The Midlands Regional Discussion - Part 7

[Costa Del Fal]

Yes a nice dry circle around Telford

Just been taking photo's of the Wrekin, looking great in the snow

This region deserves a drought status more than parts of the East imo! :lol:

The sun was nearly peaking through here not long ago! No sign of anything wintry and temps and dewpoint are rising!

[A.J]

:lol: And now all the precip is breaking up as it reaches the West Midlands region now.

Simple meteorology really, as the PPN is feeding in from the east, we are in effect in the rain shadow area with higher ground from the Leicester area up through into the Peak District leeching out ppn, and likewise PPN peps up further to the west over the Welsh mountains due to orographic lifting

[Costa Del Fal]

Simple meteorology really, as the PPN is feeding in from the east, we are in effect in the rain shadow area with higher ground from the Leicester area up through into the Peak District leeching out ppn, and likewise PPN peps up further to the west over the Welsh mountains due to orographic lifting

Indeed. The West Midlands loves its rain shadows doesnt it.

The most boring region of all is here folks.

[picog]

Just cold, icy and windy here now with sleety rain. Hills 50-100 m above us are white, so the snow line is below 200m, probably closer to 150.

[A.J]

Indeed. The West Midlands loves its rain shadows doesnt it.

The most boring region of all is here folks.

As I work outdoors I don't mind the lack of rain....and TBH with the usual SWerly prevailing winds, it does save us from having what would otherwise be a hell of a lot more wet days during the year!

[Serendipity]

It really is horrible out isn't it? Pity my son who is on a rugby course! Well mainly rain here, goes sleety when heavy and we have had a couple of proper snow episodes but nothing exciting to report really. We've been on the edge of the showers for some time but they seem to be moving slowly closer and we are seeing much more heavier bursts than before.

[marksp]

well after the walk at 8.00am, I decided to do a very daft thing and drive out !!!

drove along the Via Gella Road up to the A515 Newhaven to Buxton Road.

scrary or what. the roads block about 3 miles from the Newhaven juction with the A515, and at an altitude which must be 150m lower.

lorries jacknifed and police have closed the route.

then went for drive up a B Road to Longcliffe Edge, not bad past the quarry, but on the tops it has very bad, definately blizzard conditions. drifts across roads, and two tanker lorries stuck in huge drifts.

upload photos in abit

[Nick L]

It's much nicer weather to revise in though than glorious warm sunshine.

[Polar Maritime]

well after the walk at 8.00am, I decided to do a very daft thing and drive out !!!

drove along the Via Gella Road up to the A515 Newhaven to Buxton Road.

scrary or what. the roads block about 3 miles from the Newhaven juction with the A515, and at an altitude which must be 150m lower.

lorries jacknifed and police have closed the route.

then went for drive up a B Road to Longcliffe Edge, not bad past the quarry, but on the tops it has very bad, definately blizzard conditions. drifts across roads, and two tanker lorries stuck in huge drifts.

upload photos in abit

I Agree, Most roads will be all most if not blocked around here.

[conor123]

Stuck in the dry patch here STILL :lol: snows melted now but the Wrekins still covered in it.

Edited April 4, 2012 by conor123

[Cheshire Freeze]

Stuck in the dry patch here STILL :lol: snows melted now but the Wrekins still covered in it.

Count yourself lucky.....not had any snow to melt here AND been stuck in the rain shaddow for most of the time!

[BlueHedgehog074]

On and off sleet and wet snow. Seemed to be the most snowiest during the early morning, but tending to become very sleety during lighter periods. Seems to be another heavier batch heading this according to the radar, though I have a feeling it may just miss me to the South (lol).

[marksp]

3 pics from car ride, and these are main travel routes, and I was 3 miles approx from A515.

[Cheshire Freeze]

3 pics from car ride, and these are main travel routes, and I was 3 miles approx from A515.

Not fair......I hate this poxy town's altitude

[Serendipity]

Fantastic pictures Mark.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

not too bad day, dry since 10.30am after wet snow, but shockingly windy, coldest wind of winter 11/12,

[conor123]

I don't know how/why this rainfall shadow effect is SO dramatic here, it's not like were surrounded by the alps yet it has such a dramatic effect whilst weather fronts that slam into Europe seem to have no problem sweeping over mountains with ease yet the Pennines and Beacons kill just about everything here?

[Costa Del Fal]

I don't know how/why this rainfall shadow effect is SO dramatic here, it's not like were surrounded by the alps yet it has such a dramatic effect whilst weather fronts that slam into Europe seem to have no problem sweeping over mountains with ease yet the Pennines and Beacons kill just about everything here?

I wonder that all the time. Even down here where the rain is only coming from around the Leicester direction, its still struggling to make it here.

ANyway we did have a brief spell of sleet/wet snow around 12pm. More ppn on the way but at DP 2.2c it will be just rain.

VERY Windy today though. Perhaps the windiest out of the whole Winter just gone too.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Blizzards

[Staffordshire]

This wind really is bitter! Horrible to be out in, and ECM modeling some more wintry weather next week.....

[Harve]

I don't know how/why this rainfall shadow effect is SO dramatic here, it's not like were surrounded by the alps yet it has such a dramatic effect whilst weather fronts that slam into Europe seem to have no problem sweeping over mountains with ease yet the Pennines and Beacons kill just about everything here?

I'll assume you haven't been through an Alpine tunnel on a rainy / snowy day, only to come out at the other side to bright sunshine and just a few clouds drifting over from where you've came from! When I was in France last December, there was a freak, 'storm of the century' dumping of a metre. The Italian border was just a few miles away, although had 4000m peaks on it. Ski resorts in the next valley over received a mere dusting, and this became the case throughout the first half of the current ski season. In short, the rain shadow effect is much stronger there, you probably just have more experience of Welsh and English mountains.

[Essan]

No wind, no snow. A bit of sleet around 8am and since then just grey skies and occasional light rain. Doesn't even feel particularly cold!

[Cheshire Freeze]

No wind, no snow. A bit of sleet around 8am and since then just grey skies and occasional light rain. Doesn't even feel particularly cold!

Max has been 5C here today.....decidedly cold for an April day

[conor123]

I'll assume you haven't been through an Alpine tunnel on a rainy / snowy day, only to come out at the other side to bright sunshine and just a few clouds drifting over from where you've came from! When I was in France last December, there was a freak, 'storm of the century' dumping of a metre. The Italian border was just a few miles away, although had 4000m peaks on it. Ski resorts in the next valley over received a mere dusting, and this became the case throughout the first half of the current ski season. In short, the rain shadow effect is much stronger there, you probably just have more experience of Welsh and English mountains.

Yeah it's understandable there with hundreds of miles of huge peaks, I remember before seeing cities in Southern Germany with heavy snow whilst it be 25c+ in Northern Italy.

With the pennines I think typically the higher peaks are around 700-800 meters which combined with not being especially large in width over miles makes it all the more confusing that they eat up so much precipitation when it comes to these setups.

I mean even in Scotland heavy precipitation seems to make it much further east over much higher peaks than for example Wales.

Im sure there's a topic on this somewhere, i'll have to find it :lol:

Edited April 4, 2012 by conor123

[Essan]

Max has been 5C here today.....decidedly cold for an April day

Aye, it's ony 5.2c here atm - just didn't feel cold to me!

Meanwhile, wind has finally started to pick up.

Looking at Net-wx Radar Accumulation, some of the dry places in the East Midlands have had a fair bit of rain - but not been much here and certainly nothing that's going to have any impact on the drought situation for the Vale.

[nigelonline]

A very cold and gusty wind here in Broadway, not a day for being outside