Snowiest English University?

[Joe Bloggs]

If your talking City Centre's then I actually wouldn't of thought Manchester was SIGNIFICANTLY snowier than London but maybe im wrong.

I think you're wrong there. I've lived in Manchester all my life and there is normally at least one WNW'ly Cheshire gap setup in most winters to deliver some lying snow, even if it doesn't last all that long, even in the centre.

Yes London tends to get snow on an easterly, but we all know how fickle decent easterly events are.

As for comparing Manchester to Leeds, I stand corrected. :-)

That said, if you get a proper easterly, Manchester can also get decent lying snow with frequent showers pushing in from the Pennines (think Dec 96).

Manchester however definitely is poor for frontal snow events with the wind from the E/SE.. The precipitation tends to break up due to a "snow shadow" effect.. (Winter 2012/13 was largely snowless in the city because of this phenomenon )

Edited September 1, 2014 by Joe Bloggs

[Staffordshire]

Think Sheffield is probaby my best bet, also only an hour and a half up the road, good elevation and placement for frontal events and not a terrible spot for an easterly!

[Joe Bloggs]

Think Sheffield is probaby my best bet, also only an hour and a half up the road, good elevation and placement for frontal events and not a terrible spot for an easterly!

It's also a great city and a fantastic university - more important than the weather. :-)

[feb1991blizzard]

I think you're wrong there. I've lived in Manchester all my life and there is normally at least one WNW'ly Cheshire gap setup in most winters to deliver some lying snow, even if it doesn't last all that long, even in the centre.

Yes London tends to get snow on an easterly, but we all know how fickle decent easterly events are.

As for comparing Manchester to Leeds, I stand corrected. :-)

That said, if you get a proper easterly, Manchester can also get decent lying snow with frequent showers pushing in from the Pennines (think Dec 96).

Manchester however definitely is poor for frontal snow events with the wind from the E/SE.. The precipitation tends to break up due to a "snow shadow" effect.. (Winter 2012/13 was largely snowless in the city because of this phenomenon )

 

The other problem with frontal snow events in Manchester is that even when good alignment occurs it can just sit there and here can get 8 hours of continuous snow while Manchester gets 8 hours of continuous rain, I know the 96 feb event didn't even reach Manchester, how did you do from the feb 94 event on that Tuesday, I was in the Midlands and got a decent dumping but would have thought Manchester would have got a decent fall out of that, Leeds / Sheffield would have got marmalised though I would have thought.

[Joe Bloggs]

The other problem with frontal snow events in Manchester is that even when good alignment occurs it can just sit there and here can get 8 hours of continuous snow while Manchester gets 8 hours of continuous rain, I know the 96 feb event didn't even reach Manchester, how did you do from the feb 94 event on that Tuesday, I was in the Midlands and got a decent dumping but would have thought Manchester would have got a decent fall out of that, Leeds / Sheffield would have got marmalised though I would have thought.

The Feb 96 event did definitely reach Manchester, we got a really good dumping, I remember it, just ;-) . It was a very potent and active front.

It was better in Merseyside though and in places like Blackpool/West Lancashire it was really quite spectacular with feet of the stuff.

The best Manchester snowfall in recent times was January 2010 with deep cover and temps down to -18C at Woodford.

I'm not sure about Feb 94 - Kevin (Mr Data might know)

[cheese]

I think Manchester would be snowier than London for sure, and definitely a lot snowier than Liverpool which is pretty rubbish for any wintry weather. London can cop it when the setup is just right but the extreme nature of the UHI there means settling snow in central London is not at all common and quickly melts. Central London has less than 5 days of settling snow if the Met Office maps are to be believed. Better in the suburbs obviously.

Edited September 1, 2014 by cheese

[feb1991blizzard]

The Feb 96 event did definitely reach Manchester, we got a really good dumping, I remember it, just ;-) . It was a very potent and active front.

It was better in Merseyside though and in places like Blackpool/West Lancashire it was really quite spectacular with feet of the stuff.

The best Manchester snowfall in recent times was January 2010 with deep cover and temps down to -18C at Woodford.

I'm not sure about Feb 94 - Kevin (Mr Data might know)

 

 

Yes I was in Salford at the time and had about 6 inches on the 5th Jan, only about a quarter or half a mile away from Manchester City centre so I didn't get anything like -18c due to warming effect, not sure how low I got but -10c at the very lowest I would guess.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Those looking to compare locations also have this "days of snow lying" map to investigate:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/8110_1km/SnowLying_Average_1981-2010_17.gif

 

The network of sites that report days of lying snow is still large so it should be a good guide.  The map certainly correlates well with my own experiences of different climates across the country.

 

Regional averages can also be accessed here (for example, the link for NE England) which are based on the 1971-2000 period:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html#neengland

Edited September 1, 2014 by Thundery wintry showers