Spring Weather Chat

[picog]

An average spring would do fine. Not too hot, or wet or dry, just a nice bit of everything

[Summer Sun]

Looks like another cold wet spring here...think i might have to emigrate.

That's showing a mild drier than average spring

I assume your referring to the UK?

Edited January 23, 2013 by Gavin.

[Thundery wintry showers]

As usual I'll be hoping for a variable spring this year, with some warm dry sunny spells, some warm bright showery spells, and some chilly arctic outbreaks with sunshine and snow showers. Something like the 1995 spring quarter but with the April & May sunshine totals and convective activity both toned up a bit. Alternatively given my location a month like May 1997 would be great, as I would be far enough inland to escape the North Sea stratus that plagued Tyneside in the third week of that month.

Spring 2012 had plenty of interest but the warm sunshine in particular was concentrated during late-March and late-May with nothing between 1st April and 20th May- would prefer the warm sunny spells to be spread more across the spring with at least one in each month.

I have very little idea what this forthcoming spring will be like other than that the temperatures will erratically rise and that the daylight hours will show a slow steady rise.

[reef]

Here's a few interesting statistics. The 1971-2000 average sunshine here is 439 hours and every single spring from 2001-2011 all managed more than 500 hours. Only 2012 was below that at 444 hours, but even that was marginally above.

In the same time period just two springs have seen below average temperatures with six being more than 1C above average. 2001-2012 also saw 10 springs with average or below average rainfall (4 of the last 6 were well below) and just two with above average rainfall (2006 and 2012). The last lying snow was also back in April 2008.

I would like to just see an 'average' spring with great variability for once, but judging by the springs of the last decade most on here would probably call it a poor one!

Here's what I would like to see:

March: 4C mean and very snowy, but of the sunny variety so convective northerlies rather than easterlies.

April: A mean of 8C and a mixture of potent cold and warm spells averaging out.

May: After an early potent cold spell, a proper warm May for once with mean of 13.5C.

Whats more likely however is the same monotonous homogeneous weather like recent years!

[Mark Neal.]

High pressure to dominate for spring please, we need wet ground to finally dry out, while enjoying some pleasant and benign weather as the days get longer. Plus i want to do some ballooning again..

[summer blizzard]

As usual I'll be hoping for a variable spring this year, with some warm dry sunny spells, some warm bright showery spells, and some chilly arctic outbreaks with sunshine and snow showers. Something like the 1995 spring quarter but with the April & May sunshine totals and convective activity both toned up a bit. Alternatively given my location a month like May 1997 would be great, as I would be far enough inland to escape the North Sea stratus that plagued Tyneside in the third week of that month.

Spring 2012 had plenty of interest but the warm sunshine in particular was concentrated during late-March and late-May with nothing between 1st April and 20th May- would prefer the warm sunny spells to be spread more across the spring with at least one in each month.

I have very little idea what this forthcoming spring will be like other than that the temperatures will erratically rise and that the daylight hours will show a slow steady rise.

There were regional differences but here the entire month was phenomenal and i think we were around 2003 for sunshine.

As ever in spring/summer i shall be looking for extremes in terms of sunshine, dryness and warmth though another spell of 20C+ lasting yonks will do me though i don't mind a bit of thunder thrown in, though i hate humidity.

I always view it as a milestone when a southerly starts to bring up warmth from the south rather than cold. As 2008 showed that can happen as early as mid February. But by March even a southeasterly can bring spells of warm sunshine, providing that the high pressure originates from the Azores and so brings with it a warm airmass.

To be honest until March 2012 i was always of the opinion that it should be an extension of winter however having experienced the phenomenal March 2012 which was warm and in Yorkshire as sunny as 2003 (may even have beat it), i now want a repeat.

[Weather-history]

The kind of spring I would like to relive

March 1995

April 1995

May 1992

[Bottesford]

In fact we're not 'due' a warm, dry spring as we've had quite a few in recent years. It's summer we're long long overdue as it'll be 7 years since the last good one by this year.

Here's hoping for a chilly, sunny start to spring moving into a warm sunny end and onto a hot, dry summer (but yes with the odd night not when I'm outside thunderstorm!).

[Mark Neal.]

