Scottish Cold Spell Discussion

[Cheggers]

'twas a polar low in March 2006 (I think - the snow in the pic in my profile) that gave us a foot of snow. We've been a bit snow deprived recently - being coastal we got mostly rain recently. A foot of snow would be a nice way to head into Spring, I think...

I take it your willing them towards you?

Did I not mention they are heading south??

Now now that's just teasing.

[Guest]

'twas a polar low in March 2006 (I think - the snow in the pic in my profile) that gave us a foot of snow. We've been a bit snow deprived recently - being coastal we got mostly rain recently. A foot of snow would be a nice way to head into Spring, I think...

A re-run of March 2006 would be amazing. Polar Low for up north then a huge dump across central Scotland. Can I just say that not only I am being extremely greedy even suggesting this it would also be no fun to have a huge dump of snow on top of what is still on the ground. So just a polar low for east coast and a huge dump of frontal snow for Ayrshire up to Edinburgh (via Cheggers).

[LadyPakal]

I take it your willing them towards you?

might be...

[Cheggers]

A re-run of March 2006 would be amazing. Polar Low for up north then a huge dump across central Scotland. Can I just say that not only I am being extremely greedy even suggesting this it would also be no fun to have a huge dump of snow on top of what is still on the ground. So just a polar low for east coast and a huge dump of frontal snow for Ayrshire up to Edinburgh (via Cheggers).

Don't think I remember March 2006, been to bed a few times since!

Not going to deny another dumping wouldn't go a miss.

[Northernlights]

A maximum of 3c here today and now back to -1c. A couple of photos to show remaining snow this morning 1st March 2010 at 100m asl when we had a temperature of -5c and still small snow showers coming in off the Firth in the distence. Just been confirmed by the Met Office that it is the coldest winter in Scotland since 1962-63. The countryside is really brown under the snow and many plants and grasses have been hit hard by the severe frosts without much snow cover at times. Will keep an eye on the the now topped up areas of deep Xmas snow still in the woods next to the farm. Will they make it till April?

[Guest]

Don't think I remember March 2006, been to bed a few times since!

Not going to deny another dumping wouldn't go a miss.

A lot of snow fell across Scotland in March 2006. Polar low up north early in the month (6th??) and then a full attack from the west on the 11th/12th.

I would actually not be upset if we don't get a dump of snow in the next week or so. I wouldn't say no to it; but we still have a huge amount of snow on the ground. I had to take MrsCatch to the RAH today and borrowed my parents' Shogun to get there. The underside of the car was scraping on the snow/ice going down their drive. If I get time later I will post up more pictures from the park in the sky (Glennifer Braes) which show the snow line really well.

A maximum of 3c here today and now back to -1c.

Hi NL, I hope all is well on the farm

Nice photos again; and something I notice in your photos which I was admiring when out and about today is the colour of the sky. It is simply beautiful. It has been really something this winter; the cold blue winter sky

[Northernlights]

Thanks for comments.

Any land work is out of the question for while until the ground thaws out and dies up and if this is not until April then the prssure is on as spring barley growth is day length driven and will only set a limited number of seeds if sown to late. Absolutely perfect growing conditions after sowing can help but we must not be tempted to sow into cold wet ground as this will lead to poor establishment and only sow into a dry warm seedbed. Animals are doing well in the lower humidity conditions we have now as less infections being carried around in the damp air.

[Cheggers]

A lot of snow fell across Scotland in March 2006. Polar low up north early in the month (6th??) and then a full attack from the west on the 11th/12th.

Ahhhhh, now I remember, trawled through my archive of piccies, and found this which was from March 2006.

Me in dodgy green Mac belly first down the bank

Edited March 1, 2010 by Cheggers

[Stuart Taylor]

Excellent big snow flakes falling in Coylton just now, will try and get a picture in a minute.

[Norrance]

Here are a couple of pictures I took up in Highland Perthshire yesterday. Was back up today in glorious sunshine but unfortunately forgot my camera.

All taken in Aberfeldy and up the Crieff road on Sunday. One is a loch but apart from being flat you can't tell.

