Thursday 1st March Weather Observations

[Summer Sun]

Bitterly cold start to spring with snow showers continuing 

Temp -3.5c

[The PIT]

Very cold light snow breezy

Temp -5.7C, low -6.8C, Barometer 1015mb falling, Wind F4 ENE, Rainfall unmeasured

[Raynee]

Hi guys, I've got a question that is probably going to make me sound like I'm completely bonkers (I admit I'm a bit bonkers, but not completely.....yet!! ). I left home at around 6.30pm yesterday evening, started the car to defrost it as it was completely iced up and the car thermometer was showing -4C. As I set off on my journey the temp dropped to -6C, it was a completely clear sky, moon bright, stars out, a typical cold frosty night. I arrived at my destination around 7.15pm and the car was still showing -6C. A couple of times during the evening I popped outside the venue for a cigarette and despite it being freezing cold there was absolutely no frost on any of the cars, some of which had been parked there longer than mine had. When I left the venue at half 11, the moon was still shining brightly, stars still shining and a few thin clouds blowing in from the east but still no ice of any sort on any of the cars!! As I got in the car and started it, the temp was -6C and dipped again to -8 before rising to -7 when I got home. I often hear people say "its too cold to snow", well my question is can it be "too cold to freeze"?? I thought once temps dropped to 0C and below, it freezes. Driving home I noticed the sides of the road sparkling with frost but it was just felt spookily odd that with temps so low there was absolutely no frost of cars or pavements etc. If anyone has an explanation for this I'd love to hear it before I have to call the guys in white coats!! 

[SteveB]

Cold windy start

Temp -4.2c

[Polar Maritime]

Blizzards and moderate snow with drifting continue here. Temp -7c with windchill sat at -15c..

[southern_softie]

Location: Whiteparish (a few yards north of the New Forest)

Finally!!..  first snow.  As of 7am, we have about an inch with light snow faling.  -3C ish, wind 0 to very light.

Children: extatic!

 

[Optimus Prime]

North Manchester

Perishing cold, gusty winds and cloudy with moderate snow. Significant drifting in places.

-4.2°c WC -12.9°c

[Terminal Moraine]

2 hours ago, Raynee said:

Hi guys, I've got a question that is probably going to make me sound like I'm completely bonkers (I admit I'm a bit bonkers, but not completely.....yet!! ). I left home at around 6.30pm yesterday evening, started the car to defrost it as it was completely iced up and the car thermometer was showing -4C. As I set off on my journey the temp dropped to -6C, it was a completely clear sky, moon bright, stars out, a typical cold frosty night. I arrived at my destination around 7.15pm and the car was still showing -6C. A couple of times during the evening I popped outside the venue for a cigarette and despite it being freezing cold there was absolutely no frost on any of the cars, some of which had been parked there longer than mine had. When I left the venue at half 11, the moon was still shining brightly, stars still shining and a few thin clouds blowing in from the east but still no ice of any sort on any of the cars!! As I got in the car and started it, the temp was -6C and dipped again to -8 before rising to -7 when I got home. I often hear people say "its too cold to snow", well my question is can it be "too cold to freeze"?? I thought once temps dropped to 0C and below, it freezes. Driving home I noticed the sides of the road sparkling with frost but it was just felt spookily odd that with temps so low there was absolutely no frost of cars or pavements etc. If anyone has an explanation for this I'd love to hear it before I have to call the guys in white coats!! 

The reason is that the air is very dry. For visible frost to form the temperature has to fall below the dew point ( the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with moisture) , this results in condensation which then freezes, hence a white frost. The drier the air the lower the dew point so even though the air temperature can be well below freezing there will be no visible frost unless the temperature falls below the dew point.

Bitterly cold here with continuous moderate snow, a strong E/NE wind and a good deal of drifting. Full report when I've been out to take the readings.

[johnholmes]

Not a happy bunny this morning, my boiler playing up as it has over the past month.

Anyway 8cm snow measured after further mainly light snow at times overnight and again at times now, currently very slight. A low late last evening of -5.2 C, after midnight -4.9 C currently -2.6 C, so now 8 consecutive air frosts. February was my coldest since the first February doing weather reports in 1997, a mean of 3.1 C, more than average frosts and snow falling but not for lying snow.

Thanks to TM for the above explanation, spot on, beat me to it.

Edited March 1, 2018 by johnholmes

[Polar Continental]

Thursday 01^st March 2018

 

Severe and penetrating frost overnight in the strong east north east wind. Moderate snow setting in before dawn, this turning heavy with drifting. Heavy snow this morning accompanied by a severe penetrating frost, moderate drifting of snow.

 

Maximum temperature to 18:00 GMT yesterday -1.3∞C.

Minimum temperature overnight -7.0∞C

24-hour maximum -1.3∞C

24-hour minimum -7.0∞C

Minimum temperature on grass -8.5c

Maximum wind gust: (Midnight to Midnight) 25.5 mph ENE

Rainfall total: Waiting for snow to melt in gauge

 

Conditions at 09:00 GMT

 

8 Oktas  Nimbostratus.

Visibility <1 Mile

Temperature: -4.2∞C

Humidity: 81.3%

Dew point -6.9∞C

Wind Direction: ENE Force 5

Barometer 1003.0mb: Trend: falling.

 

Yesterday.

 

Variable cloud overnight, odd light snow shower. Widespread, severe and penetrating frost. Cloudy this morning, light snow showers. Feeling bitterly cold. Bright / sunny spells, though snow showers turned frequent and heavy producing 2-3 cm covering at times, this melting in sunshine in between, except in shaded areas. Sub zero all day, and with a fresh east wind, this turning strong at times by early evening, the wind chill dropped past -10c at times. A bitterly cold day indeed for this time of year and this location, though would be very unusual at any time in winter here.

