Scotland - Regional Discussion - New Year

[LomondSnowstorm]

Looks like some respite from the wind and rain on Thursday night http://hw.nwstatic.co.uk/gfsimages/gfs.20120103/18/57/h500slp.png

and then again at the weekend http://hw.nwstatic.co.uk/gfsimages/gfs.20120103/18/99/h500slp.png

The pub run looks a bit better in FI http://hw.nwstatic.co.uk/gfsimages/gfs.20120103/18/288/h500slp.png

but a shortwave dominated stalemate ensues allowing the PV to regroup over Greenland http://hw.nwstatic.co.uk/gfsimages/gfs.20120103/18/372/h500slp.png

So close...

[Scottish-Irish Skier]

Anyone see the Forth Bridge flexing on the BBC news. Wow, can see why they closed it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16401008

In this clip.

[Poots]

Anyone see the Forth Bridge flexing on the BBC news. Wow, can see why they closed it.

I couldn't believe my eyes! I knew it was able to do that, but had never actually seen it.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Poots

[shuggee]

Newsnight Scotland on now - weather time!

[lorenzo]

Newsnight Scotland on now - weather time!

I would be watching if my Freeview Aerial hadn't been relocated to Norway earlier today ! Tried to watch on iplayer and it links to the non-regional one and breast implants ... Grrr.

[LomondSnowstorm]

Oh dear, it's a bit worrying that nobody's briefed Keith Brown on GP's forecast for the rest of winter or the strength of the MJO composites this year (or indeed the met office man)...

Still, I felt they dealt with the issue at hand relatively well and in general I have noticed the BBC raising their game recently as far as meteorological matters go.

[shuggee]

Alex Hill, cogent as ever. Confirmed that we experienced a 'sting jet' this morning - watch that term suddenly become part of the public consciousness. Good to hear.

[edo]

Nice vid polar low and see u live nice and near to the silvery Tay....

[Guest]

Alex Hill, cogent as ever. Confirmed that we experienced a 'sting jet' this morning - watch that term suddenly become part of the public consciousness. Good to hear.

I'm not sure that's a good thing Shuggee, every slight breeze will now be a hurricane sting jet.

[Poots]

Morning.

A slightly calmer morning here. 4c yet again and it's just started to rain, quite a brisk breeze and it feels very raw out.

[snowy owl]

Loved the pics of the Forth Bridge flexing. Hope the cables are still ok!!

I was on a trip to the FRB on an open day last summer (pouring wet day!) but it was very interesting how they built the bridge - it has a huge expansion joint that moves back and forth with the daily movement of the bridge and the traffic - goodness knows what it would have looked like with the winds moving everything. Seriously though if you ever get a chance when the Bridge is having another open day you should go along - you get to see the cable anchor stations and lots more.

[Poots]

Loved the pics of the Forth Bridge flexing. Hope the cables are still ok!!

I was on a trip to the FRB on an open day last summer (pouring wet day!) but it was very interesting how they built the bridge - it has a huge expansion joint that moves back and forth with the daily movement of the bridge and the traffic - goodness knows what it would have looked like with the winds moving everything. Seriously though if you ever get a chance when the Bridge is having another open day you should go along - you get to see the cable anchor stations and lots more.

My Grandad was involved in making the cables as most/all of them were manufactured in the wireworks at Bruntons in Musselburgh. Makes me quite proud to see it shaking like that in the wind and knowing he played a part in the whole engineering and building of the bridge.

I've yet to be brave enough to walk over it though, have only been under it!

[BleakMidwinter]

Well done your Grandad, Poots! I've never been brave enough to walk over the FRB, but the one I'd really love to walk over is the rail bridge. Apparently every railway bridge in the UK has a number by which it's known except for our one, which is simply known country-wide to railwaymen simply as "the bridge" - the bridge, the only bridge, all one of it! I do love the bridge...

Blowy here, but obviously nothing like yesterday. We've been hearing chainsaws all day from different directions, as well as yesterday evening's heavy generator and what sounded like maybe heavy cutting equipment - a chainsaw wouldn't have been quick or easy on a tree the size of the one that came down nearby, maybe 5 or 6 foot across the trunk.

I'd be quite glad to have no more stinging from the winds, thanks. It helps a bit to have some understanding from here about what is literally happening but having a heavy cast-iron Victorian window ripped out of the roof was not something I'd ever like to have happen again. Not least because my bed used to be under that window and I am used to staying in bed on the several times a year the house shakes from the wind, so if that had happened a few years ago when I slept in that room, and happened at night, I would have had the roof above me ripped off, showering me with glass and slate. My bedroom window now is five foot further along the roof and seems ok.

