Coldest minima winter 2019-2020 season - recordings and thoughts

[damianslaw]

A thread to discuss and record low minimum temperatures winter 2019-2020 season. Please use this thread to record your lowest minimum temp of the season so far, and to discuss prospects of low minimum figures. Also what you think the lowest min will be and where.

I think last year the lowest min was around -13 degrees, if someone could post this that would be good. Indeed if anyone has a link or can show the lowest mins of recent winters to compare that would be good as well.

Also does anyone know the lowest minima so far this season? Possibly about -5 degrees? Last night might have delivered cold minima so far.

My guess for lowest min - -16.5 degrees, Aboyne.

[hillbilly]

2018/19 season made -14.3 deg Braemar 31st January

Note four of the last eight seasons have had the coldest minimum in England!

Edited October 28, 2019 by hillbilly

[summer blizzard]

I’m pretty optimistic that we will see a flip to cold in very late Jan/early Feb. 

I’ll go for -21C in southern England on Feb 10th.

[Spindrift2017]

54 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

A thread to discuss and record low minimum temperatures winter 2019-2020 season. Please use this thread to record your lowest minimum temp of the season so far, and to discuss prospects of low minimum figures. Also what you think the lowest min will be and where.

I think last year the lowest min was around -13 degrees, if someone could post this that would be good. Indeed if anyone has a link or can show the lowest mins of recent winters to compare that would be good as well.

Also does anyone know the lowest minima so far this season? Possibly about -5 degrees? Last night might have delivered cold minima so far.

My guess for lowest min - -16.5 degrees, Aboyne.

Lowest in October so far was a few fractions of a degree short of -5, I think, in Kinbrace (Sutherland), about 7-10 days ago.  Weather on the Scottish news today mentioned -4 at Tyndrum as last night’s low.

I’ll guess a low of -17.6c at Altnaharra as the overall low for the coming winter.

 

[Sceptical]

Statistically, Grampian region has recorded more -20, and sub -20 temperatures, than any other region in the UK.

The form horse for this region is always going to be Braemar.

I'll go Braemar-12.5C.

Just a little FYI.

Theres long been a suspicion up these parts that the all time UK record low, -27.2C may have been beaten. Early Jan 2010, Altnahara recorded the lowest official temperatures for that year -22.3C. 

I remember that day well as I noted -25.6C while parked at the roadside at Whitehouse, which is a few minutes down the road from my house. The local radio station were talking calls with drivers reporting temperatures even lower.

Neighbours have stated they've seen temperatures-28C and lower back in the 1980s.

Theres no met weather stations around where I live, the nearest is miles away over at......Aboyne.

The Met have encouraged the residents to send in pictures of low temperatures but nothing seems to come of it.

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Sceptical

[damianslaw]

Thanks for info above, both last year's min and also min so far this season.

[CheesepuffScott]

I'll go for -19.9°C at Coldstone, Aberdeenshire on January 15th

[Spindrift2017]

1 hour ago, Sceptical said:

Statistically, Grampian region has recorded more -20, and sub -20 temperatures, than any other region in the UK.

The form horse for this region is always going to be Braemar.

I'll go Braemar-12.5C.

Just a little FYI.

Theres long been a suspicion up these parts that the all time UK record low, -27.2C may have been beaten. Early Jan 2010, Altnahara recorded the lowest official temperatures for that year -22.3C. 

I remember that day well as I noted -25.6C while parked at the roadside at Whitehouse, which is a few minutes down the road from my house. The local radio station were talking calls with drivers reporting temperatures even lower.

Neighbours have stated they've seen temperatures-28C and lower back in the 1980s.

Theres no met weather stations around where I live, the nearest is miles away over at......Aboyne.

The Met have encouraged the residents to send in pictures of low temperatures but nothing seems to come of it.

 

 

 

There would seem to have been a Met Office station at Logie Coldstone years ago - it crops up a handful of times in the list of annual low temperatures (including the UK’s record March low of -22.8 on 14 March 1958).

Edited October 29, 2019 by Spindrift2017

[Sceptical]

14 minutes ago, Spindrift2017 said:

There would seem to have been a Met Office station at Logie Coldstone years ago - it crops up a handful of times in the list of annual low temperatures (including the UK’s record March low of -22.8 on 14 March 1958).

Theres a few other spots around there that are notoriously cold, Dinet, Strathdon etc. Suspect the Highland region must be peppered with quiet spots that get super cold but have no observation station close by.