Only one taken seems to have uploaded and unfortunately it is just of a recently cleared street in the town.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Norrance

[Stuart Taylor]

Winter's last hurrah?

Can't work out how to take decent pictures in the dark, I tried turning the flash off but that worked even worse.

Ach well, here they are. Not seen snowflakes this big in a long time.

[Ross B]

Nice pics Stu! You have to laugh, i'm missing that snow 5 miles to the south. I missed last weeks dumping of snow which hit 5 miles to the north!

[Norrance]

Tried a couple more. Unfortunately I am not too up on loading pictures.

I have to right click to open for some reason.

have loads more but looks like it might be too much trouble to upload.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Norrance

[LomondSnowstorm]

Winter 09/10 average for Scotland (provisional up to 24th considering downwards revisions are usually quite likely):0.24 °C

Winter 06/07 average: 4.34C

71/00 average:2.7C

62/63 average: 0.16C

Is a 0.08C revision downwards too much to ask?

Still, whatever happens, this has been the most incredible winter for persistance of snow and cold IMO. For this area it was really only about that famous spell which will go down in history as probably the coldest 28 days for a few hundred years - I think it probably eclipsed most of 62/63 in severity, but it was fast becoming a winter remembered for only one major cold spell until the last few days delivered something to rival the highland blizzard of 1978 (I have no idea if it beat it though, perhaps too marginal this time round nearer the coast). It never got mild though, and although the temperature reached 11C on one occasion in late January in bright sunshine after some rain from a southerly, on only one other occasion did it break the 6C threshold. I also cannot recall a winter with as many days with temperatures below freezing - I reckon that if you look at any 24 hour period you will find that at least two stations in Scotland got below freezing, something which seemed 18 months ago like merely a fantasy and not something which could ever occur again. In the context of the last two decades, particularly the last one which failed to see a sub-3C CET month, and the moderate-strong el nino which we were taught by some, though not GP whose main analogue was 65/66 I think, would mean a mild, atlantic dominated winter. In the end no one could have predicted the winter that followed. It will be talked about and built up for years to come - a '63 or '47 for my generation.

Truly an amazing time in my life.

Time to upload all my winter pictures methinks....

[Guest]

Nice pics Stu! You have to laugh, i'm missing that snow 5 miles to the south. I missed last weeks dumping of snow which hit 5 miles to the north!

I was out and about today and there wasn't much snow past about Dalry down your way. Got some cracking pics from the Glennifer Braes car park on the way down though.

[Norrance]

Winter 09/10 average for Scotland (provisional up to 24th considering downwards revisions are usually quite likely):0.24 °C

Winter 06/07 average: 4.34C

71/00 average:2.7C

62/63 average: 0.16C

Is a 0.08C revision downwards too much to ask?

Still, whatever happens, this has been the most incredible winter for persistance of snow and cold IMO. For this area it was really only about that famous spell which will go down in history as probably the coldest 28 days for a few hundred years - I think it probably eclipsed most of 62/63 in severity, but it was fast becoming a winter remembered for only one major cold spell until the last few days delivered something to rival the highland blizzard of 1978 (I have no idea if it beat it though, perhaps too marginal this time round nearer the coast). It never got mild though, and although the temperature reached 11C on one occasion in late January in bright sunshine after some rain from a southerly, on only one other occasion did it break the 6C threshold. I also cannot recall a winter with as many days with temperatures below freezing - I reckon that if you look at any 24 hour period you will find that at least two stations in Scotland got below freezing, something which seemed 18 months ago like merely a fantasy and not something which could ever occur again. In the context of the last two decades, particularly the last one which failed to see a sub-3C CET month, and the moderate-strong el nino which we were taught by some, though not GP whose main analogue was 65/66 I think, would mean a mild, atlantic dominated winter. In the end no one could have predicted the winter that followed. It will be talked about and built up for years to come - a '63 or '47 for my generation.

Truly an amazing time in my life.

Time to upload all my winter pictures methinks....

I have some records from 78/79 for Dundee and Pitlochry. For both this Winter was significantly colder in December but a bit milder in January and February. Pretty close overall but down on snow lying days.