In fact we're not 'due' a warm, dry spring as we've had quite a few in recent years. It's summer we're long long overdue as it'll be 7 years since the last good one by this year.

Here's hoping for a chilly, sunny start to spring moving into a warm sunny end and onto a hot, dry summer (but yes with the odd night not when I'm outside thunderstorm!).

I'd agree there 2009, 2011 were very dry and sunny mostly here, 2012 started of very dry too, though got wet as we went further into April.

[Milhouse]

I recall last Spring was characterised by one or two very stormy spells with unusually strong easterly winds and heavy rain. Really was miserable here being exposed to it.

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

Let's not forget that April 2011 wasn't the only record breaking warm April of recent times. April 2007 had record warmth!

http://www.metoffice...2007/april.html

So does anyone want to "bet" against a record warm spell during March or April this year? You'd be a brave man/woman to bet against it given recent trends..

Edited January 24, 2013 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[NUT]

I know it won't happen like this (anything but) But I prefer the as cool and as wet as possible (That goes from March to August and not just spring) I know it won't work like that though

EDIT: The good thing about spring up here is that we seemingly always get a cracking thunderstorm (whether that be a plume or thundery type of air/showers) Not all bad in a way

Edited January 24, 2013 by NUT

[Thundery wintry showers]

May 1992

I started taking weather records in 1993 so unfortunately I don't really remember that month- but judging by the statistics and synoptics, I would probably be very happy with a repeat of May 1992. Surprisingly for such a warm sunny month, the stats point to a cold snap in the second week with some frosts and hail showers and localised snowfalls, and thunderstorms were widespread towards the month's end.

It would've been frustrating near the east coast during the last third of the month with the easterly winds, but as I noted re. May 1997, I don't live there any more- so not my problem!

A couple of others have mentioned May 2008- to my mind that month was a poor relative as while the first half was exceptionally sunny and warm for many, the second half was very dull in the east and south. Norwich had almost twice the normal amount of sunshine during the first fortnight, yet the month's total was only 10-20% above average, and about 30% below the May 1992 total.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Thundery wintry showers

[Summer Sun]

Let's not forget that April 2011 wasn't the only record breaking warm April of recent times. April 2007 had record warmth!

http://www.metoffice...2007/april.html

So does anyone want to "bet" against a record warm spell during March or April this year? You'd be a brave man/woman to bet against it given recent trends..

I certainly wouldn't bet against it last spring in my opinion was just one of those bad ones which crops up every now and then, spring could start cool but getting warmer as we progress in April and certainly May

I still think March, April and May will all see temperatures above 20c at some point with temperatures pushing close to 30c at some point in May

Edited January 24, 2013 by Gavin.

[Cheshire Freeze]

Wouldn't hold your breath for a warm spring. IMO March to be cold, April unsettled and May improving. Summer to resemble summer this year until August/Sept

P.s I loved watching the heat lovers squirm last spring/summer. I hate hot,stuffy weather in summer, makes me feel so ill and meithered. Think my luck may run out soon though!

Edited January 24, 2013 by CreweCold

[Summer Sun]

Wouldn't hold your breath for a warm spring. IMO March to be cold, April unsettled and May improving. Summer to resemble summer this year until August/Sept

We are certainly well over due a sunny warm summer, 2006 was the last one and this summer will mark a decade since the UK's hottest temperature was recorded in 2003

[hillbilly]

march can be anything in these parts seemed it seemed to be a winter month in the 80s last year a summer month! i did read in 1965(i think) march gave the hottest day of the year in whitby!!!!!!! how astonishing is that! 25 deg i think

[Thundery wintry showers]

Yes, March 1965 was exceptionally warm near the end, and in Whitby it was the hottest day of the year:

http://www.wetterzen...00119650329.gif

...yet the beginning of the month had been exceptionally cold:

http://www.wetterzen...00119650302.gif

The 29th March 1968 was also exceptionally warm in many parts of the country with 25C widely over East Anglia. Unlike in the 1965 instance, a tropical maritime air mass kept the minimum temperatures high as well, though it meant cloudier skies in the north:

http://www.wetterzen...00119680328.gif

And then, into early April, we got this:

http://www.wetterzen...00119680403.gif

...with widespread snowfalls and widespread maxima of 2 to 5C.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Thundery wintry showers

[Aaron]

I'm not sure if we are overdue a 'warm' summer per se, the summer of 2009 was pretty warm for a large chunk of the country, as was 2010, though the both entailed pretty large NW/SE splits so I'm just speaking from experiences in my own back yard.

