wales Wales (Cymru) Regional Discussion 24th January 2013, 06z onwards

[Cwmbran Eira]

GFS shows very severe frost East Wales tonight:

Already -1.5 here.

Drove to the North East (Durham) yesterday morning. I have to say we have a lot more snow than anywhere else. It was like driving back into winter wonderland coming back into Wales this afternoon. Mist over rivers & valleys looked stunning.

So is that if for now? Tomorrow looks like a bit of leading edge stuff then wind and rain for a while.

Personaly I've enjoyed the snow but I've had my fix. not saying I don't want to see anymore but I wouldn't mind a prolonged dry period now. Anything but more rain.

[gareth moo]

Remarkable difference in snow depths with altitude here. Went to investigate Machen Mountain earlier with a Garmin.

• Valley (70m asl) 1-2 inches remaining in most places away from griited surfaces
  
• 100m - 3 inches
  
• 200m - 6 inches
  
• 300m - a level foot with upto 4 foot drifts! Totally different world up there!
  

The slight thaw that came in on Tuesday afternoon really affected the amount of snow that settled that night below 150m with that front from the West Country. More at 300m+ than 2010.

[mickeyflyn]

Was nice to see some sun today making the snow field look almost alpine and should be nice tonight with the moon.with tomorrows forecast it won`t last long though .

[J10]

A bit of thawing snow in the sun but most of it has stayed at least at this altitude,Temps around freezing now.

But a lovely sunny day today, would be happy if it stayed like that for the rest of the month. Alas not to be.

Remarkable difference in snow depths with altitude here. Went to investigate Machen Mountain earlier with a Garmin.

• Valley (70m asl) 1-2 inches remaining in most places away from griited surfaces
  
• 100m - 3 inches
  
• 200m - 6 inches
  
• 300m - a level foot with upto 4 foot drifts! Totally different world up there!
  

The slight thaw that came in on Tuesday afternoon really affected the amount of snow that settled that night below 150m with that front from the West Country. More at 300m+ than 2010.

If we had severe frosts in the build up to this event, it would have been an epic snow event.

[ourson]

Lovely day for it....

Very picturesque around Cardiff/Groesfaen today. Sunny, cold and snowy. Not much of a thaw today and bitter out there tonight.

Is it nailed on for rain in my patch tomorrow, or is there some hope of seeing some falling snow? Any (positive!) comments welcomed.....

[Bobby]

-4c here though it's turned foggy now which should stop the temperature dropping much further. Not much thaw today despite the sun, a good foot of snow up the mountain behind the house. Keep sinking into big drifts 2-3 feet deep.

The Atlantic freight-train should strip away the snow in no time though by Sunday.

[TheWeatherGirl]

school open for the first time in a week today. Untreated car park buried under 8 inches of snow! Playground unusable. The council sent a JCB in to clear the car park this morning. It looked like a real winter wonderland. Roads currently icing over. Cant beleive the temp is going to shoot up tommorrow and it will all be washed away so quickly , I want to keep it for a while longer ...

[welshwizard]

Remarkable difference in snow depths with altitude here. Went to investigate Machen Mountain earlier with a Garmin.

• Valley (70m asl) 1-2 inches remaining in most places away from griited surfaces
  
• 100m - 3 inches
  
• 200m - 6 inches
  
• 300m - a level foot with upto 4 foot drifts! Totally different world up there!
  

The slight thaw that came in on Tuesday afternoon really affected the amount of snow that settled that night below 150m with that front from the West Country. More at 300m+ than 2010.

you are correct about the height, where I live down in the valley there is a few inches or was, just down the road from me is nantymoel and they had good amount of snow,but up with me we had a lot more with quite big drifts, but right behind my house is the bwlch mountain the one that is still not open due to snow,you want to see it up there 600 m asl huge drifts. but even just 4 min walk behind house there are drifts up to my sons chest and he is 5ft 1 inch and some looked even bigger.it is the wind that has caused it to be deep up here as we are on the mountain and always seem to be windy even on calm days we have a breeze ha ha. been good but be nice to have some warm dry days for a little while.

[mikeocarroll]

-7.6c here now.

Agree with comments about how lovely the snow is, went for a run early as was great fun ploughing through the deep, powdery drifts. I've not seen such decent long-lying snow in ages; was in relatively snowless Norfolk in Dec 2010, and out the country during 2009-10, Feb 2009 I had 25cm of snow in Croydon, London but snow doesn't stick around long in the middle of a city. So for me personally it's the best snow event since Feb 1996 I think.