[Summer Sun]

Bitter start to spring with an extremely cold wind chill snow showers easing down for now

Temp -1.6c

[Terminal Moraine]

A cloudy and very cold night with light-moderate snow setting in during the early hours, accompanied by a fresh-strong E wind causing a good deal of drifting. The min' of -8.0c was the lowest in March by a margin of 1.8c over the previous record set in 1986. It was also the first time -8c has been reached since January 1987.

At 0900

Temp; -5.8c

24 hr max; -4.2c

24 hr min; -8.0c

Grass ( snow ) min; -9.1c ( Themometer buried later in the night )

Rainfall in 24 hrs ending 0900; 5.7 mm

Mean wind speed; 23 mph E

8 oktas Ns

Vis; 2 km

Continuous light-moderate snow with drifting

Mean depth of lying snow; 12.1cm. Drifts to 1m

Edited March 1, 2018 by Terminal Moraine

[DTHFCJ]

Light snow flurries,gusty and bitter.

[Polar Maritime]

Gales with severe drifting continues here with light snow showers.

Temp -6c

Wind chill -12c

 

[johnholmes]

I am glad, weather and snow fan that I am not to be living where TM and PM are. A lot of other folk in similar areas, hopefully they can all keep warm. Bitter here and still below zero C, -0.4 C and more breeze than yesterday, inside not helped by a boiler that spends more time off than on. Br Gas out now for the 6 th time in not much over a month.

[Katrine Basso]

Thurrock weather

In the morning there was light snow which disappeared when the winds got stronger.

Temperature at 16:20  -1.0 °C

Last hour variation  +0.5 °C

Average temperature -3.4 °C

Wind chill -4.4 °C

Dew  point -5.8 °C

Cloud base 1957 ft

Humidity 70%

Wind speed 6.0 mph

Wind direction ENE

Pressure falling -1.0 mb/hr

Barometer  997.0 mb

Altimeter 1000.3 mb

 

 

[Raynee]

8 hours ago, Terminal Moraine said:

The reason is that the air is very dry. For visible frost to form the temperature has to fall below the dew point ( the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with moisture) , this results in condensation which then freezes, hence a white frost. The drier the air the lower the dew point so even though the air temperature can be well below freezing there will be no visible frost unless the temperature falls below the dew point.

Bitterly cold here with continuous moderate snow, a strong E/NE wind and a good deal of drifting. Full report when I've been out to take the readings.

Thank you so much TM for explaining it to me. I felt really stupid for asking, but I know you guys would help me out so thank you again  

[The PIT]

A very cold day with morning snow which quickly turned heavy. Snow died away by lunchtime but a weakening band of new snow arrived mid afternoon but with only a few flakes of snow.

Max temp 2.3C now 2.4C low -6.0C, Barometer 1007mb falling, Wind F4 E, Rainfall 5.5mm

[Stargazer]

Bitterly cold and windy with very fine light to moderate snow for most of the day, amounting to about 3cm so far and drifting so difficult to measure accurately. In absolute terms the snow depth isn't exceptional, but it's the first time we've had 100% coverage last all day since 2013 and we're expecting much more snow overnight. The second coldest day in my 15 year record here in Reading, and the coldest day since December 2010. Maximum -1.8, minimum -4.9. Wind moderate ENE.

[SteveB]

Cold and snowy day

Temp -3.2c

Max Temp -3.0c

Min Temp -4.9c

[Terminal Moraine]

2 hours ago, Raynee said:

Thank you so much TM for explaining it to me. I felt really stupid for asking, but I know you guys would help me out so thank you again  

Glad to help and absolutely no reason to feel stupid. I'm still asking lots of questions after studying meterorology ( as an amateur ) for the last 55 years.

Another bitterly cold day with continuous light-moderate snow and considerable drifting in a strong to gale force E wind.

At 1800

Temp; -4.3c

Max today; -4.0c

Min last night- 8.0c

Grass ( snow ) min; -9.1c

Rainfall from 0900-1800; 3.7 mm ( gauges blown entirely clean of snow so the measurement is from several cores of fresh snow)

Sunshine today; 0.00 hrs

Mean wind speed; 34 mph E

Highest gust today; 57 mph E at 1410

8 oktas Ns

Vis; 2 km

Continuous light snow

Mean depth of lying snow; 16.9cm. 100% cover. Deep drifts

Edited March 1, 2018 by Terminal Moraine

[hillbilly]

A bitterly cold day ,snow showers and an easterly wind gaining in strength as the day progressed,max -2 deg,min -4 deg.Snowcover 120mm with drifting snow  100% cover.

[reef]

A bitterly cold, dry, overcast and very windy day. The 1cm 100% cover of snow from yesterday evening had been stripped by the wind to 0.5cm by 0900, but melted only slowly during the day. The max temp of 0.3C was the lowest in March on record here going back to 1980, smashing the previous record of 1.9C set back on 4th March 1987. The min temp of -3.5C early this morning was the coldest since 2010.

Max Temp: 0.3C
Min Temp: -3.5C
Mean Wind: 21mph E
Max Gust: 39mph
Sunshine: None
Rainfall: None
Snow: 0.5cm 75% cover

Currently overcast and windy but dry with a temp of 0.1C and dewpoint of -4.4C.

[Snowyowl9]

Not quite as cold last night down to -7.6c but there was more snow overnight,forecast was for a dry night lots of overnight drifting.

Today some showery snow this morning,then got lighter solid drifting first half of the morning.

Then wind picked up to strong to gale force E/NE bringing ground blizzards/severe drifting again,drifts upto 7feet earlier.

Very fine powdery snow still falling quite thickly now -4.2c currently after a record cold march -4c max.