Autumn 2015

[MP-R]

I still have my old site diaries from December 2001 and January 2002...looking through them it was a chilly December but nothing special and relatively dry up until the Xmas  period..then it was alternating cold and mild in fact Xmas eve rainy and 10c..which ran into xmas morning..between then and new year was relatively cold but no snow at all..then it just goes down hill as we enter January and the rest is history as they say.

 

Where were you living then just out of interest? We had snow showers here in North Somerset on Boxing Day and more substantially on the 29th/30th which left a covering, followed by a frigid 31st Dec - 05th Jan period. It was then cold, albeit not notably until the 12th whilst under the influence of a dirty high pressure system. I'd have to check my own records when I'm not at work but between the 05th and 12th the temperatures were in the 0-5C range here. The first proper mild day was the 13th and from then on the weather was much more mobile.

[cheeky_monkey]

Where were you living then just out of interest? We had snow showers here in North Somerset on Boxing Day and more substantially on the 29th/30th which left a covering, followed by a frigid 31st Dec - 05th Jan period. It was then cold, albeit not notably until the 12th whilst under the influence of a dirty high pressure system. I'd have to check my own records when I'm not at work but between the 05th and 12th the temperatures were in the 0-5C range here. The first proper mild day was the 13th and from then on the weather was much more mobile.

I was living just outside Exeter then.

[MP-R]

I was living just outside Exeter then.

 

There may lie our difference of opinion over the how long the cold lasted and how cold it was...

[Summer of 95]

Where were you living then just out of interest? We had snow showers here in North Somerset on Boxing Day and more substantially on the 29th/30th which left a covering, followed by a frigid 31st Dec - 05th Jan period. It was then cold, albeit not notably until the 12th whilst under the influence of a dirty high pressure system. I'd have to check my own records when I'm not at work but between the 05th and 12th the temperatures were in the 0-5C range here. The first proper mild day was the 13th and from then on the weather was much more mobile.

It was similar to 1996-7: decent in December and early January, total rubbish in the second half. In fact 2001/2 had the longest continuous snowcover here (6 days 31/12-5/1) between January 1997 and January 2010. There weren't large amounts, but it was cold enough to stick around. December was very frosty, about 20 air frosts I think. It was just about the only notably anticyclonic month I remember between July 1999 and Feb/March 2003. Then from Mid January it turned into 2013-14. I remember a really stormy night around the 30th of Jan, and flooding in February. Nothing cold at all though, in fact 2002 had no cold full stop, apart from in early January.

[damianslaw]

As is often the case this thread quickly becomes high jacked by talk of winters past etc .. can we stick to the topic of autumn.

[solarcycle]

Lovely crisp autumn morning today. I picked some sloes over the weekend which are now going to weave their magic in a bottle of gin.

[MP-R]

It was similar to 1996-7: decent in December and early January, total rubbish in the second half. In fact 2001/2 had the longest continuous snowcover here (6 days 31/12-5/1) between January 1997 and January 2010. There weren't large amounts, but it was cold enough to stick around. December was very frosty, about 20 air frosts I think. It was just about the only notably anticyclonic month I remember between July 1999 and Feb/March 2003. Then from Mid January it turned into 2013-14. I remember a really stormy night around the 30th of Jan, and flooding in February. Nothing cold at all though, in fact 2002 had no cold full stop, apart from in early January.

 

I think the only thing that prevented Feb 2002 being as bad as Feb 2014 was the anticyclonic spell midmonth which actually felt quite springlike. Off the top of my head, I think December had some cold moments, it was certainly frosty midmonth and we had snow here around the 10th. That was of course on the back of a very unsettled October and November. I know I will be very unpopular for wishing this but I actually hope we get a wet and stormy November/early December period with the jet digging south.

 

Chilly start here this morning at 05.9C first thing. Sunny now but I can already see the cloud about to move in with the next weather front.

