Very Unusual

[berometer]

Just had a look out and there is a fairly hard frost bthis morning this is the latest i've ever know there to be a frost in this part of the country. Anyone else had tha frost this morning?

[SteveB]

Not here with the temp currently 5.0c

But looking at the latest UK lowest temps, there a few that are around -1 to -2c

[frostyjoe]

We had frost last night at -3c but not tonight it was too cloudy we are scheduled for 5-6c max today with wintery showers!!!

[Guest]

Just had a look out and there is a fairly hard frost bthis morning this is the latest i've ever know there to be a frost in this part of the country. Anyone else had tha frost this morning?

Where do you live though? You could always pop your location into your profile to give us a clue if it is unusual or not!

[Thundery wintry showers]

Many places had air frosts in the Mays of 1995, 1996, 1997 and again in 2005, so I don't think it's that unusual.

May 2001- generally a warm dry sunny month- had widespread ground frosts at times in the first week and scattered occurrences of air frosts.

[Weather-history]

Nasty frost last night here for mid to late April

-3C at Woodford and a grass minimum of -9C

[jethro]

I don't think it's that unusual to get frost at this time of year, we've just become used to it not happening so much in recent years. Horticultural advice is and has always been to not plant tender/non frost hardy plants in the garden until mid-late May, once the risk of frost has gone.

[johnholmes]

Just had a look out and there is a fairly hard frost bthis morning this is the latest i've ever know there to be a frost in this part of the country. Anyone else had tha frost this morning?

hi ber

we have no idea where you are?

pop your nearest town in your avatar please

[Terminal Moraine]

An air frost here last night but it's not that unusual at this time of year, even for a place which is not at all susceptible to late frost. Any air frost here after May 10th would be very unusual and in the local valleys after May 25th.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

We reached -2.0º last night.

In 2005 the latest air-frost was March 22nd, but in 2001, we had one as late as June 2nd, but they normally happen around now.

2009 - April 22nd

2008 - May 20th

2007 - April 7th

2006 - April 24th

2005 - May 17th

2004 - March 22nd

2003 - April 22nd

2002 - May 11th

2001 - June 2nd

2000 - April 15th

1999 - April 17th

[Snowyowl9]

GFS had mins of -1c last night but got 0.2c, 5c higher to what I have seen in 1995 same time.

Tonight will be colder under the high so 1c up on GFS mins say,winds will drop.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rtavn1817.png

[SP1986]

It was +5C minimum last night, air frost is very rare to almost none existent in Wirral in May, Last air frost on average is around late March to Early April

[peterf]

GFS had mins of -1c last night but got 0.2c, 5c higher to what I have seen in 1995 same time.

Tonight will be colder under the high so 1c up on GFS mins say,winds will drop.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rtavn1817.png

i never rule it out here until the last week of may.many a year the tattie tops turn black in the afternoon sun.

[Snowyowl9]

Indeed Peterf although about May 20th is the cut off date here for late air frosts.

Don`t have to go that far back for 2 air air frosts in May 2005 10th/11th under a high.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/2005/Rrea00120050511.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/2005/Rrea00220050511.gif

We just don`t get cold like we use to in april though.

[reef]

We've not had an air frost later than 26th April here since 1979. May air frosts are pretty rare in this location and require an almost perfect setup.

Theres not been an air frost in the second half of April since 1998 either, theres been a definite trend on average of the last frost getting earlier over the years. It has been no doubt helped by the distinct lack of cool/cold April and Mays.

[TonyH]

Of the last 14 nights here:

12 ground frosts

6 air frosts

-2c a few times.

April frosts very common here, May frosts also quite common.

[Summer of 95]

Can't recall a totally frostfree April here- even 2007 had a couple with its clear skies. In May is rare, but certainly not unheard of. There was a run of frosts in the second week of May 1995, and a couple at the same time in 2005. October is the month when frost was once common but now seems very rare.

[Guest North Sea Snow Convection]

The appearance of frost the second half of April is as unremarkable as a series of warmer than average April CET's that is made into something much more remarkable than it should ever justify

[damianslaw]

Frosts in late April in Lake District valleys and more generally low ground here in this part of Cumbria is nothing unexceptional, the odds are that we are just as likely to see an air frost now as we are in late October.

The odds do decrease markedly as we move through May, but it isn't normally until the middle of May when those chances relly begin to wane.

By early June the chance of a night below 0 degrees becomes very slim but not out of the question. Generally speaking I tend to think of mid May as the cut off date for when the chances of an air frost become much more marginal.

Current synoptics are what you need for widespread nationwide air frost, a cold surface high pressure and little wind, high pressure in recent Aprils has tended to be synonimous with warmer surface air, hence the absence of frosts later in the month.

[cyclonic happiness]

what's more unusual I think, isthe lack of any march winds and any april showers?

I miss both but then this is the "post even larger teapot era".

[Andy Bown]

A succession of mins between 1.2c and 1.8c this week with ground frost every morning.

Of the last 14 nights here:

12 ground frosts

6 air frosts

Not wishing to be picky, but how does that add up?

[AderynCoch]

The two can easily coincide.

[MP-R]

He means of the last 12 frosts, 6 of them have been cold enough to have an air frost as well as a ground frost.

[Snowyowl9]

Got to -0.7c last night coldest night since March 11th would you believe.

[Weather-history]

7 of the last 8 nights here have resulted in an air frost, which for April is a little bit unusual.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Mr_Data