Past winters discussion

[Walsall Wood Snow]

23 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Though this thread is about past winters... we've seen many a winter dig well into March, most notably and recently 2013. I tend to think of March as more of a winter month in general especially the first half, SST values are at there coldest, the continent is also only just coming out of its winter cold trench and the arctic is at its coldest, yes the sun has much more strength to it, but an airstream from between NW and SE can be and often is every bit as cold as occurs in December.

Northerlies and easterlies are far more likely in March than Jan and Feb as well, the atlantic is traditionally far quieter than Nov-Jan period, indeed if there is a month when 'coldest synoptics' most likely to occur it is March.

Yes March might be the most interesting month of the year weather wise. It seems it can have almost anything weather wise. Take for example March 2012 which was quite warm, pleasant and almost Summer like and then a year later March 2013 which was the coldest and snowiest month of the 2012/13 extended Winter period (with many places including here having more snow than they've had in years) and was actually colder and snowier than January 2013 which was also a below average month and a snowy one, which is incredible.

[snowblizzard]

2 hours ago, Walsall Wood Snow said:

Yes March might be the most interesting month of the year weather wise. It seems it can have almost anything weather wise. Take for example March 2012 which was quite warm, pleasant and almost Summer like and then a year later March 2013 which was the coldest and snowiest month of the 2012/13 extended Winter period (with many places including here having more snow than they've had in years) and was actually colder and snowier than January 2013 which was also a below average month and a snowy one, which is incredible.

Oh please, just take a look through the archives and tell me how many severe wintry outbreaks that last more than 24/48 hours occur during March! 

Yes, it can be actually be colder than some of the winter months and we can see isolated snow events, usually wet snow or soft hail showers.

2013 being one of the exceptions mainly due to a major SSW event and incredible retrogression that, for once, hit target UK!

But, there's little chance of anything spectacularly cold with snow that won't melt (mainly because of the stronger solar effects) within 24/48 hours.

UK Winter is normally over by the end of February.

Edited January 24, 2016 by snowblizzard

[Liam J]

Was out playing in the snow this time 3 years ago!

[damianslaw]

10 hours ago, *Sub*Zero* said:

Was out playing in the snow this time 3 years ago!

Good winter was 12/13, apart from the 4 week very wet very mild spell that annoyingly occurred before and through Christmas roughly mid Dec to mid Jan. The end of November and start of December was very seasonal with a lot of cold frosty dry weather, a bit of snow, with the fells covered white - quite similar to 2008, which likewise turned very mild before Christmas. From mid Jan the winter was consistently cold apart from tail end of Jan, without being particularly severe, temps often a bit below or just around average, lots of frost, decent dry winter walking conditions with some good snowfalls at times most notably 26 Jan when we had 8 inches - it quickly thawed mind.

We then had the infamous March, with the cold lasting well into April, indeed it took until June before temps climbed back close to average, then the major flip in July. Overall the period roughly Sept 12-Jul 13 saw a rather ineffectual atlantic lots of blocking and generally colder than normal conditions. We've seen a marked change since early Autumn 2013 - one for the worst, exceptional amounts of rain in winter, a dominance of the atlantic bar some brief quieter interludes most notable June-Jul 2014 and more recently Sep-Oct 2015. I'm hopeful we will see a flip back to quieter conditions once again- hopefully in time for summer 2016 and for these to last through winter 16/17.

[Weather-history]

A year ago today

 

 

[Weather-history]

4 hours ago, Weather-history said:

A year ago today

 

 

...and late that night was the polar low

 

 

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

good timelapse WH, clearly see when low arrives, change in cloud direction, 

 

[Day 10]

I just thought in my boredom tonight I would scroll through the archives and have a look at some memorable past winters. Thought I would dig out these beauties from the winter of 1895! Was of great interest to me as the Mersey froze over and I only live 5 minutes from it. Some belting charts on offer here, puts our modern winters to shame!

The log of HMS Conway, moored at Rock Ferry, revealed that “28 Feb 1895 The Mersey was frozen from shore to shore.” It was reported that it was possible to walk from Liverpool to Birkenhead, although whether anyone was foolhardy enough to attempt it is not recorded.
The freeze lasted over two weeks and an iceberg some 12 feet high and 60 feet wide was photographed in the River Dee.

 

[Day 10]

Sorry mods just noticed the historic thread please move the above if you wish

[MP-R]

36 minutes ago, Minus 10 said:

I just thought in my boredom tonight I would scroll through the archives and have a look at some memorable past winters. Thought I would dig out these beauties from the winter of 1895! Was of great interest to me as the Mersey froze over and I only live 5 minutes from it. Some belting charts on offer here, puts our modern winters to shame!

The log of HMS Conway, moored at Rock Ferry, revealed that “28 Feb 1895 The Mersey was frozen from shore to shore.” It was reported that it was possible to walk from Liverpool to Birkenhead, although whether anyone was foolhardy enough to attempt it is not recorded.
The freeze lasted over two weeks and an iceberg some 12 feet high and 60 feet wide was photographed in the River Dee.