[summer blizzard]

2012/2013 was great here - loads of snow. Not very cold except for March though. Too cloudy for very low minima, but we had about 5 ice days - 3 in Jan and 2 in March. We also had 25cm of level snow in late January, similar in March, a 15cm fall in February - all in all it amounted to the snowiest winter I've experienced. We must have had near 100cmm in total that season - but it melted between falls so obviously never approached such depths.

Agreed. It's definitely a rival to Nov-Dec 10.

The first half was nothing special but the second half of Jan and March were snowy and Feb a very dry and sunny month (20 days without precipitation).

I did measure 16cm lying before the final snowfall so it probably got very close to the 23cm of Dec 2nd 10 (beaten by a total of 29cm on 6th Jan 10).

[Nick L]

Guys, this is the Autumn thread.

[Evening thunder]

Pretty chilly this morning with a min of 3.3C (although only just beating the unusual 3.6C at the end of July). We've also had a couple traditional foggy starts followed by pleasant sunshine recently.

 

I know I will be very unpopular for wishing this but I actually hope we get a wet and stormy November/early December period with the jet digging south.

 

I quite agree, that would be a progression I'd like, a mobile/stormy Autumn with a reasonable amount of interesting weather followed by a cold/snowy winter. 

 

Although I'd like some crisp sunny days and misty starts, there's not much I'd dislike more than a bland high-pressure dominated autumn with lots of cloud, limited temp variability and not much other weather to provide interest, coming just after the bland summer (IMBY), where high pressure in such a position this summer would have provided much better weather.

[Mountain Snow]

Well it's a very poor year for fruit. Apple tree has two small apples on it, blackberries only just ripening but small and sharp, elderberries still hard and green. Last year was fantastic, elderberry and blackberry wine would have been in the demijohns by now. Not sure if it's worth the bother this year, must remember to make lots whenever there's a good vintage.

[Weather-history]

The autumnal equinox

[Walsall Wood Snow]

Now it's indisputably Autumn that it's the equinox, meaning its both Autumn by the meteorological and astronomical definitions.

Out of curiosity I know the soltices are sometimes referred to as mid Summer and mid Winter. Does this mean that Spring and Autumn are in a way parts of a two season model of Summer and Winter (the lighter/warmer half and the darker/colder half of the year) and therefore in a way because we're now at the equinox according to this two season model it's Winter now with the Winter solstice being mid Winter and the Spring equinox being the end of Winter and the beginning of Summer then the Summer solstice being mid Summer then back again in a years time to the Autumnal equinox which will be the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter. Anybody ever thought about this. Will be interested in your thoughts. What I'm thinking is that Summer and Winter are the major seasons with Spring and Autumn being merely lesser versions of the other two hence why the solstices are often in folklore referred to as mid Summer and mid Winter respectfully. What do you think?

Edited September 23, 2015 by WALSALL SNOW

[damianslaw]

Well it's a very poor year for fruit. Apple tree has two small apples on it, blackberries only just ripening but small and sharp, elderberries still hard and green. Last year was fantastic, elderberry and blackberry wine would have been in the demijohns by now. Not sure if it's worth the bother this year, must remember to make lots whenever there's a good vintage.

 

 

Yes definitely not a bumper season for blackberries. Most brambles have lots of un ripened blackberries all green and red/pink and rather small. Apples seem sparse this year as well. Last year was excellent for british fruit, I think the very long mild season had something to do with it combined with the heat of July and rain in August.

 

Leaf colour change is coming on though, some vivid reds and yellows and burnt orange colours on show, but we are good month away from the autumn colour peak.

[March Blizzard]

Now it's indisputably Autumn that it's the equinox, meaning its both Autumn by the meteorological and astronomical definitions.

