Spring 2015

[Milhouse]

Well it certainly felt like an early spring day today. Felt warm in the sun, albeit still nippy in the shade and it is cool outside now.

 

Those sort of days should start to feature more and more now as the suns strength increases.

 

Also,There is always that day in early Spring that teases us into thinking its warm enough to wear shorts or go out in a tshirt only for it to turn out not as warm as you first thought.

[Jax]

^^^

 

Indeed, it was a nice day all told today for the time of year, spent a good few hours outside rather than in which was a bonus, whilst not mild, the edge was lacking a bit with the cold if you managed to keep to the sunshine (always going to be cooler in the shade).

[Barry12]

April 2011 please

[Milhouse]

April 2011 please

 

I second that. I thought April 2007 was incredible but 2011 just smashed the record once again. I recall April 14th 2007 quite vividly. Cycling down to the banks of the Humber Estuary, blazing sunshine and not a breath of wind. It could have been July.

 

[Weather-history]

April 2011 please

Apart from Easter, that has not stuck in the memory.

Funny, I can remember more of April 1990 weather than of that April.

[MP-R]

Lovely month it was April 2011. The first warm sunny spell was the 06th-11th then another began from 17th-23rd which really felt very summer indeed with 25C surpassed here on two occasions. I distinctly remember thunderheads sprouting up very quickly to the northwest and east on the afternoon of the 23rd as a cold front moved in from the north. Then the 24th-30th continued the sunny but fresh theme.

 

Such a shame May and June were non descript after that.

[damianslaw]

There is a saying winters back breaks around middle of February, with that in mind until then my thoughts remain firmly on winter, however, there is usually a change in feel during the middle of February often coinciding with the half term holidays brought on most notably by increasing daylight despite temperatures sometimes being at the coldest they have been all winter.

 

Here spring is often a series of set backs, and rarely gets going properly until the end of March, some years though we have been plunged into early summer like 2012, in contrast plunged into mid winter like 2013, can't remember 2 constrasting ends to March in the space of 12 months..

 

There are definite signs of spring around in nature, daffodils pushing up nicely and snowdrops are out in full bloom, but nothing out of the ordinary. Spring growth was very early last year, indeed it was one of the longest growing seasons on record.

[summer blizzard]

Think the spring analogues are for this year these years:

2013

2006

2004

2002

1997

1995

1990

1987

1969

I could be wrong, but that's what vibe I'm getting currently.

 

Think the spring analogues are for this year these years:

2013

2006

2004

2002

1997

1995

1990

1987

1969

I could be wrong, but that's what vibe I'm getting currently.

 

Only strong teleconnection this spring will be the PDO in it's positive phase so i have..

 

1994

1988

1987

1977

[Eugene]

No sign of Spring at all here, December and January have been close to average, if those CET's were recorded in April/May they would be the coldest on record, 7C isn't Spring in the UK, it's the winter average max.

[Costa Del Fal]

Pleasant afternoon here in Falmouth. Can feel some warmth of that sun too now also, first time I have can say I have felt this genuine warmth too this year so far.

[Bristawl Si]

I remember the frustration of 22 March 2013 (or thereabouts) in Sandhutton in North Yorkshire, seeing a belt of heavy snow stall over the Leeds area but with only light stuff getting as far north/east as my location.  The thaw over the following two days was caused mainly by sublimation rather than sunshine/warmth, which made it very notable for late March.

 

But that's the way it is with most notably cold snowy months- some areas get a big dumping of snow and others have to make do with the odd dusting.  December 1981 was largely snowless in south-west England and January 1982 was largely snowless in north Lancashire and Cumbria, but in both months the majority of the country was both cold and snowy.

December 1981 was most certainly NOT snowless in the Northern part of the South West. Bristol had a number of decent heavy snowfalls that month.

In fact one of the best winter month/year in my lifetime here.

[cornish snow]

Pleasant afternoon here in Falmouth. Can feel some warmth of that sun too now also, first time I have can say I have felt this genuine warmth too this year so far.

What do you think,Any chance of something this weekend,down here?

 

Think we'll get shower's but not to sure what those shower's might contain.

[Costa Del Fal]

What do you think,Any chance of something this weekend,down here?

 

Think we'll get shower's but not to sure what those shower's might contain.

Think it might be like the other week with emphasis on rain, hail and perhaps some thunder. Just not cold enough for this far south in my opinion.

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

I second that. I thought April 2007 was incredible but 2011 just smashed the record once again. I recall April 14th 2007 quite vividly. Cycling down to the banks of the Humber Estuary, blazing sunshine and not a breath of wind. It could have been July.

 

Be careful what you wish for lol. We all know what happened after April 2007, one of the worst summers ever and 2011, the most boring summer I can remember! 

March 2012 stuck out like a sore thumb big time. Was on Brancaster Beach in North Norfolk, 22-23c, not a breathe of wind, sunbathing, and local bushfires even cropping up, it was that dry and warm. You'd have mistaken the month for July thats for sure. Then April 2012 came along.... What a contrast that was!

[Milhouse]

Good Spring and summer combinations do happen thought as last year showed. Okay August was pretty poor but id say 2/3 decent months makes a good summer. I dont crave a warm and sunny spring as much as i do a hot and sunny summer. Spring should have enough rain to top up the reservoirs in time for a baking hot summer... in an ideal world

[damianslaw]

Good Spring and summer combinations do happen thought as last year showed. Okay August was pretty poor but id say 2/3 decent months makes a good summer. I dont crave a warm and sunny spring as much as i do a hot and sunny summer. Spring should have enough rain to top up the reservoirs in time for a baking hot summer... in an ideal world

 

 

Last spring-summer was a rare good combo, the last one perhaps being 2003. 2004 saw a wet summer. Spring 2005 was rather too mixed. Spring 2006 saw a very slow start.

