Spring moans, ramps, chat and banter

[jethro]

Regarding vineyards and whether they're indicative of climate....take it with a very large pinch of salt. The varieties grown by the romans have inevitably been lost long ago. The vines grown nowadays are in all likelihood completely different in their needs to those grown back then and the vines growing in Yorkshire will be different varieties than those grown  in say Spain. Now, more than ever, we have the capability to breed and alter plants to suit our requirements - top of that list of alterations and breeding programs is developing different varieties according to the climatic conditions of where we want or need them to grow.

[marksp]

well finally had to admit defeat on winter so far, central heating now officially switched off of at 7.50pm, will not go back on until single digit temps are predicted as a 

regular feature, roll on January 2016 or Feb hahah

[northwestsnow]

Was just looking around Europe over the coming days, Minsk (Belarus) is forecasted temps of 7 or 8 degrees which is pretty incredible for mid December in Eastern Europe.

[The PIT]

Damn Euro high still around for well into FI land. Hopecasts of cold weather and pattern changes abound. I'd back the euro high to be around right in Jan.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Er, I think ECM has had a wobbly! certainly expecting GFS to be closer obviously

[booferking]

Come on ECM please be right pretty please

[snowblizzard]

9 hours ago, knocker said:

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion, for about the 20th time, that it's pointless posting in the other thread unless you are actually posting something the vast majority want to hear.

Well, I don't think so Knocker. I really enjoy reading your posts!

Although, as a lover of cold, snow and ice, I'm longing for the day when one of your posts includes 'UK is definitely about to experience a lengthy cold & snowy spell'

If we hear that from you, then I think the winter forum would go into meltdown!

Here's hoping!

[snowblizzard]

Seriously though, the outlook is pretty grim for cold lovers!

We've been locked into this darn pattern for several weeks or even months now and I just can't see it changing anytime soon.

There's a rookery near us in Tonbridge and the birds are starting to nest, they have been tricked into thinking that it's April.

Tentative signs that pressure might build to the North East of UK seem to be fading by the day.

Even if that happens, temperatures across Western Europe are so high at the moment with record breaking warmth.

Realistically, any significant change to colder conditions is unlikely to happen until mid January at the earliest.

 So, there's still time for a massive turn around late January or early February but it's beginning to look like the odds are stacked heavily against that happening.

Very disappointing.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2015 by snowblizzard

[markyo]

What a wonderful sunrise in sheffield,love,love this time of year,what could be better than setting off to work to be greeted by nature at her best,so much better than those awful summer months of misery being woken up at a stupid time by blazing sunshine! Makes ones day so much more bearable and less taxing. May it continue for a few more months at least before the decent into misery.

[mushymanrob]

14 hours ago, E100 said:

.

About mild rampers I dont really see the point. Its like me saying I want cold summer. Winter should be winter and summer should be summer.

 

what mild rampers?... where are they? i see no mild ramping, its so warm theres no need for ramping! lol

you know, its not illegal not to want 3 months of frost. i personally hate the cold, but, i accept its needed in winter.

13 hours ago, BornFromTheVoid said:

A very good post here on English Vineyards and their relationship with climate.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/07/medieval-warmth-and-english-wine/

"Since 1977, a further 200 or so vineyards have opened (currently 400 and counting) and they cover a much more extensive area than the recorded medieval vineyards, extending out to Cornwall, and up to Lancashire and Yorkshire where the (currently) most northerly commercial vineyard sits. So with the sole exception of one ‘rather improbably’ located 12th Century Scottish vineyard (and strictly speaking that doesn’t count, it not being in England ‘n’ all…), English vineyards have almost certainly exceeded the extent of medieval cultivation. And I hear (from normally reliable sources) they are actually producing a pretty decent selection of white wines."

as i understand it (but without being able to put my hand on any corroborative evidence) the romans grew grapes as far north as newcastle. this suggests it was much warmer back then?...

my word.... i dont think i can remember being stuck in such a rut. (but my memory is patchy!) theres no sign at all of any shift, even slight, in the synoptic pattern for the next 2 weeks at least and probably well into january. the anomaly charts are static, suggesting the controling upper trough in the mid atlantic is not going anywhere .

ok, i dont like cold, but this anomalous mild is getting a drag...

[Evening thunder]

56 minutes ago, markyo said:

What a wonderful sunrise in sheffield,love,love this time of year,what could be better than setting off to work to be greeted by nature at her best,so much better than those awful summer months of misery being woken up at a stupid time by blazing sunshine! Makes ones day so much more bearable and less taxing. May it continue for a few more months at least before the decent into misery.

Funnily enough I see things more the other way round, though seeing the sunrises are one of the few advantages of the darker winter days.

Not that I've seen many, it's overcast yet again. BBC weather last night was saying how it's been exceptionally dull again... two record dullest months on record in a row anyone? 

[markyo]

Just now, Evening thunder said:

Funnily enough I see things more the other way round, though seeing the sunrises are one of the few advantages of the darker winter days.

Not that I've seen many, it's overcast yet again. BBC weather last night was saying how it's been exceptionally dull again... two record dullest months on record in a row anyone? 

Thats one of the very positive things about us humans,we all have our different likes and dislikes,everybody to their own. Must say that sunrise this morning as one of many we've had like that,very lucky me thinks.

