Winter 2012/13 Pt 4... Expectations, Hopes And Wishes...

[Ninman]

Metcheck very confusing. So February is wet and mild with significant cold spells???

February 2013

Slightly wetter than average. Slightly Milder than average across all areas with significant cold spells expected.

So the only way that would work is if the cold spells were a few days long and then immediately jumped to well above average (say to 15-20c) to bring the CET value up. Considering Feb is the shortage month of the year, the temps will need to see-saw wildly and quickly!

I don't put much faith in this happening!

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

Thought I would introduce myself. I'm Chris. I've been lurking reading the posts most days since January last year. Still very much a beginner but learning a lot reading about SSW events, Azores and Greenland highs etc!

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

I'm torn between the lovely white build up to Christmas like we had in Dec 2010 or brightening up a dark and depressing early Feb like 2009. I guess some of you had both in 2009/2010 winter, as the cold hit on about Dec 21 and carried on through most of Jan. Though here in Coventry we had no snow in December!

If not one of those, which other winter from the past would you like to relive? My father in law talks mystically about 1947! I hear that was quite a year, as they had a fab summer to follow all the snow.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Out of 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11, I would give 2009/10 the nod, mainly because I remember 2010/11 being very uneventful after Boxing Day. I remember being rather disappointed overall by February 2010, but the period from 17th December to 9th January was pretty unforgettable.

Of the historic past winters I would quite fancy reliving 1954/55 and 1968/69. Both of those winters had some exceptionally cold northerlies with widespread snow, but were not constantly cold (December 1954 and January 1969 were pretty mild). 1954/55 was the "Operation Snowdrop" winter in northern Scotland, with mid to late February particularly snowy via northerly and then easterly winds, while 1968/69 contained an unexpected white Christmas for many places including much of NE England, as well as a very wintry February.

The historic winter month that I'd probably most want to relive would be January 1958- it had pretty much everything, a cold snowy start, then a long Atlantic-driven spell, then a quiet frosty spell, then a notably cold northerly outbreak with polar lows and troughs giving widespread snow even to south-east England, and then a sudden switch to exceptionally warm southerlies.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Thundery wintry showers

[Cwmbran Eira]

Thought I would introduce myself. I'm Chris. I've been lurking reading the posts most days since January last year. Still very much a beginner but learning a lot reading about SSW events, Azores and Greenland highs etc!

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

I'm torn between the lovely white build up to Christmas like we had in Dec 2010 or brightening up a dark and depressing early Feb like 2009. I guess some of you had both in 2009/2010 winter, as the cold hit on about Dec 21 and carried on through most of Jan. Though here in Coventry we had no snow in December!

If not one of those, which other winter from the past would you like to relive? My father in law talks mystically about 1947! I hear that was quite a year, as they had a fab summer to follow all the snow.

2009/2010 for me. 3 seperate snow falls of depths up to and over 30cm's. 2010/11 obviously very cold end Nov/Dec but we missed out on the major snowfall that season. Close call though. Hoar frost during Dec 2010 was stunning. Also remember walking in the snow in cloudless blue skies. I'm just a sucker for deep snow. Love it.

[Eugene]

That russian high everyone was getting excited about last week regarding delivering wintry weather looks like now delivering very mild conditions, could feel very warm for late October under any sunny spells.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Eugene

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Thought I would introduce myself. I'm Chris. I've been lurking reading the posts most days since January last year. Still very much a beginner but learning a lot reading about SSW events, Azores and Greenland highs etc!

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

I'm torn between the lovely white build up to Christmas like we had in Dec 2010 or brightening up a dark and depressing early Feb like 2009. I guess some of you had both in 2009/2010 winter, as the cold hit on about Dec 21 and carried on through most of Jan. Though here in Coventry we had no snow in December!

If not one of those, which other winter from the past would you like to relive? My father in law talks mystically about 1947! I hear that was quite a year, as they had a fab summer to follow all the snow.

I would prefer a repeat of 2010/2011, the cold arrived at peak time, 24th Nov to 10th Jan, my snow hardly thawed due to weakest sun, also a fantastic run up to Xmas with snow and cold, Not a fan of February snow, not high enough for it to last, but of course wouldnt say no to it

[January Snowstorm]

Interesting to see how mild Europe remains throughout with not even a hint of Winter coming.