[Cheggers]

Cold, very wet and grey. 5C, a day to remain in bed, but alas had to return to work.

[edo]

What Cheggers said.....but with tight suit trousers....dam you stella and selection boxes and yucky weather....need some FI eye candy at hints of snow to deflect the back to work depression....must have sub conciously forgotten about work as played the PS3 until 3am

[mardatha]

No w I see why we have no fences in my row of cottages. Only hedges or open spaces and drystane dykes round the field

[snowy owl]

I think we all need some cheery charts to help us recover from the hurricaine force weather. Lets keep our fingers crossed for progression of the PV split and the SSW warming continuing to be pushing that PV away.

Of course its looking like we need to wait until around 13/14th Jan before effects begin to show - still time to show a change yet. .

Neighbour is out taking his broken glass and binning it - His greenhouse is minus a roof of glass.

My dads greenhouse was a complete write off - all the frame bent and twisted - now dismantled. Not going to be replaced as it has suffered too much damage from previous bouts of wind!

Lots of Sat dishes, slates, ridge tiles etc off on houses all around - a couple of gables of houses are open to the elements.

Poots it is truly amazing engineering at the FRB - really fascinating how it can all be worked out how these structures can withstand Natures fury. I never knew that the cables were supplied by Bruntons wireworks - is that where Tesco is now! These long time super industries all but gone - very sad.

Edited January 4, 2012 by snowy owl

[tinybill]

Barely a breath of wind at the mo on Isle of Lewis, although it was a bit breezy earlier. Snow all gone at lower levels, but feeling damp and a cool 3 degrees c. The hills still have a nice coat of the white stuff.

My heart goes out to you folks on the mainland..... we know that sinking feeling of seeing bits of roof airborne only too well. Maybe the jetstream is slowly drifting south. With luck it will give our friends south of the border some of that "interesting" weather they've either been missing or praying for.

i agree us soft southners dont know what a good at storm is just watch the bbc news looked like it was a bit wild yesterday could be our turn tonight if the warning are right!!!

[BleakMidwinter]

Neighbour just phoned to ask if we could use any nice fresh sawdust in the garden as a mulch, compost, weed suppressant, etc. - she'd taken her initiative and her wheelbarrow and gone and raided the big fallen tree! Coming back from the shops just now on foot I passed two separate groups of people carrying large logs away... looks like the council has a good system: they cut it up and then leave it 24 hours and it magically all disappears

[A Winter's Tale]

Hello everybody! Have you all recovered yet from yesterday's events? Still plenty of trees down and I've never seen so much damage before!

As we are now a good way into winter, I'd like to see how the members have been doing so far this year with snow and we could see which areas and members have had the most days of snowfalling and lying aswell as the largest depths. I do hope that we'll get either a large snowfall or a great cold spell in the coming months but at the moment I just don't see that happening!

I'll start off the Kilted Thread Member's snow count for 2011/2012:

A Winter's Tale - 14 days of falling snow, 10 days of lying snow, a depth of 7cm on December 5th

I may add some of these to Member's INFO on the Scotland Map.

Also, regarding the map, it would be great if most members could have a link to their profile page

And with yesterday's storm and the distruption it brings - perhaps we could have markers for the latest on Bridges, Railway Stations and our Ferry Services.

[JRMcLeod]

Does anyone happen to know a good website, or a fairly reliable forecast for wind and mountain snow for Sat and Sun?

Need to see if its likely to be windy or not and cold to prevent melt.

I'm taking my 3 year old up skiing for the first time so would like to know what the chances are of Glenshee actually opening at the weekend...

Any info would be great

[Benvironment]

Does anyone happen to know a good website, or a fairly reliable forecast for wind and mountain snow for Sat and Sun?

Need to see if its likely to be windy or not and cold to prevent melt.

I'm taking my 3 year old up skiing for the first time so would like to know what the chances are of Glenshee actually opening at the weekend...

Any info would be great

www.mwis.org.uk is the only site I use for mountain forecasts. The Met Office mountain forecasts are completely pointless as they focus on absolutely enormous geographical areas and therefore don't take into account the local manifestations.

www.winterhighland.info is good for news from the ski resorts, who update their statuses every morning.

[frogesque]

Since the storm before Christmas was widely referred to as Bawbag, is it time to officially name yesterday's little inclemence as Bawhead?

[Hairy Celt]

Dark, dank & wet here. Roll on tomorrow.

[Northernlights]

Absolutely miserable day here half dark, wet ,cold ,4c and a strong SW wind .Everything soaking wet and taking down the Chrstmas tree didn"t lighten the mood any.

.Cows went out to neeps filled up their tums and ran back in the fold and sat down on the fresh straw. Who says animals don"t appreciate shelter and a dry bed.