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Christmas 2010


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Posted
  • Location: Lochgelly - Highest town in Fife at 150m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and cold. Enjoy all extremes though.
  • Location: Lochgelly - Highest town in Fife at 150m ASL.

Hi Lomond! - tongue in cheek I know, but perhaps 40ft snowdrifts? I usually approach the winter thread full of optimism which is usually shot down in flames as the season progresses but this year I feel there is food for thought! If, and I say if, the gulf stream is still on the wain as many claim, then we could be in for something which we probably would not want to experience all that often! The NOAA charts at the moment are awe inspiring to say the least with regards to the interrupted flow of the gulf stream and what that could lead to in our neck of the woods, no? As ever, time will tell. Had a weeks holiday down in Devon this year and the weather was truly awful! So much so that I felt I had not had a holiday when I returned home. Luckily however, some friends who have a villa in Spain, asked me to join them for a few days and I cannot tell you the difference I felt after some constant sun and swimming! However, back to the real world and our climate! Compared to the rest of Britain it appears, last year for me was somewhat disappointing with regards to snowfall amounts. Hopefully, we will receive better synoptics which will penetrate our Fife snow dome once and for all! I live in hope.

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Posted
  • Weather Preferences: Cold and Snowy, Hot and Dry, Blizzard Conditions
  • Weather Preferences: Cold and Snowy, Hot and Dry, Blizzard Conditions

What would happen if the gulf straem was on the low(not very strong) and what effect would it have on our winter?

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Posted
  • Location: Lochgelly - Highest town in Fife at 150m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and cold. Enjoy all extremes though.
  • Location: Lochgelly - Highest town in Fife at 150m ASL.

What would happen if the gulf straem was on the low(not very strong) and what effect would it have on our winter?

Our lattitude is the same as Moscow and Newfoundland. It is the Gulf stream that keeps our climate warm in winter. It stands to reason that if it were effectively 'switched off'then we would experiece the same type of winters that they do - ie: cold.

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Posted
  • Location: Portishead
  • Location: Portishead

I shall give the most accurate Christmas day forecast available at the moment:

Temps between -2oc and 12oc

Overcast, partly cloudy or possibly clear,

Rain possible, along with sleet, snow or sun.

Frosty start, or even a mild start.

Santa may or may not turn up, but he will certainly drink the brandy.

I shall log back into this thread on Dec 10th, when it may start to become slightly more relevent!

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Our lattitude is the same as Moscow and Newfoundland. It is the Gulf stream that keeps our climate warm in winter. It stands to reason that if it were effectively 'switched off'then we would experiece the same type of winters that they do - ie: cold.

It's true that our winters would get a lot colder, but I doubt that they would get as cold as those of Moscow, because we would still have prevailing westerly winds blowing off a comparitively warm ocean.

We would probably see much colder drier winters than we are currently used to, with spells westerly winds quite often bringing sleet and snow events rather than rain. Another point to note is that summers would be much cooler and cloudier overall, with any kind of onshore wind having a greater tendency to bring in low cloud and drizzle.

However such an event is unlikely to happen until global temperatures have risen by enough to at least offset the resulting cooling. We'd thus most likely end up with slightly colder, drier winters and duller summers with cooler days offset by warmer nights.

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Posted
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs

It's true that our winters would get a lot colder, but I doubt that they would get as cold as those of Moscow, because we would still have prevailing westerly winds blowing off a comparitively warm ocean.

We would probably see much colder drier winters than we are currently used to, with spells westerly winds quite often bringing sleet and snow events rather than rain. Another point to note is that summers would be much cooler and cloudier overall, with any kind of onshore wind having a greater tendency to bring in low cloud and drizzle.

However such an event is unlikely to happen until global temperatures have risen by enough to at least offset the resulting cooling. We'd thus most likely end up with slightly colder, drier winters and duller summers with cooler days offset by warmer nights.

I think the climate could get colder than that of Moscow. Britain is surrounded by sea yes, but conditions allowing and temperatures cold enough ice would easily form down to iceland thus bringing colder air closer to the Uk, Also the north sea not being very deep compared to the atlantic, the irish sea also all have the capability of freezing in places hence this would greatly cool things down, but it's pointless saying all this really because I doubt very much atm that the gulf stream will just turn off over night. If it did we would be in a serious problem here, but that would not and should not happen :).

Christmas day is going to be mild with mild to warm snowflakes falling on a saturated ground of mulled wine and brandy :).

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Posted
  • Location: Bedworth, North Warwickshire 404ft above sea level
  • Location: Bedworth, North Warwickshire 404ft above sea level

Well the past few years we always seem to get a cold snap that only last as near as a couple of day before christmas then something always seems to go wrong and we end up mild, only for a return to cold weather at new year?!

Thing 'feel' better this year and I'm encouraged by alot of the signals anfter being led to believe by the powers that be that winters were forever more going to get warmer.

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Posted
  • Location: W. Northants
  • Location: W. Northants

It was a White Christmas here last year. There was a light covering of snow over the garden and lawn (all-be-it gradually thawing) all day. And when I went outside at about 2am on Christmas morning it was actually snowing, lightly.