[BornFromTheVoid]

36 minutes ago, mushymanrob said:

as i understand it (but without being able to put my hand on any corroborative evidence) the romans grew grapes as far north as newcastle. this suggests it was much warmer back then?...
 

If you read through the link, or indeed Jethro's post a little earlier, you'll see the whole grape issue is somewhat more nuanced.

[Nick L]

After rather overdoing it on the shandies at my work do last night, and enduring a 12 hour shift today, I'm suddenly incredibly grateful that it's so dull and mild.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Nick L

[Woollymummy]

The sun just came out, nice to not moan about gloom for a change :-)

[cheshire snow]

On Monday, December 07, 2015 at 8:00 PM, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Typical 'winter' nowadays, too reliant on a SSW, that may not even happen, even if it does, it dosen't guarantee us a winter, usual massive strawclutch of nowadays

still waiting for 2013-2014's SSW/cold, and still waiting for last years

 LOL

 Bet you will be in this thread Moa

3 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Er, I think ECM has had a wobbly! certainly expecting GFS to be closer obviously

Ggggggg

Blimey you change your mind everday LOL

If the GFS shows cold and the ECM shows Mild then the ECM is correct

If the ECM shows cold and the GFS shows mild the GFS is correct

Edit

Dont know what the Gggggg bit is at the top it appeared when i

Started the Quote

C.S

 

 

 

 

[carinthian]

Well, I must say , I much prefer that picture of a real winter scrouge rather than this miserable cold starved scrouge of a warm modern steaming Cesspit winter. God, I am hating this set up. Sludge for you lot and sunbeat drought for us day after day. Help!

C

[Hocus Pocus]

Just now, carinthian said:

Well, I must say , I much prefer that picture of a real winter scrouge rather than this miserable cold starved scrouge of a warm modern steaming Cesspit winter. God, I am hating this set up. Sludge for you lot and sunbeat drought for us day after day. Help!

C

Yes, it's certainly character building stuff and this month will go down with December 2010 but for different reasons obviously.

[Carl46Wrexham]

The only statistic that shows a number at or close to zero regarding this rotten first third of winter is the Manchester Winter Index....and by god it's going to take some shifting.

[Evening thunder]

1 hour ago, markyo said:

Thats one of the very positive things about us humans,we all have our different likes and dislikes,everybody to their own. Must say that sunrise this morning as one of many we've had like that,very lucky me thinks.

Absolutely. 
Yes luck probably plays a part, I've noted a few times it has cleared overnight (yesterday just in time to give a nice sunset), but by the time the sun comes up the clear gap has moved on and the cloud is back in here.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Evening thunder

[Costa Del Fal]

2 hours ago, markyo said:

What a wonderful sunrise in sheffield,love,love this time of year,what could be better than setting off to work to be greeted by nature at her best,so much better than those awful summer months of misery being woken up at a stupid time by blazing sunshine! Makes ones day so much more bearable and less taxing. May it continue for a few more months at least before the decent into misery.

Nature at her best? Everything is muddy, flora looks dead and is bare and the sun is just blinding when driving. How is nature now at its best?

[DAVID SNOW]

20 minutes ago, carinthian said:

Well, I must say , I much prefer that picture of a real winter scrouge rather than this miserable cold starved scrouge of a warm modern steaming Cesspit winter. God, I am hating this set up. Sludge for you lot and sunbeat drought for us day after day. Help!

C

Grim indeed C!    I have had about 10 minutes of falling snow in the last 7 winter months(I am including this December lol).... Help

Can I take any comfort that it was probably worse, back in the Roman warm period?                                      (no) 

[carinthian]

33 minutes ago, DAVID SNOW said:

Grim indeed C!    I have had about 10 minutes of falling snow in the last 7 winter months(I am including this December lol).... Help

Can I take any comfort that it was probably worse, back in the Roman warm period?                                      (no) 

Grim is a understatement David. I can think of worst words to use .I know some on my friends on the coast of West Sussex and Hants have not seen a single snow flake since March 2013! and only a handful of token frosts that melt away minutes after sunrise. In my ten years in the Alps, never seen it so snow starved. Its driving me crazy. My snowmobile has cobwebs growing through lack of use,  I cannot even go down to the pub on it !

C

[Nouska]

1 hour ago, carinthian said:

Well, I must say , I much prefer that picture of a real winter scrouge rather than this miserable cold starved scrouge of a warm modern steaming Cesspit winter. God, I am hating this set up. Sludge for you lot and sunbeat drought for us day after day. Help!

C

The latest EC32 paints a truly awful picture for us - week 4 snapshot below but it's like that all the way through. You want snow, I'll be happy with moisture in any form!

http://i.imgur.com/7mm19FP.png

[markyo]

1 hour ago, Costa Del Fal said:

Nature at her best? Everything is muddy, flora looks dead and is bare and the sun is just blinding when driving. How is nature now at its best?

Because this is the time of year when everything is taken back to its bare basics,the air is so much fresher,everything is just so more so much more enjoyable and no way uncomfortable,walking is a joy,visibility is so much better,i live high up and during the summer months my usual walk is spoilt by poor visibility and humidity,totally beyond me why people prefere a hot sticky walk to a comfortable crisp walk,will never ever get that!