Accuweather saying the UK was going to get the mother of all snowstorms last Sunday then having to backtrack a few days later, I sense the same happening with our own forecasters and yet Francis Wilson on Sky was forecasting this snow it like the BBC were earlier... unless of course they know something that isnt apparent to others. If so we will wake tomorrow to the forecasted centimetres nationwide however at the moment it seems the party is over for now... who's got the hoover! Im off down the pub!

I personally don't understand why Francis Wilson is so rated as a forcaster. I can remember literally countless times when his forecasts have hyped up snow events and we've had bugger all.

[SMU]

I have to agree and also with Mr Murrs post too. Unless something has gone drastically wrong with the weather. I remember the guy Joe B from Accuweather saying the UK was going to get the mother of all snowstorms last Sunday then having to backtrack a few days later, I sense the same happening with our own forecasters and yet Francis Wilson on Sky was forecasting this snow it like the BBC were earlier... unless of course they know something that isnt apparent to others. If so we will wake tomorrow to the forecasted centimetres nationwide however at the moment it seems the party is over for now... who's got the hoover! Im off down the pub!

Whan they forecast 5 inches of snow- they omitted to tell everyone the raw output concentrated that on an area the size of 15 Square miles in North Kent & some of the Downs-

This is the whole problem with media forecasts-....

Another year or so & im going to find myself the highest hill / mountain in north/central Kent & build another hill on top of that- finally building a 20 story apartment to rent it out to the residents of Leigh on Sea, Thurrock & Bexleyheath- I should have enough candidates to house from here alone....

S

[Nick.F]

I think you'll find large areas of Sussex, including here in Brighton, also have plebty of snow

And areas of Essex outside of that 10 mile strip of coast, have much lower totals too.

[Suttonian]

Isn't this just the starter - I thought the mains were the early hours of Sunday ?

I think not cant see where its suddenly going to develop from not now... the radar returns just seem to fizzle out. Unless something unexpected happens I think we have to face it and enjoy what some of us have already got and look forward to next time........

[Snowdays]

I think you'll find large areas of Sussex, including here in Brighton, also have plebty of snow

Apologies. Kent, Essex,...and Sussex.

[Downpour]

If we could build a giant conveyor belt you could all have some of our snow, we've got plenty up here and it's now been on the ground since 17th Dec!

What makes it sadder for you all is that there is a weather warning out for here for tomorrow night into Monday for up to 30cm more.

Btw, strange sights up here not seen for years. Every building has a curtain of huge(and growing) curtain of icicles round the gutterings, very Alpine.

Anyway, hope you get what's been promised over the next few days, I almost feel guilty.

Karl

No worries karl. Thanks for the post, on my way up to Newcastle on thursday to visit the inlaws, then off to the lakes over the weekend with the good lady. Knowing my luck, I won't be able to drive the a69 due to yet more snow up there and will end up stuck with the mother in law!!

[The Giant Daddy Jackpot]

I personally don't understand why Francis Wilson is so rated as a forcaster. I can remember literally countless times when his forecasts have hyped up snow events and we've had bugger all.

I think he spends too much time with the skirt presenters in the coffee bar.

[staplehurst]

OK the past few GFS runs have been showing this.

Snow continuing in Kent/East Sussex in particular all night and affecting coastal Essex, Suffolk and later Norfolk.

Outbreaks of light snow develop over the SW and south Wales tomorrow morning, and across the Midlands and the rest of Wales during the afternoon, heavy on the hills by evening. This leaves a rather large hole over most the Home Counties, including London, and parts of central southern England away from the south coast. This is how I feel things are going, but I hope I am wrong for you guys

Admittedly the snow looks lighter on the radar now compared to earlier.

Edited January 9, 2010 by staplehurst

[West Sussex Kate]

I think you'll find large areas of Sussex, including here in Brighton, also have plebty of snow

If we had anymore snow fall here I dont think we would really notice, given how much we've got on the ground.

