The Midlands Regional Discussion - Part 4

[snow freak]

well we woke to 3 inches of snow this morning and it is still hanging around. main roads are a mess but clear. not the crisp sunny morning i thought it would be but the snow was amazing after such a mild winter. could be a problem if it all freezes tonight though. enjoy your snow day people.

[Gary-North Stoke]

It's times like this when I wish it would hurry up and thaw, I hate it when it gets to the very wet/slushy stage and takes an age to disappear. It was great when it was falling, just a shame about the aftermath.

Still the best single snow event in 5 years though.

No pleasing some people!

[Bottesford]

Nipped outside and measured exactly 3 inches of snow on the garden table. I can hear it dripping and the snow is no longer fluffy but is hard and icy... So yes I think we're thawing!

[JinxTheCat]

How's it looking in SW Brum anyone??

[Nick L]

No pleasing some people!

I just said it was the best snow event for 5 years?

[marksp]

lovely morning here now, blue skies and great sunshine, snow crystals sparkling away, temps up to -0.6 still no thaw, but I,m sure it will start later ??

just measured the snow depth, and between 12 to 15cm over most surfaces, some 16 to 18 in small drifts.

[camperstron]

How's it looking in SW Brum anyone??

It's thawing a bit and is slushy on the pavements - if it refreezes then it will be 'interesting'...

[Gord]

The mist has lifted and the thaw is slowly underway. I'm starting to wonder if we'll actually see some sun today.

Temperature around +2 at the moment.

Is it supposed to freeze tonight? Forecasts I've seen keep it above freezing.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Gord

[marksp]

just a pics from front of house, faces North so never receives any sun, well only at top of the drive, But at least the back garden faces South.

[MKN]

Melting at a good old rate here atm, Not sure if we'll get below freezing tonight, could do with it otherwise itl be gone tomorrow at this rate, still was fun while it lasted, whens the next lot?

[TonyH]

What a great snowfall!

My take on this coming week:

Weather guide Monday 6th to Sunday 12th February (west Wales and central MIdlands)

Headline: Becoming cold and mostly dry again

The battleground event happened on cue yesterday with 3- 5 inches of snow falling across Coventry and Warwickshire, while the milder air won out over west Wales. The continent has been bitterly cold of late, in Paris the temperature falling to -9c, and heavy snow in Rome for example. Llanwnnen got down to -10c Friday morning, this nowhere near as cold as the -17c recorded on Christmas Day 2010!

During the early part of this week we are in a 'No Man's Land' neither in cold nor mild air, being within a slack area between high and low pressures.

Messy weather too, some sun, some cloud, bits of rain or drizzle about, but dry in places too! Not cold enough for snow, but cold enough to freeze overnight with potential ice problems for morning commuters. Maxima on Monday and Tuesday between 4 and 8c, mildest over Pembrokeshire.

Rather debatable Wednesday onwards with the models showing some slightly differing trends, but with greater consequences in weather terms.

Strongest indications are for high pressure to reform over Scandinavia again with this ridging cold air back over England and Wales from Wednesday. During Wednesday itself though, a niggle, as Atlantic fronts may progress close enough to west Wales to bring some sleet or snow here, however this is a low probability at this stage, but don't be too surprised to see some wintriness this day perhaps. Cold easterly winds look likely again to end this week, with crisp sunny periods by day, but hard frosts overnight, and also freezing fog could linger well into the day in places. Maxima between 1 and 3c generally, although staying below zero locally, should freezing fog persist well into the afternoon. With the high pressure in control, snow is unlikely, apart from the odd rogue light flurry into the Midland perhaps.

Next weekend, as always at a distance, and greater doubts cast as to what may happen. It looks like the high pressure will be over or close to the UK by then, so it would still be cold and frosty, although should the high sink to our south-west, as GFS suggests, turning milder. However, I would bet on the cold holding on well into next weekend.

For supporting charts see the welsh thread:

http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/72450-wales-cymru-regional-weather-discussion-part-4/page__st__640__gopid__2255764#entry2255764

[Adzyy]

Managed around 5 inches in the end, thawing now as trees and roofs are dripping.

[JinxTheCat]

It's thawing a bit and is slushy on the pavements - if it refreezes then it will be 'interesting'...

Cheers. think it might be a.long drive home from the south!

[XENA]

1c still here, we had 3-4" snow last night ...very slow thaw this week of any lying snow here

Edited February 5, 2012 by XENA

[Eugene]

LOL yes xena i wonder how many people moaning about a thaw live in a big town, head to higher rural areas of the midlands like you and it wont thaw much at all.

[TonyH]

Managed around 5 inches in the end, thawing now as trees and roofs are dripping.

Dad remeasured this morning, it had melted slightly, but still nearly 4 inches at Long Lawford, Rugby.

[Barbmac]

Malvern very much at the 'edge' of yesterday's action, with just 3 cm on the Hills. Took this picture overlooking Great Malvern, looking towards the SE, you can see the freezing fog:

[PolarWarsaw]

Thawing this morning and my message would be to enjoy it. Things look chilly in the medium term this week, but never cold enough or wet enough for snow and from then on its 50% cold or 50% mild - so there's no guarantee of any white stuff anytime soon. My bet would be that this will be the only lying snow for me this year.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Still a lot of snow left, but thawing this far west, yeah models not too great for snow, but look good for dry weather, nothing worse than a raging atlantic, gales and rain (although uncommon anyway for feb)

[snow freak]

why are so many people going on about the snow thawing? this does usually happen in the Uk. It is very unusual for low lying levels to retain snow cover for more than a day or two after the initial snowfall. Last December was an exception. Enjoy the snow while it is here, however long that may be.

[we_want_snow]

I expected a few cm's of proper snow here, before some proper rain later

But hardly anything happened, a sugar coating of snow and hardly any rain in the evening...

So protected from the Welsh hills here though, I believe Telford 14 miles away had decent depths? They also get more rain than us

Can't win them all and we did well the last few years, this might be one that gets away?

[Serendipity]

Actually not melting as quickly as I expected today. Still a lot around on the side roads and on pavements etc. I am sure plenty more will melt this pm but I really did think It would be very patchy by now.

[kar999]

+6C here now and the sun is trying to break out as the earlier light fog is lifting. A good 4 hours till sunset so the thaw is only going to intensify now.

Nice 7cm event here yesterday but would have prefered it to stay around. As Nick L says once it starts to get into a slushy mess the quicker it's gone the better.

[Snowcheeks]

Any chance of the ppn coming over from Ireland will fall as snow ?

[Strider]

LOL yes xena i wonder how many people moaning about a thaw live in a big town, head to higher rural areas of the midlands like you and it wont thaw much at all.

Giltbrook isn't high or rural :winky:

Birmingham central thaw about 75% complete now