We must be overdue a very cold spring, surely? March snow has been a relatively rare beast these past few years, last notable March snowfall here was 2008, we had a dusting in 2010 (a cm or two?).

Edited January 24, 2013 by Aaron

[cheeky_monkey]

That's showing a mild drier than average spring

I assume your referring to the UK?

no i was referring to Alberta in Western Canada..looks decidedly wet and cold yet again

[Summer Sun]

I'm not sure if we are overdue a 'warm' summer per se, the summer of 2009 was pretty warm for a large chunk of the country, as was 2010, though the both entailed pretty large NW/SE splits so I'm just speaking from experiences in my own back yard.

We must be overdue a very cold spring, surely? March snow has been a relatively rare beast these past few years, last notable March snowfall here was 2008, we had a dusting in 2010 (a cm or two?).

Last springs cold dull weather weather was a compete disaster for Gardeners mainly due to the lack of sun and ridiculous amounts of rain I got 2 apples and 6 plumbs from the trees last year! normally there would be loads on but the non stop rain just washed off all the blossom. The lack of bees didn't help as well as the tomatoes and Strawberry plants didn't get enough pollination when they needed it.

So if we do get a cold spring I for one hope its a sunny one and drier than last, we really need a dry spring now to help the ground dry out after last years ridiculous rainfall totals

no i was referring to Alberta in Western Canada..looks decidedly wet and cold yet again

Ah no worries

Edited January 24, 2013 by Gavin.

[Gray-Wolf]

If we are indeed to see another year with a sluggish ,amplified Jet then I hope the pattern is intensifying so that the amplitude rises and the frequency shortens (sorry Ireland!) at least then we can enjoy the type of spring/summer the rest of the continent have been enjoying since 07?

I know we have a major Oceanic influence but hot weather with the odd cool wet airmass having a scrap with it sounds fine to me!!!

At least 'Flash Floods' are more dynamic in nature in a way that River Flooding, or at least the days of rainfall leading up to such is not (believe me!!!).

[Aaron]

Last springs cold dull weather weather was a compete disaster for Gardeners mainly due to the lack of sun and ridiculous amounts of rain I got 2 apples and 6 plumbs from the trees last year! normally there would be loads on but the non stop rain just washed off all the blossom. The lack of bees didn't help as well as the tomatoes and Strawberry plants didn't get enough pollination when they needed it.

So if we do get a cold spring I for one hope its a sunny one and drier than last, we really need a dry spring now to help the ground dry out after last years ridiculous rainfall totals

Ah no worries

Only April was cold and dull and wet, both May and March were sunnier than average. The cold springs I recall were never wet, but always had snow and were very frosty.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Aaron

[summer blizzard]

I started taking weather records in 1993 so unfortunately I don't really remember that month- but judging by the statistics and synoptics, I would probably be very happy with a repeat of May 1992. Surprisingly for such a warm sunny month, the stats point to a cold snap in the second week with some frosts and hail showers and localised snowfalls, and thunderstorms were widespread towards the month's end.

It would've been frustrating near the east coast during the last third of the month with the easterly winds, but as I noted re. May 1997, I don't live there any more- so not my problem!

A couple of others have mentioned May 2008- to my mind that month was a poor relative as while the first half was exceptionally sunny and warm for many, the second half was very dull in the east and south. Norwich had almost twice the normal amount of sunshine during the first fortnight, yet the month's total was only 10-20% above average, and about 30% below the May 1992 total.

For me the second half didn't matter simply because the first half was so exceptional.

[summer blizzard]

I'm not sure if we are overdue a 'warm' summer per se, the summer of 2009 was pretty warm for a large chunk of the country, as was 2010, though the both entailed pretty large NW/SE splits so I'm just speaking from experiences in my own back yard.

We must be overdue a very cold spring, surely? March snow has been a relatively rare beast these past few years, last notable March snowfall here was 2008, we had a dusting in 2010 (a cm or two?).

As i recall April-June 2010 was actually very nice. Largely sunny and dry with a mixture of cool and warm flows.