Spring 2007 and 2011 were followed by poor summers. Spring 2012 was unusual, March being superb, April a shocker and May not much better.

[March Blizzard]

While I'd much rather see another March 2013, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see a similar spell to the one in mid/late March 2012.

I love large diurnal ranges so temperatures in the mid/high teens in the day and low single digit/freezing at night would be welcomed by me.

There's a saying that March can be winter in the shade, but summer in the sun, and I remember 2012 being like that - it was surprisingly chilly out of the sun.

It wasn't all high maxima, either. It only reached around 4C here in thick fog that persisted all day on the 15th, yet it hit the high teens in Gravesend.

I guess that's why I love March; it's variability. It can pretty much have any weather you can think of, and at the same time in different parts of the country.

It's still the month with the largest range between lowest and highest recorded temperatures in the UK, at 48.4C!

If not a cold March, here's to an interesting one, and rest of Spring, too.

[reef]

Good Spring and summer combinations do happen thought as last year showed. Okay August was pretty poor but id say 2/3 decent months makes a good summer. I dont crave a warm and sunny spring as much as i do a hot and sunny summer. Spring should have enough rain to top up the reservoirs in time for a baking hot summer... in an ideal world

I'm surprised you mention last year as an example, as here at least Spring was wetter than average and the dullest for 10 years and summer was close to average for temps, sunshine and rainfall. The problem came from the almost constant grey easterlies from March to August.

 

2009 and 2010 were actually much better all round in this neck of the woods.

[reef]

While I'd much rather see another March 2013, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see a similar spell to the one in mid/late March 2012.

I love large diurnal ranges so temperatures in the mid/high teens in the day and low single digit/freezing at night would be welcomed by me.

There's a saying that March can be winter in the shade, but summer in the sun, and I remember 2012 being like that - it was surprisingly chilly out of the sun.

It wasn't all high maxima, either. It only reached around 4C here in thick fog that persisted all day on the 15th, yet it hit the high teens in Gravesend.

I guess that's why I love March; it's variability. It can pretty much have any weather you can think of, and at the same time in different parts of the country.

It's still the month with the largest range between lowest and highest recorded temperatures in the UK, at 48.4C!

If not a cold March, here's to an interesting one, and rest of Spring, too.

That's been my big bugbear with springs in recent years - the lack of variability. I'm not too fussed if its above or below average overall, its just quite a few recent ones have just been the same weather all the way through with little variation. Homogenously mild/warm with no extremes at either end of the spectrum doesn't really float my boat.

 

I enjoyed March 2012 a lot and it played perfectly for when I got married on the 30th. We thought we were more likely to get snow at that time of the year but instead we and all of our guests were drinking in the sunshine in the afternoon and it felt like summer. Very unusual and pleasant indeed.

Edited January 28, 2015 by reef

[Backtrack]

31 days until the start of Spring, and approximately that until we see the first moderate UV index of the year arrive in Southern Cornwall around Hayle, St.Ives, Isles of Scilly.

 

I can't wait, I'm really getting excited for Spring & Summer now

[Milhouse]

I'm surprised you mention last year as an example, as here at least Spring was wetter than average and the dullest for 10 years and summer was close to average for temps, sunshine and rainfall. The problem came from the almost constant grey easterlies from March to August.

 

2009 and 2010 were actually much better all round in this neck of the woods.

 

It was frustrating spring and summer for this area last year come to mention it. Due to those neverending hideous easterlies. I guess i was speaking for the country as a whole.

31 days until the start of Spring, and approximately that until we see the first moderate UV index of the year arrive in Southern Cornwall around Hayle, St.Ives, Isles of Scilly.

 

I can't wait, I'm really getting excited for Spring & Summer now

 

I recall as a kid flicking through ceefax to page 418 (i think) to see when the first sun index of 2 appeared!

[Summer Sun]

I had a bit of sunshine this afternoon and it does seem brighter and stronger than it was a few weeks ago. Let's just say it raised my spirits!

 

Its melted a lot more of the snow around my area quicker than it would have done back in December, it doesn't feel too bad in the sunshine today with a light breeze

[4wd]

Spring has arrived in the far SW anyway.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4325828

Won't see anything like this here until April.

[Milhouse]

wow, thats quite incredible to see daffs so early. On my travels round East Yorkshire i have seen some close to flowering however i dont wish to see them flowering too early though. I dont like to see them hanging limp after a hard late winter/early Spring frost.

[Thundery wintry showers]

 

December 1981 was most certainly NOT snowless in the Northern part of the South West. Bristol had a number of decent heavy snowfalls that month.
In fact one of the best winter month/year in my lifetime here.

I should have specified the south and west of the South West (mostly Cornwall and south and west Devon).  Those areas did largely miss out in Dec 1981, but Bristol must have been far enough north/east to catch most of the snowfalls.

 

Regarding the exceptional Aprils, April 2007 has largely faded from my memory because in Norwich and Tyneside it was superseded by April 2011.  I remember April 2011 for a notable episode of high pollution levels as well as exceptional warmth, sunshine and lack of rain.

 

With me, too, it's homogeneity that tends to bore me, be it a consistently warm spring like last year or consistent cold cloudy weather like in March 1996.  The springs of 2002 and 2009 were also marked by consistent unexceptional warmth, although Spring 2009 was rather sunnier than the other two.  Spring months that are warm due to spells of exceptional warmth, like April 2011 and March 2012, and especially when the warmth is accompanied by bright sunshine, are a very different matter.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Thundery wintry showers