Edited January 24, 2013 by mikeocarroll

[matty lfc]

I think in a strange way,snow brings a community together.We think about elderly neighbours we ignore for 50 weeks of the year and the atmosphere when all the street is out sledging with kids,is something you don't get any other time of year.

Having said that,we're about as mentally,physically and financially prepared for anything longer than a 2 week cold spell as Bermuda!!!

[keithlucky]

Great to be able to see the stars again no bloody cloud cover got my telescope out can see canis major known as the dog star the brightest star in the northern hemisphere (bar the moon and the planets) been a long time to see the night sky again .The trouble with this cold spell no hard frosts due to this cloud cover this is why our snow cover has been so marginal and quick thawing.

Edited January 24, 2013 by keithlucky

[welshwizard]

Here are a few pics taken from my landing window looking out onto the bwlch mountain direct behind my house,it was stunning this morn with the sun on the mountain.

[TonyH]

Thats some view from your landing!

[welshwizard]

Thats some view from your landing!

that one of the reasons we bought the house Tony it is stunning in winter and summer,nothing better than sitting out the garden in summer with a ice cold ale sitting against my shed and just looking up the mountain,and i sometimes do the same in winter with a cup of tea but dont stay out to long as its very cold up here with the wind,thats why i always ask how windy its going to get during storms as up here u need to add to the gusts. we love it up here peace and quite and views to die for (well not quite)ha ha

[gareth moo]

you are correct about the height, where I live down in the valley there is a few inches or was, just down the road from me is nantymoel and they had good amount of snow,but up with me we had a lot more with quite big drifts, but right behind my house is the bwlch mountain the one that is still not open due to snow,you want to see it up there 600 m asl huge drifts. but even just 4 min walk behind house there are drifts up to my sons chest and he is 5ft 1 inch and some looked even bigger.it is the wind that has caused it to be deep up here as we are on the mountain and always seem to be windy even on calm days we have a breeze ha ha. been good but be nice to have some warm dry days for a little while.

Yes, know that area well. Use the R. Ogmore for A Level field study and always start up on the Bwlch. Great views both sides and the most Southerly glacial corrie in the UK there North facing into Cwmparc valley. Must be like the last ice age up there now too!

[welshwizard]

Yes, know that area well. Use the R. Ogmore for A Level field study and always start up on the Bwlch. Great views both sides and the most Southerly glacial corrie in the UK there North facing into Cwmparc valley. Must be like the last ice age up there now too!

yes it is very bad (or good) up here right now, i didnt know until last week that the bwlch road is the highest road in wales, i know beacons are higher but the road itself is higher than beacons. its still closed up there, we went up in 4x4 after last fri snow and took some pics and put them on here,but my mate went up yest and said he could get only a tiny way up in his 4x4 as all the snow we had since last fri has really piled it up there.he said on the top there are huge drifts going from one side of the road to the other and filled in the void and that void is big very big, im hoping they open it tommor as my son is a boxer for gwynfi and it only takes 12 mins from here but to go around will take a hr. Edited January 24, 2013 by welshwizard

[Stevetynant]

Driving from risca home tonight between about half seven and eight the temp in the car dropped from minus three to briefly touch minus seven and a half. Amazing. On the rise now with the cloud cover to -3.

[Cwmbran Eira]

Inspired by Welshwizard to finally post some pics.

Taken last Saturday on a walk in Llanfrechfa, Cwmbran. Photos of Cwmbran looking towards Mynydd Maen & upper Cwmbran. It would have looked stunning with the sun setting behind the mountain but didn't get home in time.

Can't take any credit for the snow man.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Cwmbran Eira

[gareth moo]

This is my favourite snow snap. Met a bloke on a Honda C90 who wasn't going any further that day.

[Panayiotis]

-5C and clear here in Cardiff!

[chubbystuff]

clear skies here roads are going to be dreadful in the morning

[mikeocarroll]

-8.7c here now, good chance of the first sub minus 10 of the winter I would think. Lowest last winter was -10.5c on the morning of 3rd Feb.

[welshlightening]

clear skies here roads are going to be dreadful in the morning

yes I'm very nervous about them too just been out there full of ice

[Bob Bobson]

Went for a wonder up around the woods near Castle Coch in Tongwynlais earlier this afternoon. Was shocked by how much snow was up there. Village itself had largely thawed as had some of the paths up to the castle. Got about halfway up and then wham - tons of snow still around. The woods still had 6+ inches and trees/plants covered in it. Extra bonus was the number of paths that hadn't been walked down; nothing better than virgin snow.

Wish I had a camera with me as it was unreal, not least as the snow was dry and powdery rather than the wet stuff.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Bob Bobson

[Panayiotis]

-2C now, as cloud cover has rolled in!