What an awesome set of charts! We just don't seem to get those anymore! Can you imagine this forum in that winter?

[damianslaw]

Superb charts - the 5 Feb one excellent - an easterly from Mongolia to Winnipeg!

[Weather-history]

9 hours ago, MP-R said:

What an awesome set of charts! We just don't seem to get those anymore! Can you imagine this forum in that winter?

December 2010, March 2013?

 

[MP-R]

3 hours ago, Weather-history said:

December 2010, March 2013?

 

Sure, but I think the most interesting aspect is the sheer longevity of the cold, almost completely uninterrupted. It's great to see how everything just falls into place and is as hard to brake as full on zonality.

[damianslaw]

10 hours ago, MP-R said:

Sure, but I think the most interesting aspect is the sheer longevity of the cold, almost completely uninterrupted. It's great to see how everything just falls into place and is as hard to brake as full on zonality.

The period from early Feb- mid April 13 was also preety impressive with only shortlived milder synoptics, a very locked in colder pattern. Likewise mid Nov - late Dec 10 saw a locked in cold pattern with a very shortlived milder blip around 12 Dec only.

Many of the summers between 07-12 saw a locked in cold pattern as well with northern heights in abundance.

The past 10 years have seen a propensity for either cold or mild locked in patterns, the Jetstream has been highly amplified for long periods - this winter is unusual in this respect as well, and it looks like staying, locked in cold patterns most likely will occur in the years ahead.

Edited January 31, 2016 by damianslaw

[wishingforsnow]

On 31 January 2016 at 9:52 PM, damianslaw said:

The period from early Feb- mid April 13 was also preety impressive with only shortlived milder synoptics, a very locked in colder pattern. Likewise mid Nov - late Dec 10 saw a locked in cold pattern with a very shortlived milder blip around 12 Dec only.

Many of the summers between 07-12 saw a locked in cold pattern as well with northern heights in abundance.

The past 10 years have seen a propensity for either cold or mild locked in patterns, the Jetstream has been highly amplified for long periods - this winter is unusual in this respect as well, and it looks like staying, locked in cold patterns most likely will occur in the years ahead.

Yes and there seems to be a cluster of years cropping up with a 'locked' seasonal pattern for instance the Springs and Autumns of 2007-2012 (March-May and September - November) were defined by long periods with a northerly tracking jetstream, high pressure and warm, even hot summer like weather but the summers of 07-12 on the other hand had a locked in Atlantic driven weather pattern which pushed the jet south and saw cooler and often wetter than average conditions. But the winters of that period saw more in the way of blocked, colder and often snowy conditions, and there was even snow in April on the south coast once. 

Edited February 1, 2016 by wishingforsnow

[Snowyowl9]

This is a good chart from a bad winter.

[Weather-history]

20 years, a Countryfile forecast that I have never forgotten

 

 

[damianslaw]

Yes the 4 Feb 96 countryfile forecast probably the single most memorable one for me - still etched in my mind. Remember thinking we were in for a lot of snow, in those days they were the only forecasts we had. We ended up with 18 inches and a week off school..

It came on the back of 2 very cold weeks, with heavy snow on the 27 Jan and lots of frost.

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Still don't remember Feb '96? WH/Damian, do you reckon I had snow (same location as now) cannot remember it

[I remember Atlantic 252]

and looks never ending

[NorthYorksWeather]

Played golf this morning and noticed in the clubhouse a picture of the course with a thick layer of snow from the 13th Feb 1969. As I usually do when I see a picture of snow from the past in my area I'l dig out the archive chart to see what the synoptic pattern was. The result being a brief but very cold unstable Northerly, with -12c 850 uppers being dragged across the UK and -15 uppers across W. Scotland. Its hard to imagine such a pattern being modelled today but one day I hope we see something of the likes again. Charts of sheer beauty

[I remember Atlantic 252]

my only lying snow of this season, around 2cms, very heavy snow around 9am, off pure Atlantic air, other places must have had loads

[damianslaw]

2 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

my only lying snow of this season, around 2cms, very heavy snow around 9am, off pure Atlantic air, other places must have had loads

It was a very marginal set up, I don't recall seeing any snow here for instance only places above about 250 metres, gone the next minute. The winter of 13/14 saw abundant snowfall over highest ground in Scotland, otherwise most lowland parts of England and Wales were snow free. We managed one day with snowfall on the 31 Jan, it was slushy stuff and quickly melted. At least this winter we have managed one snowfall or nearly 2 inches that managed to last more than 24 hours...

Winter 13/14 was a relentless barrage of storm after storm, with temps consistently in the high single digit values and low teens, barely any frost...

It ended on a fairly quiet albeit still mild note. I detested winter 13/14 thinking that god we got one of those out of the way.. but now this one has come along and it has been worse in my view..

[Snowyowl9]

20 years ago was good  but not a classic like 30 years this month with 6 weeks with lying snow.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Snowyowl9

[I remember Atlantic 252]

chart from the christmas pudding now, 4 years ago today was snowy for me, east/west battle,