Scotland - Weather Chat

[NorthernRab]

It's all relative I suppose. I believe statistically Perth is Scotland's second snowiest city for average snow lying days, only behind Aberdeen albeit a long way behind.

I would've thought it would be behind Inverness at the very least, if not Dundee potentially?

[November13]

Och well looks like weather now breaking down on Friday 6c and 5c on Saturday. Think we have had our snow chances for the week now. Not sure if cold will dig back.

[edo]

I would've thought it would be behind Inverness at the very least, if not Dundee potentially?

Tends to stick around in Perth though and having lived in both I would say perth is snowier...often have a little bit lying here when nothing in dundee....just not the last two years grrrrrr although different story of you live in say the high Nw in dundee....

[NorthernRab]

Had to laugh reading the MT when our own Northern Rab gave a poster a geography lesson as to the location of the Denmark strait - and it aint Denmark!

Haha felt it was best to nip that one in the bud, just in case it was added to the NW toy chest of misused terms!

[edo]

Och well looks like weather now breaking down on Friday 6c and 5c on Saturday. Think we have had our snow chances for the week now. Not sure if cold will dig back.

Yup so much for the battle...thats a quick change back and with no decent snowy breakdown even I was sure would get something from this spell...Oh well and so the search begins again.... Have to say though been great to see the often snow starved areas get some action

[LomondSnowstorm]

Och well looks like weather now breaking down on Friday 6c and 5c on Saturday. Think we have had our snow chances for the week now. Not sure if cold will dig back.

Doesn't look like the 'mild' will stick around too long:

 

 

 

 

A sort of ridge-trough setup rather than a purely cold one, so mild sectors in there, but still easily cold enough for snow showers to low ground.

Decent signal for a trough to run southeast into the continent though around +216 onwards, bringing with it a risk of an easterly pattern setting up behind: 

Doesn't quite manage it on this attempt but increasingly signs that the vortex isn't far off packing it in altogether...

 

[November13]

Well I hope the cold returns on the 24th. Can live with 2 mild days I suppose!

[Norrance]

Tends to stick around in Perth though and having lived in both I would say perth is snowier...often have a little bit lying here when nothing in dundee....just not the last two years grrrrrr although different story of you live in say the high Nw in dundee....

From Met O reporting stats 1971- 1990 and 1981 to 2000 Perth has on average a day to a day and a half more snow lying days than Dundee or Inverness. Stats can lie though as doesn't show depths. Also Inverness stats come from Dalcross just above sea level on the coast and Dundee's from the Crop Research place in Invergowrie by the river so not perhaps representative of the whole cities. I don't actually know where the stats for Perth are taken and they don't appear to be so readily available on request from the met office as the other main cities. I also don't have stats for Stirling though I suspect it would be less snowy.

[Northern Strath]

Today was the first day without snow falling in 7 or 8 days here, but great to see some showers were kicking around in other parts

Currently -3C so the temp is "warmer" than recent evenings but still had another ice day

Regarding where they choose to take readings from cities, I've always thought they can be bizarre choices too. Dalcross is tropical compared to certain reaches of inverness and I'd imagine it's a similar story for other cities weather sites as Norrance was saying

Edited January 20, 2015 by Northern Strath

[NorthernRab]

From Met O reporting stats 1971- 1990 and 1981 to 2000 Perth has on average a day to a day and a half more snow lying days than Dundee or Inverness. Stats can lie though as doesn't show depths. Also Inverness stats come from Dalcross just above sea level on the coast and Dundee's from the Crop Research place in Invergowrie by the river so not perhaps representative of the whole cities. I don't actually know where the stats for Perth are taken and they don't appear to be so readily available on request from the met office as the other main cities. I also don't have stats for Stirling though I suspect it would be less snowy.

Yep, quite right Norrance. Dalcross is directly on the coast at about 5m ASL whereas most of Inverness is much more inland and between 40 - 150m ASL. Let me tell you, it's caused me slight worry a few times when it's reported rain / snow during a big marginal snow event!

[NorthernRab]

Regarding where they choose to take readings from cities, I've always thought they can be bizarre choices too. Dalcross is tropical compared to certain reaches of inverness and I'd imagine it's a similar story for other cities weather sites as Norrance was saying

It is slightly odd, likely through historical accident I'd imagine but it doesn't give a particularly accurate insight into the actual conditions. Pretty much the entire city (with the exception of Clachnaharry, Merkinch and Longman?) sees snowier / colder conditions than Dalcross, not to mention areas like Leachkin, Culloden, Balloch, Culduthel and Milton of Leyes.