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Posted
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs

Yes there was snow around here christmas day too from snowfall earlier on in the week allbe it it melted by boxing day when it turned slightly milder only to be offset within a few days of heavy heavy snow which settled most of january was great :drinks:

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Posted
  • Location: Crossgates, Leeds. 76m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Temperatures ≤25ºC ≥10ºC.
  • Location: Crossgates, Leeds. 76m ASL

Last year was the closest i've known it get to a ye olde White Christmas that your Grandparents told you about.

Hopefully this year we will see the weather turn suitably seasonal too....

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Posted
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs
  • Location: Dwyrain Sir Gâr / Eastern Carmarthenshire 178m abs

Is this thread seriously trying to predict the weather on one specific day about 3 1/2 months away !!

Dim o gwbl, Not at all :whistling:. I think it's just a bit of light hearted fun, we can all debate and talk about the future forecast and reminisce in the good old days that we remember of past christmases :).

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Posted
  • Location: Truro, Cornwall
  • Weather Preferences: Winter - Heavy Snow Summer - Hot with Night time Thunderstorms
  • Location: Truro, Cornwall

Some people take this far too seriously. Its clearly all a bit of fun at this stage so enjoy the ride :)

Edited by Blizzards
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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

We've not had a very mild Christmas Day for awhile. The last one here was 2003 with a max of 11.1C

In Cleadon the max was 13C that day (I can't remember the exact figure, would have to check my records) but despite that it was dull all day. Ironically just three days earlier we'd had thundersnow.

It's been mentioned by others before, there's been a notable spate of cold Christmasses recently, starting around 1993, perhaps even more noteworthy than the frequent cold Christmasses of the 1950s and 1960s given the overall warming trend.

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Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset

2002 was by far the mildest I've ever experienced - it felt more like Easter with sunshine at first and a high of 15C! That of course dropped when it began raining later in the day.

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2004 still the last time Birmingham had a white Christmas, though did come close last year with some heavy snow during the evening of Dec 23 (albeit rather slushy stuff lol). Would love to have a white Christmas this year, but wouldn't be disappointed if it was instead crisp, cold and sunny.

I can't see Xmas this year being as good as Xmas last year. A max of 1C, a min of -7C and snow showers through the day.

We are due a hideous warm and wet Xmas day...just so long as January is cold :)

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Posted
  • Location: N.E. Scotland South Side Moray Firth 100m asl
  • Location: N.E. Scotland South Side Moray Firth 100m asl

Best memory of last Christmas was my kids one of whom is in her twenties and the other who is eighteen and just a year on from a kidney transplant sledging on 7 inches of powder snow on Christmas Eve. Don"t think this Christmas will be quite so magical but you never know as I feel we have been on a cooling trend these past 4 winters and it may continue

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Best memory of last Christmas was my kids one of whom is in her twenties and the other who is eighteen and just a year on from a kidney transplant sledging on 7 inches of powder snow on Christmas Eve. Don"t think this Christmas will be quite so magical but you never know as I feel we have been on a cooling trend these past 4 winters and it may continue

You'll be happy so long as your farm is ok and I would have to agree with that sentiment NL. It was a right struggle for you last winter, one which all of us on the Scottish thread followed and felt for you. Good luck to you this winter, we're all here thinking about the people like you who keep us going :) :)

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Posted
  • Location: Stanwell(south side of Heathrow Ap)
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms, squally fronts, snow, frost, very mild if no snow or frost
  • Location: Stanwell(south side of Heathrow Ap)

We are in for another severe winter i sense, and other factors to of course ,its not just a feeling you know its science to!, end of december could be bitterly cold, cant actually predict the ppn, but high pressure with a ne'ly i sense.

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Posted
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia

We've not had a very mild Christmas Day for awhile. The last one here was 2003 with a max of 11.1C

I've noticed that too.

Recent Christmases here were as follows:

2000 - turned chilly just before Christmas, then became very cold with a significant snowfall on the 28th. Thawed during New Year.

2001 - mild but not especially so. Turned cold at the end of the year.

2002 - mild and boring.

2003 - mild up to Christmas but a cold end to the year.

2004 - White Christmas! Falling and lying snow on Christmas Day following a mild few days. Snow thawed on the 27th leaving a mild end to the year.

2005 - fairly cold after a mild run-up, turning more notably cold and wintry just before New Year.

2006 - chilly and grey, following a few days of persistent fog/murk. Turned mild just before New Year.

2007 - mild, though the Big Day itself was cooler than the surrounding days.

2008 - fairly mild but not as mild as the days running up to it, and turning very cold towards New Year.

2009 - a relatively mild thawing period sandwiched in the middle of an extended cold spell, though still on the cold side overall.

On the whole the Christmas period hasn't been too shaky recently, especially when you consider how many of those winters were mostly ruined by consistent mildness.

Edited by AderynCoch
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Posted
  • Location: Ireland, probably South Tipperary
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snow, Windstorms and Thunderstorms
  • Location: Ireland, probably South Tipperary

I've been quite lucky with snow at Christmas back it Tipperary, had a plenty of snow in 2004 courtesy of heavy snow showers during the day. Last Christmas recorded my second lowest temperature of around -9C I think, with snow cover early that morning. After a few hours I had the bizarre experience then of freezing rain with the air temperature at about -7C!

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