Funny old month October, in many ways one to be endured rather than enjoyed as the seasons only slowly change

[Weather-history]

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

2009-10, that was the snowiest winter for the Manchester area for a long time.

[SnowObsessor90]

Thought I would introduce myself. I'm Chris. I've been lurking reading the posts most days since January last year. Still very much a beginner but learning a lot reading about SSW events, Azores and Greenland highs etc!

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

I'm torn between the lovely white build up to Christmas like we had in Dec 2010 or brightening up a dark and depressing early Feb like 2009. I guess some of you had both in 2009/2010 winter, as the cold hit on about Dec 21 and carried on through most of Jan. Though here in Coventry we had no snow in December!

If not one of those, which other winter from the past would you like to relive? My father in law talks mystically about 1947! I hear that was quite a year, as they had a fab summer to follow all the snow.

I'd say 09/10 due to the timing of the cold spell which couldn't have been more perfect not to mention the snow accumalations in January ,the likes of which we probably won't see again for quite some time(note i'm talking from an IMBY perpective here) unless of course this winter has even more surprises in store

[snowstorm445]

Well if metcheck are to be belived then i think there will be some wrist slashing going on here. Doesnt sound too good to me. It will certainly go agaisnt the snow ramp forecasters out there.

I agree Doylem. However, this is the same weather agency which not only forecasted a major snow event in December last year, but also reportedly forecasted 900mph winds.

Nice too see your back to the usual cherry picking though.

[bobbydog]

That russian high everyone was getting excited about last week regarding delivering wintry weather looks like now delivering very mild conditions, could feel very warm for late October under any sunny spells.

that doesn't make much sense. are you referring to the high over russia? and where was it supposed to deliver wintry weather to exactly? (just to clarify your post)

[snowstorm445]

Could it be that Doylem's decided to migrate from the Daily Mail forum to this one this year?

Those who post/used to post over there will know exactly what I'm refering to here.

Indeed. I thought he'd stay over on the DM forum but apparently not. He has several aliases on that forum though as far as I'm aware although he claims this isn't true.

If you want to see Doylem in action head over to MV's facebook page. Some great craic going on over there.

[snowstorm445]

Looks like conflicting offerings Jamstec is a La Nina pattern whilst the Beijing model is more of a El Nino pattern

They're nearly at war with each other over a bunch of islands. Of course they're going for opposite forecasts! They'd be accused of being collaborators if they forecasted the same thing!

[Alan Medlock Valley]

I would prefer a repeat of 2010/2011, the cold arrived at peak time, 24th Nov to 10th Jan, my snow hardly thawed due to weakest sun, also a fantastic run up to Xmas with snow and cold, Not a fan of February snow, not high enough for it to last, but of course wouldnt say no to it

Here on 5th January 2010 and across most of NW England we had the most snow since 1996, so 14 years, a long time to see a foot of snow again.

The streamers from the Irish sea carried shower after shower well inland and gave us just over a foot in this location.

That morning I remember my wife waking me up in shock and saying "look outside, you won't believe this!" so I got up, looked out and I couldn't even tell where the local landmarks where as they were that buried!, the fields we own here were like something from Lapland and the lane was buried.

The following days the only suitable means for transportation around the area was 4x4 cars, and luckily our Landrover Defender came to the rescue.

So I think Winter 2009/10 was the coldest/snowiest here since Winter 1995/96.

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

Thanks for your replies on favourite winters. My favourite snow event would have to be mid February 1985. My father drove us out to see the snow drifts in the country. I remember stepping out and disappearing completely under the snow and nearly fainting from shock.

December 2010 was special because I had heard tales of the cold of Dec 1981, but was too young to remember it. Up until about Boxing Day we were on course to beat it for CET temp. It was disappointing when the snow melted as I think we most need the white glow of snow during early Jan when the Christmas decorations come down and everywhere feels dull.

I wouldn't be bothered by a very mild spell in early Nov, as it reached 19C in London on November 4th 2010 and we know what followed that a few weeks later. Also mid Jan 1947 was mild, before the snows hit.

I believe our winters are now pitched towards extremes due to the influence we are having on the ice caps, heating the oceans etc. It's not proven yet, but another icy blast this winter would have a lot more people convinced as that would be 5 in a row of winters featuring a prolonged cold period (I'm counting the Feb 2012 Cold wave here even though it affected us less than the European continent)

Edited October 15, 2012 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[CanadaAl]

Could it be that Doylem's decided to migrate from the Daily Mail forum to this one this year?