[GrangemouthBairn]

Temperature here is -2.6C which is a bit lower than forecast

[Northern Strath]

It is slightly odd, likely through historical accident I'd imagine but it doesn't give a particularly accurate insight into the actual conditions. Pretty much the entire city (with the exception of Clachnaharry, Merkinch and Longman?) sees snowier / colder conditions than Dalcross, not to mention areas like Leachkin, Culloden, Balloch, Culduthel and Milton of Leyes.

Aye as they pretty much run out of room to build, around 40-50% of the population lives on a hillside or with some elevation. Even low level but inland would be more representative, like Essich or Slacbuie. The current Inverness reading is more Nairn than anything else

[NUT]

The skies have completely cleared here again (rain/snow was close earlier but didn't make it) almost faded completely by looks of radar. Going to be cold in the morning me thinks

[edo]

Very interesting norrance thanks for info

[NorthernRab]

Aye as they pretty much run out of room to build, around 40-50% of the population lives on a hillside or with some elevation. Even low level but inland would be more representative, like Essich or Slacbuie. The current Inverness reading is more Nairn than anything else

Haha there will probably come a day when the city even starts encroaching on your turf, then we'll really be in trouble!

[aggy]

It's chicking it doon with snow has been on for 6 hours

[mistyqueen]

Morning Kilties! Well, what a dreich depressing day it was yesterday. Rained all day, quite windy and really not that cold at 3.3c. It's very calm here just now, temp 2.8c, pressure 1001. A drier day in prospect I think...and hope!

[Hawesy]

Morning all,

As has happened a few times this winter I just missed an air frost last night, min was 0.1c! Far colder at Leuchars where it reached -4c. Currently mostly cloudy and 2.2c in Crail.

[101_North]

Currently -6c after hitting -7c overnight. Considerably lower than forecast.

Edited January 21, 2015 by 101_North

[GraemeB]

Stirling -4 just now...

 

Just wondering when this "milder" air hits tomorrow, will there be frontal snow ?

[Ravelin]

A chilly -3.1C here at the moment and it's been dropping slowly since I got up. We might have had another slight dusting of snow overnight but it's hard to tell.

[Big Innes Madori]

-3 Deg C with Cloud Cover this morning, so I am quite impressed wi that!

Temperature wise this cauld spell has been OK, Snaw wise for me has been pure keech!

Last Wednesday before the last Storm and this cauld spell, there was 4" o' Snaw here, this cauld spell has Yielded aboot .5cm

Pure Chokin fur a decent Snaw fall noo eh!!!

Big Innes

Edited January 21, 2015 by Big Innes Madori

[GrangemouthBairn]

Was -3.4 when I got up at 7.15 but to my surprise the overnight low was -5.2 which is the 4th consecutive night that I've broken my weather station record. Cloudy and a bit misty this morning

[Guest]

It is slightly odd, likely through historical accident I'd imagine but it doesn't give a particularly accurate insight into the actual conditions. Pretty much the entire city (with the exception of Clachnaharry, Merkinch and Longman?) sees snowier / colder conditions than Dalcross, not to mention areas like Leachkin, Culloden, Balloch, Culduthel and Milton of Leyes.

 

Accident or design NR? The use of "Glasgow" Bishopton as the weather station to calculate cold weather payments for vast areas in and around Glasgow has been debated in the House of Commons. In extreme cold weather (e.g. persistent freezing fog or dry frosty weather) the temperature at Bishopton is often several degrees higher than at Glasgow Airport just a few miles down the road. Interesting that Inverness and Dundee could have a similar tropical-esque weather station which is used to calculate a cold weather payment?

 

The weather station at Bishopton isn't even in Bishopton, let alone anywhere near Glasgow, it's in a different council area from Glasgow!! Accident or design? Why not use somewhere in Glasgow to record the weather for Glasgow, not somewhere which is over 10 miles away? Only the Met-O marry up the names Glasgow AND Bishopton, it's never used anywhere else at any time.

 

There are plenty of places which could be used, for example Pollok Park is huge and would be an ideal location for a weather station. Even Glasgow Airport would be better, it's still not in Glasgow but it's 4 miles closer and already has a weather station...