Best Topplers

[summer blizzard]

'Best Topplers' lol are we back in 2007?!

I joke of course, everyone loves a toppler. Would March 06 not count as one (early on in the month)? I don't have the wetter charts on hand as I'm on my phone.

March 2006 did not have topplers. The CET was actually below 3C until about the 25th.

[Optimus Prime]

Another poor winter toppler this time from January 1998;

Strong and cold NE's

Two days later high pressure,;

Had the Icelandic high been stronger and better placed it would have been a notable cold and snowy spell and would have probably resulted in a cold month alas finishing at 5.2c, so pretty mild

[I remember Atlantic 252]

3-5 Feb 2003 was actually a very good one

http://wetterzentral...00120030204.gif

http://wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/2003/Rrea00120030205.gif

lots of snow those days

Edited November 26, 2011 by snow? norfolk n chance

[Kentish Kiwi]

The cold on the 00z looks like a pretty good example of what a toppler can offer with a complete lack of any heights to our north. A potent low pressure system moves in from the NW and stalls to the NE of the UK dragging down powerful northerly/north-westerly winds sourced directly from the pole. If such a synotpic set-up were to occur in mid-January things could be looking quite severe.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Kentish Kiwi

[FreezingFog]

Whats the definition of a "Toppler" guys? Is it just a short lived northely blast or is it a certain kinda set up?

Tks.

[summer blizzard]

Short lived northerly which is then followed by westerlies. It is not a toppler if we do not see westerlies afterward.

[Isolated Frost]

Whats the definition of a "Toppler" guys? Is it just a short lived northely blast or is it a certain kinda set up?

Tks.

Usually a high in the mid-atlantic which produces winds from the northerly quadrant due to a low pressure system to the east passing by, before the jet pushes through on the northern arm of the high and produces westerly winds usually.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Again some of the examples above are general examples of northerly outbreaks rather than "topplers". "Topplers" is more specifically a reference to the short-lived northerlies that we get without any real heights to the north, i.e. rather like Isolated Frost suggested, a mid-Atlantic block which is then sunk by lows crashing over the top.

I remember the January 1998 toppler quite well, it produced a day of sunshine and heavy snow showers in Cleadon on the 19th but it was wet, sleety snow with minimal accumulations on the ground, and most of what did settle got washed away by sleet showers overnight 19th/20th as the wind veered north-north-easterly and sent temperatures up to 3-4C. Further inland the snow accumulated and Durham reported 2 mornings with lying snow (presumably the 20th and 21st) but for those of us near the coast the term "damp squib" was pretty appropriate.

On the other hand, I remember that sleet and snow showers were surprisingly widespread on the 19th- it wasn't the usual "wintry showers restricted to north-facing coasts" type northerly.

[Weather-history]

Here's one during that exceptionally mild December of 1974

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/archive/ra/1974/Rrea00119741211.gif

[WhiteFox]

February 1995. A mild winter overall, with a period of cool zonality in late February eventually delivered this chart:

Which delivered heavy snow around Leeds northwards as I recall, but stayed as rain where I was at uni in Nottingham until the end of the ppn when we got a few wet flakes. The following day looked like this:

Probably not a true toppler as the high never ridged very far north and it followed from cool zonality, but it certainly had the requisite westerlies following!

[damianslaw]

I don't have the charts to hand but wasn't there a toppler event both on the 1/2 Jan 95 and also between 5-11 Feb 1999. The 1999 spell brought decent snow to NE England and it was the coldest spell of the winter - nothing exceptional but it was enjoyable all the same after a relatively mild and snowless December and January.

[WhiteFox]

I don't have the charts to hand but wasn't there a toppler event both on the 1/2 Jan 95 and also between 5-11 Feb 1999. The 1999 spell brought decent snow to NE England and it was the coldest spell of the winter - nothing exceptional but it was enjoyable all the same after a relatively mild and snowless December and January.

Close. There was a brief northerly on the 1st Jan 1995, but the high pressure was pushed across to Europe rather than being collapsed under the jet:

Probably just as good as mine though!

[Kentish Kiwi]

Thought I may as well add this just as another example (even though it's not going to eventuate).

[greybing]

Thought I may as well add this just as another example (even though it's not going to eventuate).

gosh,id imaging that synoptic setup would be rather severe.Am i right ? Edited December 25, 2011 by greybing