[Brassmonkeylily]

Well Im giving it to 22:30 tonight on radar watch then calling it a day- although I already know its game set & match-

The problem here isnt what the weathers done its the expectation brought about by TV forecasters ( met ones) who are not given enough time to properly convey a message to the audience- & so like a heard of lemmings the general public refer to the MET office site- for warning which quite frankly is an un-usable shambles-

This Easterly- or shall I say North easterly has been for the Majority pretty dry as the curvature of the isolines is such that the flow suits the extreme east of Essex, a small strip of Central Kent & parts of East + west Sussex-

We could have made this very easy at the start, & said pretty much faversham up to Gravesend & areas all points SW- along the compass - Plus the SE corner of essex- Felixstowe to Ipswich-

Tonight will be a case of the meek watch in envy as the rich get richer-

Ive mentioned sittingbourne about 5/6 times now each day & had Ashford originally as my Jackout zone- both have varified with snow now exceeding 30cms in some locations- & when all said & done somewhere will have 40/45cm-

Sadly the sliding scale of snow locally to these areas isnt uniform, its at very sharp gradient- so drive out of sittingbourne 10 miles wither way- ( more especially west) & you go from 12 inches to 2/3-

Its a pity because in terms of cold its been the best for years & would have delivered for so many more people had the wind been a bit more westerly vectored-

As for the longivity now- I think we have a chance of snow moving in from the SW in 3 days time, the likley hood is though it will be away towards Hampshire/ dorset & we will be dry-

That leaves us *Potentially* with another 8-10 days of very cold surface air & snow Cover- but not much in the way of snow- very 1986 esque-

good for those in Kent as it will be a sledging fest-

Exciting- not really- abnormal yes-

We need a reload from the East to bring the threat of snow back........

S

Steve wow you really have thrown in the towel .. did not see that coming ....

[Essex Chelle]

Not far from you down in E ast London...We made GO GO Hamster Igloos

ha ha we have go go hamsters here - may let them run wild in the snow tomorrow!

[Downpour]

Apologies. Kent, Essex,...and Sussex.

It's all that same line of snow streaming through. Even the good old chilterns have missed out in recent days, I usually welcome a chilterns dumpi g as we in Ealing pick up a few cms from their dregs!

Whan they forecast 5 inches of snow- they omitted to tell everyone the raw output concentrated that on an area the size of 15 Square miles in North Kent & some of the Downs-

This is the whole problem with media forecasts-....

Another year or so & im going to find myself the highest hill / mountain in north/central Kent & build another hill on top of that- finally building a 20 story apartment to rent it out to the residents of Leigh on Sea, Thurrock & Bexleyheath- I should have enough candidates to house from here alone....

S

Lol. Cheers steve, keep the posts coming

[SMU]

Steve wow you really have thrown in the towel .. did not see that coming ....

Well, youve got to be realistic here, manage expectations as well- as i get the feeling theres a lot of people probably sitting there hoping for a magical band of heavy snow to appear off the french coast-

It isnt our 'time' this go round, but there is 10 weeks of potential snowy weather still available- maybe we get lucky then, maybe we get lucky Tues if the shortwave cuts a bit further NE- (unlike feb 96 where it stalled over West london & the shires)

We just have to grateful that we have enjoyed snow rather than endless mild weather....

S

[Neilsouth]

Maybe it's this lot coming!!

German Blitzzard

Get your steel helmets out.

Don't trust the radar!! , it should be snowing constantly over us according to the radar we've only had a few flakes...

[Vesuvius]

Persistent snow here but light

[Snowdays]

It's all that same line of snow streaming through. Even the good old chilterns have missed out in recent days, I usually welcome a chilterns dumpi g as we in Ealing pick up a few cms from their dregs!

Lol. Cheers steve, keep the posts coming

I'm still amazed at the variation in snow amounts between here and outer London. Here we have 3 inches, in Barnet theres 5, and in Watford (ok, not technically London but close) theres 6!!

[BarnetBlizzard]

Ive never seen one place (london) been so unlucky in all my life. D: D: D: D: D: D:

[Matty J]

Continues to snow very lightly here, nothing like we had this afternoon but still addding to the 5 inches or so on the ground. Temp up to 0.7c DP -2.

Matt.

[essex coast matt]

And areas of Essex outside of that 10 mile strip of coast, have much lower totals too.

around 7ins in clacton on sea, and i hear up to 9ins in weeley area about 5miles north of town, but its all blowing about now, jus light sleet at mo temp 1c dew 0

[Suttonian]

Whan they forecast 5 inches of snow- they omitted to tell everyone the raw output concentrated that on an area the size of 15 Square miles in North Kent & some of the Downs-

This is the whole problem with media forecasts-....

Another year or so & im going to find myself the highest hill / mountain in north/central Kent & build another hill on top of that- finally building a 20 story apartment to rent it out to the residents of Leigh on Sea, Thurrock & Bexleyheath- I should have enough candidates to house from here alone....

S

LOL lets face it the Met Office ramps it up, the press get hold of it ramp it up even further, people go mad and strip the shelves in the supermarkets, we run out of salt and for what? Lets hope tomorrow it was just a bad dream....