The Highland blizzard of late January 1978 was far more devastating than the recent Highland snows mostly because of the high winds creating larger drifts. Up to 30 feet in places. My brother was stuck up in Speyside from the Saturday until the Wedenesday that week and only got South then by train. Others had to go round via Aberdeen to get back to Pertshire. This year however has a much deeper snow base on the hills than either 78 or 79.

[Hiya]

Winter 09/10 average for Scotland (provisional up to 24th considering downwards revisions are usually quite likely):0.24 °C

Winter 06/07 average: 4.34C

71/00 average:2.7C

62/63 average: 0.16C

Is a 0.08C revision downwards too much to ask?

Well firstly, obviously, there are 4 more days to factor in there, which I think were below average, so a chance there.

Secondly 0.08C over 3 months, with nearly 50 years between datasets is in my opinion getting close to the margin of error.

ie this winter was to all intents and purposes equal to 62/63 because there is too little between them in temperature to accurately tell the difference.

Some great photos on this thread today.

[LomondSnowstorm]

Well firstly, obviously, there are 4 more days to factor in there, which I think were below average, so a chance there.

Secondly 0.08C over 3 months, with nearly 50 years between datasets is in my opinion getting close to the margin of error.

ie this winter was to all intents and purposes equal to 62/63 because there is too little between them in temperature to accurately tell the difference.

Some great photos on this thread today.

Yes, 0.08C is pretty much nothing in the scheme of things, and even pretty much statistically insignificant in the annual global temperature averages. I'm going to post mine when I can be bothered to get all the cables to transfer photos from my phone and also my mum's camera to the computer and then attach them all.

LS

[Cheggers]

Going to be again -3 and dropping. Hills out the back look great in the moonlight, just wish it was brighter and higher up.

I take it the feature over the west has died away now, and the fabled polar lows are going no where near these shores?

EDIT: -4 NOW. :cold:

Edited March 1, 2010 by Cheggers

[Mondy]

-6.1 here @ midnight

[Hairy Celt]

Currently 1C and still; no ppn on Monday. Could really do with a thumping good thaw right now.

[GraemeB]

Stirling was -6 when I left this morning, and Glasgow was -4 when I arrived...

Clear sky's and an amazing low big moon...

It's days like this that I like....

:blink:

GFS now refusing to allow spring in..fair enough it's well into FI, however the Ensemblies are still showing a chilly outlook well into the second week - sub zero averages...

[Guest]

Stirling was -6 when I left this morning, and Glasgow was -4 when I arrived...

Clear sky's and an amazing low big moon...

It's days like this that I like....

:blink:

GFS now refusing to allow spring in..fair enough it's well into FI, however the Ensemblies are still showing a chilly outlook well into the second week - sub zero averages...

Morning Graeme :wacko:

Yet another hard frost here too. The snow is frozen so hard in places that I can stand on snow six inches deep and not even scratch the surface. I am a typical burly (fat) Scotsman, all 14st of me, so this is quite solid stuff!!

Edited March 2, 2010 by CatchMyDrift

[Guest]

Going to be :wacko: again -3 and dropping. Hills out the back look great in the moonlight, just wish it was brighter and higher up.

I take it the feature over the west has died away now, and the fabled polar lows are going no where near these shores?

EDIT: -4 NOW. :lol:

The feature that was over the west of Scotland has crossed southern Scotland and northern England and is currently off the east coast around the Hull/Grimsby area.

The PLs have fizzled out but the comma clouds associated with them are still there, just not heading for us. One of them is roughly east of Orkney at the moment. I didn't think the PLs would have headed for us anyway :blink:

Edited March 2, 2010 by CatchMyDrift

[Guest]

SatRep still keen on at least one comma being a polar low:

It's never going to trouble us, but still nice to see

When I walked BoyCatch round to school we were amazed to see how hard the snow/white ice is. "Harder than concrete and moon rock" was the verdict of a five year old The pavements are covered in a thick layer of snow/ice and any snow which did melt yesterday has just frozen into black ice. I don't know what the local record for met-o snow days in March is (average is 1-3 days according to their website), but I think it may be broken this month

I can't see the snow shifting quickly if the weather stays like this. There will still be snow patches in a fortnight unless we have 14C and lashing rain.