A difference between last year and this?

[Neilsouth]

I know we have all those lovely charts to see, but what personal experience have you noticed from this year to last?

 

For me I've seen more fog, a lot more fog with some areas being so dense I had to slow right down. This year so far has also been a lot calmer, last year was already setting up to be a very windy affair and this year nope, just a bit of wind. It also feels a lot warmer but that may be due to more blue skies and sunshine with winds more up from the south. Last year's summer was no way as good as the one we just had, this summer was lovely!

 

Oh and Thunderstorms, there were so many awesome storms about this year in a more southern quarter compared to last, with some of the best strikes I've seen this year!

 

 

[picog]

A drier summer this year, and mostly not too hot (in this area anyway). Still it was neither sufficiently dry nor sufficiently hot to turn the grass brown - it's been green all year, but easy to cut.

[Froze were the Days]

Far milder/warmer consistently bar July 2013, very few frosts of any worth - a quite extraordinary year for warmth.

[Wynn D Woo]

Warm and wet sums this year up, I seem to have spent most of my free time cutting the grass as it has grown rapidly. Cutting started earlier in the year to normal and finished later too. It's needs cutting again now really but is too wet.

[Richard2901]

Last year had a variety of weather conditions and reasonable temperature range. A lot of snow, though none of the falls were impressive, and a very good summer. It was generally pleasant with persistently good weather from mid-April to late-September. This, combined with a record sunny November, helped make it the sunniest year since 2003.

 

This year, by contrast, has been utterly vile like nothing ever recorded before. Snowless and frost free beyond the bounds of credulity with almost relentless wind from the SE quarter and on target to have the lowest average pressure in more than 150 years. 

 

The dullest year since 1998 and the gloomiest and murkiest I have ever experienced. One of the wettest too with persistent mild nights and low diurnal ranges. Damp even when not wet with a constant nagging wind. A revolting snowless wet winter followed by a dull foggy spring followed by a wet summer and now this disgusting abomination of an autumn that is even worse than 2006/2011.

 

Only one month of 2014 better than it's 2013 equivalent and that was March. 2013 scores vastly superior for warmth, sunshine, snow, frost and general variety. 2014 has just been devoid of anything that could be considered desirable.

 

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

So many more thunderstorms. This year has really seen loads for many areas, especially compared to 2013, which was a poor convective year apart from late July. 

Right now, compared to this time last year is much much calmer, and a complete contrast, with such a rugged, deformed polar vortex instead of the endless roaring PV of last year from October to March!

[egret]

 

Last year had a variety of weather conditions and reasonable temperature range. A lot of snow, though none of the falls were impressive, and a very good summer. It was generally pleasant with persistently good weather from mid-April to late-September. This, combined with a record sunny November, helped make it the sunniest year since 2003.

 

This year, by contrast, has been utterly vile like nothing ever recorded before. Snowless and frost free beyond the bounds of credulity with almost relentless wind from the SE quarter and on target to have the lowest average pressure in more than 150 years. 

 

The dullest year since 1998 and the gloomiest and murkiest I have ever experienced. One of the wettest too with persistent mild nights and low diurnal ranges. Damp even when not wet with a constant nagging wind. A revolting snowless wet winter followed by a dull foggy spring followed by a wet summer and now this disgusting abomination of an autumn that is even worse than 2006/2011.

 

Only one month of 2014 better than it's 2013 equivalent and that was March. 2013 scores vastly superior for warmth, sunshine, snow, frost and general variety. 2014 has just been devoid of anything that could be considered desirable.

 

Which goes to show the split N&S  Here on the S Coast our photovoltaic panels have had their best year so far - showing this summer to be significantly sunnier than last (even though last year we had  a 5 week spell in July / early August  with virtually no rain).

Edited November 12, 2014 by egret

[Ben_Cambs]

The main difference this year like East_England_Stormchaser91 has to be the frequency of thunderstorms, in 2013 (and in past years) there really was a lack of convective weather. But this year, I've lost count with the amount of thunderstorms that occured around here. If going by the Met Office definition of thunder days, where if I recall the average for East of England is 15-16 (may of been the 1971-2000 average) then this year we've probably had at the very least 20 thunder days (most likely more than that). Where as such in 2013, there was only about 4-5 thunder days if I recall correctly.

 

A much milder year in general, complete lack of frosts, in 2013 spring didn't really get going until the second week of April, whereas this year springlike weather was here by the end of February.

[throwoff]

I think I have already felt more chilly mornings than I did all last winter!

[Dancerwithwings]

Can't remember nowt from this time last year ( none eventful ) except i'm one year older..... thats it!!!!

[Mark Neal.]

Certainly feels like we have had more cold mornings this year so far than we had this time last year!

[egret]

Certainly agree with Ben C re convective activity this year  - there was notably little thunder down here last year, although even this year we seem to have missed the strongest thundery plumes which usually stream up from the Cherbourg peninsular.

In one way I should like to see a repeat of last years rainfall pattern, but just to check what has been done to improve drainage on the somerset `levels and to see what effect it has had. Otherwise I feel quite sure that 'our aquifers have been sufficiently topped up now thank you'!

[Neilsouth]

I saw even more storms the other day and some looked to pack a wallop Looking forward to this winter that's for sure

[MPG]

Had ice on the car.......didn't see ice once last winter.

[Neilsouth]

A chilly air today with dense fog in places, nothing like last  year

[Neilsouth]

Had my first frost last night and more dense fog, completely different than last year! Feels more like winter

[TonyH]

November 2013 min temp -7.3c, November 2014 min temp -5.2c so far

[Mark Neal.]

Lack of Atlantic influence compared to this time last year!

[TonyH]

The Atlantic never got going until the second week of December though.

Late Nov and early Dec were very anticyclonic last year

Edited November 25, 2014 by TonyH

[Wynn D Woo]

The Atlantic never got going until the second week of December though.

Late Nov and early Dec were very anticyclonic last year

Yes the 15th of December marked the big change last year and the beginnings of a terrible winter.

[damianslaw]

Yes the 15th of December marked the big change last year and the beginnings of a terrible winter.

 

I recall the tidal surge along the east coast occurred on 6th December or was it the 5th, think it was a Friday and this date marked the change to sustained unsettled weather.

[TonyH]

There was that yes, but pressure remained above 1020mbar until 12th which is when it turned consistently wet and windy here.

[IanR]

the difference for me is this year is boring