Out of curiosity I know the soltices are sometimes referred to as mid Summer and mid Winter. Does this mean that Spring and Autumn are in a way parts of a two season model of Summer and Winter (the lighter/warmer half and the darker/colder half of the year) and therefore in a way because we're now at the equinox according to this two season model it's Winter now with the Winter solstice being mid Winter and the Spring equinox being the end of Winter and the beginning of Summer then the Summer solstice being mid Summer then back again in a years time to the Autumnal equinox which will be the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter. Anybody ever thought about this. Will be interested in your thoughts. What I'm thinking is that Summer and Winter are the major seasons with Spring and Autumn being merely lesser versions of the other two hence why the solstices are often in folklore referred to as mid Summer and mid Winter respectfully. What do you think?

The lighter half of the year isn't the warmer throughout, there is a bit of overlap. The darker half (Oct thru March) is colder overall, obviously, but October is typically warmer than April, despite the comparable lack of sunlight.

I get what you are saying, though. Spring and Autumn are often just seen as transition seasons, rather than fully fledged seasons within their own right. In the UK I'd suggest that they are as valid as Summer and Winter, given that Summer like or Winter-like conditions can be hard to come by even in their own respective seasons!

However, in many places around the world, spring and Autumn are actually comparatively short, with abrupt transitions into/out of Summer/Winter.

Edited September 23, 2015 by March Blizzard

[cheeky_monkey]

However, in many places around the world, spring and Autumn are actually comparatively short, with abrupt transitions into/out of Summer/Winter.

Very true and in some cases are non existent..spring and fall are about 4-6 weeks at best on the Canadian prairies..in 2012 Autumn never arrived we went straight from summer into winter..1st October +28c sunny..2nd October 0c and snowing..from there October never recovered and it turned into a cold snowy month and autumn never made an appearance.

[damianslaw]

Very true and in some cases are non existent..spring and fall are about 4-6 weeks at best on the Canadian prairies..in 2012 Autumn never arrived we went straight from summer into winter..1st October +28c sunny..2nd October 0c and snowing..from there October never recovered and it turned into a cold snowy month and autumn never made an appearance.

 

Interesting to note how quickly things changed in 2012. I was in Calgary/Banff/Rockies and Vancouver in October 2010 and it was remarkably consistently mild until at least my final day on the 20th, indeed it was 20 degrees in Calgary on the 20th. It only became cold tail end of October.

[MP-R]

I've enjoyed the variety of this autumn so far and it now looks like a week or so of sunnyish weather with ever developing autumn colours is on the cards. I'm generally not a fan of October warmth as it tends to come with hazier skies so the drier, cooler easterly option with clearer skies will be very well received by me at least. Fingers crossed these synoptics come back from mid December onwards.

[Weather-history]

It looks a cooler and drier than average September. The last one was 1990.

[Polar Maritime]

Just spotted some Geese off on there yearly migration, Nice to see and hear ☺

[March Blizzard]

4C this morning, 18C this afternoon. It's that time of the year where we can see some very large diurnal temperature ranges under clear skies...

Yeah, although it's never usually on a par with Feb/Mar/Apr/May, due to the generally higher humidity, increased likelihood of cloud and latent heat left over in the Autumn.

With that being said, I love big diurnal ranges at any time of year.

[reef]

We're on course here for the coldest September since 1986. The mean at the moment stands at 12.9C, 1.4C below the 1981-2010 average.

 

Its also only the second September here in 36 years not to record 20C. The high max at the moment is 19.8C, currently the lowest on record.

[Weather-history]

A taste of winter for Cumbrian fells, 20 years ago today

[marti57]

Hello,

I live in Dolton, North Devon, alt 106m, I have a fairly basic rain guage in our fruit garden and so far for September I have recorded 140mm of rainfall. This seems very high although the Rivers round here have risen dramatically during the month and the met office rainfall radar has shown some big rainfall build ups in this area and so it may be correct.

Does anyone else in this area keep rainfall records it would be interesting to know if anyone can corroborate my readings.

[Yarmy]

Santon Downham had a min of 0.4C and a max of 18.7C yesterday, the lowest and highest temps respectively for the East of England. Impressive diurnal range: would that have been beaten anywhere in the UK this year?

Edited September 27, 2015 by Yarmy