London & Se Cold Spell Discussion

[Paul Sherman]

Whoops Extremely Heavy now and Settling everywhere - You seeing this people in the Southend Area Whiteout! LOL

[pureasthedriven]

Must add a note of praise for the much lambasted GFS here - it signalled higher uppers and the start of a breakdown from the intense cold midweek some considerable time ago - a time, it must also be said, when the ECM was showing snowmageddon scenarios and being hailed, along with the UKMO, as the best model to follow during Euro blocking. Well, assuming the GFS is broadly right of course, it's been the 'winner' on this occasion in my view.

Back to here, last night and today never looked plausible to me, that NE/NNEly flow has been like a train on a straight track and was always going to deliver very locally to the usually favoured areas of Kent. I have bits of pieces here in the wind in NW Kent with a grumpy sky that promises nowt - let's hope Steve M's glint of optimism delivers later. A rather unpleasant week in store I would imagine; cold, dank, damp and windy. Certainly won't feel much milder. Worth keeping an eye out for mid-late month though - current positioning is wrong but that's one hell of a siberian high the GFS develops.

[Lazarus]

Langdon Bay down to 0C as the winds swings to an ENEasterly! :lol:

http://www.metoffice...her_graphs.html

Edited January 10, 2010 by Lazarus

[Weatherwatcher]

Yes a good sign that the temp is edging down at Manston in Kent as the flow there has turned towards the east. Lower dew points should be arriving soon.

Interesting that you say this Nick. Light snow currently falling, and not immediately melting, unlike a few hours ago.

[ChartViewer]

LOL- yes even more ironic if the Kent snow all melted & it snowed heavy in South Essex & NW KENT + london....

Wheres the irony smiley.....

S

Also interesting as Temps have dropped to 2 Dewpoint is -1 WChill -3

Need those temps to drop a bit more....Would love a bit of irony today Steve after last night :lol:

[SMU]

Back to here, last night and today never looked plausible to me, that NE/NNEly flow has been like a train on a straight track and was always going to deliver very locally to the usually favoured areas of Kent. I have bits of pieces here in the wind in NW Kent with a grumpy sky that promises nowt - let's hope Steve M's glint of optimism delivers later. A rather unpleasant week in store I would imagine; cold, dank, damp and windy. Certainly won't feel much milder. Worth keeping an eye out for mid-late month though - current positioning is wrong but that's one hell of a siberian high the GFS develops.

it will probably feel colder in that damp air-

I would rather -5 surface DRY air than =2c damp air with a breeze!!!

Still a few random flakes here in Eltham--probably all the way from leigh on Sea-

Im expecting a couple of snow showers here today- mainly for entertainment value other than anything else-

S

[Don]

However, the suggested regime of 1 to 3C day and night though is going to erode the snow cover quite steadily. Hopefully some clearer less cloudy air will move in from the east and be picked up by the forecasters who seem to be playing catch up atm

Lets hope so, because the way things are going today with the gradual thaw, I feel that my area will have lost pretty much all lying snow come Wednesday!

[pureasthedriven]

it will probably feel colder in that damp air-

I would rather -5 surface DRY air than =2c damp air with a breeze!!!

All day long; likely to feel extremely unpleasant, I'd imagine.

Ps, friend of mine currently reporting rain in Swanley.

Edited January 10, 2010 by pureasthedriven

[Snowblower]

Just had another moderate snow shower that's four in the last two hours

Temp now at 0.8c

[tomavenell]

steady thaw here. Still half a foot (sounds better than 8") though where it hasnt been walked on so cant really moan.

[SussexmarkyMark]

I see the netweather homepage is still showing an 'alert' for today right through to 23:59 for heavy snow, with a 90% confidence level. Surely that cannot be right !

[SteveCoops]

Is that a band of snow I see incoming on the radar?

[Glideslope]

Whoops Extremely Heavy now and Settling everywhere - You seeing this people in the Southend Area Whiteout! LOL

yep quite nice fluffy flakes too, temps 1/0c at the airport.

regards,

Steve

[biddie]

lightly snowing here

[SussexmarkyMark]

steady thaw here. Still half a foot (sounds better than 8") though where it hasnt been walked on so cant really moan.

How can 6 inches (half a foot) sound better than 8 inches ? lol

[Discombobulation Man]

The Shafernaker Snizzard is here! We can be proud that us lot on the forum spotted last nights disaster long before any of the agencies new what was going on

The milder air mass is mixing out now and the -5c upper air should start to kick in and peg those temps down. My tiny straw that I've been clutching all week for this location is still there for tonight!

We're still in a damn NNE wind at this end of the Estuary We've had 5 days of misery watching all the good stuff get steered to our SE but that wind will swing round to direct Easterly by tonight. Our window opens around 3pm today until midnight, possibly into monday.

The reason I say from 3pm to midnight is because that's when the wind strength up the Estuary is going to peak, after midnight it dies a death and falls slack, so much less chance of anything decent getting pushed into London, also the upper temps are still favourable at that time. Unfortunately GFS progs weak convection for the Estuary to coincide with the winds becoming favourable which isn't great but nevertheless, the tiny straw I've been clutching all week is still there!

[Kay]

Well, temperature here 2.6

Complete thaw in progress with our 6 inches of lying snow being eroded to around 2 inches already.

Pressure is stable with cloudy sky giving a very light flurry of incredibly wet snow/ sleet

Heres hoping for another about turn !!!

[kentishchris]

Suddenly we've been hit with a very heavy snow shower in Maidstone. i spent an hour clearing the drive and its completely covered over again!

[Lazarus]

Sandettie light vessel at 3C/-1C with a stiffish Easterly.

Isn't that lake effect territory with the land (and even coastal temp) dropping to 0C or thereabouts? Might the convection take the moisture from the warmer sea, up into cooler air aloft, turn to snow, start to fall.. evaporate at first over the land but all the time dropping the boundary layer's temp until it can eventually reach the ground?

Edited January 10, 2010 by Lazarus

[tomavenell]

How can 6 inches (half a foot) sound better than 8 inches ? lol

Thats what i meant

[Snowblower]

Moderate snow falling again

Temp still at 0.8c

Edited January 10, 2010 by Snowblower

[Glideslope]

Is the wind direction on the turn slightly now ...??

regards,

Steve

[SussexmarkyMark]

Light snow again in Brighton, but nothing on the radar. Temperature now at 1.2c

[nick sussex]

The last 24 hrs have been dismal for the ukmo. Why don't they update the presenters on the bbc in line with current events rather than sticking to the wrong line!

[dubmuffin]

If we do get a surprise dumping during the evening, I will be pleased of course, but what a shame as it's back to work tomorrow - I was so looking forward to actually getting snow on a weekend