Those who post/used to post over there will know exactly what I'm refering to here.

Please don't haha. That's all i heard last christmas from them and Skorge "NAO remaining positive indefinitly", "Bartlett high, loving life!" and other such silly quotes. Im all for people expressing their opinions but they were just out to troll.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Here on 5th January 2010 and across most of NW England we had the most snow since 1996, so 14 years, a long time to see a foot of snow again.

The streamers from the Irish sea carried shower after shower well inland and gave us just over a foot in this location.

That morning I remember my wife waking me up in shock and saying "look outside, you won't believe this!" so I got up, looked out and I couldn't even tell where the local landmarks where as they were that buried!, the fields we own here were like something from Lapland and the lane was buried.

The following days the only suitable means for transportation around the area was 4x4 cars, and luckily our Landrover Defender came to the rescue.

So I think Winter 2009/10 was the coldest/snowiest here since Winter 1995/96.

Yeah 5th Jan a good date, sun well low, got snow that day but only around 3 inches, nothing like Stockport, that winter also saw the tragic 20th Dec 2009, didnt even get a flake, where NW England was buried

[dryjoy]

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

I'm in Wimborne, Dorset, and quite frankly, December 2010 can't be beat for us. We often miss out on significant snow, even when areas not far to the North and West of us are getting it, but in December 2010 (I can't remember the exact date, but probably not much more than a week or so before Xmas day) heavy snow descended on us. We were smack under a red Met Office warning. That's never happened to us before, that I remember.

Amazing by the standards of these parts. I doubt we'll see the like of it again for a long, long time, but you never know. Here's hoping.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

I'm in Wimborne, Dorset, and quite frankly, December 2010 can't be beat for us. We often miss out on significant snow, even when areas not far to the North and West of us are getting it, but in December 2010 (I can't remember the exact date, but probably not much more than a week or so before Xmas day) heavy snow descended on us. We were smack under a red Met Office warning. That's never happened to us before, that I remember.

Amazing by the standards of these parts. I doubt we'll see the like of it again for a long, long time, but you never know. Here's hoping.

18th Dec, I got it as well, but only the standard 3 inches

[feb1991blizzard]

Yeah 5th Jan a good date, sun well low, got snow that day but only around 3 inches, nothing like Stockport, that winter also saw the tragic 20th Dec 2009, didnt even get a flake, where NW England was buried

Nothing really heavy in Salford before Xmas that year, 20th may have given an inch or 2 but what happened on the 5th of Jan was something i had not seen since 1996 and thought i never would again, 6 inches of snow, although still a little disappointing if you consider other places not a million miles away got a foot of level snow and drifts 5 foot deep.

What i did like about that winter was consistency all the way through and the setup was that there was always a chance of a reload.

[Ice Day]

Which winter would you like a repeat of if you had to choose - 2008/09, 2009/10 or 2010/11?

In this corner of Essex, I would go for a repeat of December 2009. A 6 inch plus fall on the 30 November (or maybe the 29th?) followed by two weeks of bitterly cold weather (no thaw), then a second 6 inch fall. The only downside was that it starting melting on Christmas Eve and had all gone by New Years Day. The rest of that winter was mild and mushy but I would happily take a winter like this every year!

[bobbydog]

18th Dec, I got it as well, but only the standard 3 inches

standard? speak for yourself mate!

[stewfox]

I'm in Wimborne, Dorset, and quite frankly, December 2010 can't be beat for us. We often miss out on significant snow, even when areas not far to the North and West of us are getting it, but in December 2010 (I can't remember the exact date, but probably not much more than a week or so before Xmas day) heavy snow descended on us. We were smack under a red Met Office warning. That's never happened to us before, that I remember.

Amazing by the standards of these parts. I doubt we'll see the like of it again for a long, long time, but you never know. Here's hoping.

Probably Saturday 18th December ,a day that will live in 'infamy for many'

Starting snowiing late morning and had this by early afternoon

Edited October 15, 2012 by stewfox

[Weather-history]

So I think Winter 2009/10 was the coldest/snowiest here since Winter 1995/96.

I think it was snowier than that winter, it was definitely colder than that winter. Manchester Winter Index was close to 200 for 2009-10, 1995-96 was about 135.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Weather-history

[I remember Atlantic 252]

standard? speak for yourself mate!

most parts on Sat 18th Dec in W Midlands had 8-10 inches