The local blacksmith keeps weather records and notes dating back to the 1970s. I'll speak with him and revert with any useful information.

[Interitus]

9 hours ago, summer blizzard said:

I’m pretty optimistic that we will see a flip to cold in very late Jan/early Feb. 

I’ll go for -21C in southern England on Feb 10th.

The English record for February is -20.6°C at Woburn, 25/02/1947. Chance of beating that must be about zero.

[Relativistic]

1 hour ago, Interitus said:

The English record for February is -20.6°C at Woburn, 25/02/1947. Chance of beating that must be about zero.

Got down to -12C in early February 2012 when I was living in Chelmsford, during what was a cold but by no means record-breaking spell of weather. In a more potent and entrenched cold spell, and in a more favourable location, I think we could get close.

Edit: Coldest temperature that month was -18.3C in Chesham, Bucks - not far off at all.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Relativistic

[summer blizzard]

3 hours ago, Interitus said:

The English record for February is -20.6°C at Woburn, 25/02/1947. Chance of beating that must be about zero.

Your right, I got the month wrong when checking prior temperature records.

2 hours ago, Relativistic said:

Got down to -12C in early February 2012 when I was living in Chelmsford, during what was a cold but by no means record-breaking spell of weather. In a more potent and entrenched cold spell, and in a more favourable location, I think we could get close.

Edit: Coldest temperature that month was -18.3C in Chesham, Bucks - not far off at all.

Yeah, it was dry but potent. Actually produced a colder minimum than 05, 06, 09, 10 or 18.

...

Since I do think the flip will be pretty stark I shall revise my prediction to -16C on the 11th. The coolest since at least 2001 for Feb I believe in England.

[NorthYorksWeather]

15 hours ago, damianslaw said:

A thread to discuss and record low minimum temperatures winter 2019-2020 season. Please use this thread to record your lowest minimum temp of the season so far, and to discuss prospects of low minimum figures. Also what you think the lowest min will be and where.

I think last year the lowest min was around -13 degrees, if someone could post this that would be good. Indeed if anyone has a link or can show the lowest mins of recent winters to compare that would be good as well.

Also does anyone know the lowest minima so far this season? Possibly about -5 degrees? Last night might have delivered cold minima so far.

My guess for lowest min - -16.5 degrees, Aboyne.

Biggar in Scotland fell to -6.7c yesterday morning.

My guess is Braemar at -22.4c.

This link may be of use to you.

Strathspey Weather

WWW.STRATHSPEYWEATHER.CO.UK

Last year isn't included on there but i think last winters coldest was Braemar with -15.9c on the 1st of Feb.

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

My guess is -18.8 C 15th January Tomintoul Scotland 

Top ten coldest recorded temperatures in the UK | Official blog of the Met Office news team

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

---

This lists the lowest temperatures recorded in separate cold spells since 1961.   Date Station Area Temperature 1 10 January 1982...

 

[Sceptical]

Tonight is expected to be the coldest of the season so far.

Forecast is for lows of -8C, suspect a -10C could be achieved.

That's cold for the time of year....

Edited November 9, 2019 by Sceptical

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

 

[damianslaw]

What was the minimum last night - the video isn't uploading for me.

[booferking]

1 minute ago, damianslaw said:

What was the minimum last night - the video isn't uploading for me.

-7.5 Altnaharra 

[hillbilly]

Just having noticed that the longest period since the 1930s not reaching at least -20 deg is 9 years.Since it has been 9 years since our last sub -20 deg I shall predict that it is going to happen this winter,most likely Scotland but if we get BFTE then there is no reason that Shawbury or Kent could not reach that.

[damianslaw]

33 minutes ago, booferking said:

-7.5 Altnaharra 

Thanks. Not bad going for this stage in the new season.

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

 

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

 

[damianslaw]

Sorry again - what is the current running minimum figure so far this season then..

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

13 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Sorry again - what is the current running minimum figure so far this season then..

I believe it is -8.1 C Dalwhinnie 

[damianslaw]

8 minutes ago, Kirkcaldy Weather said:

I believe it is -8.1 C Dalwhinnie 

Thanks for that. Dalwhinnie has a preety unique situation, set within a wide bowl of high mountains, not deep within a valley as such. There is a plateau of sorts and I suspect it is due to its location as a meeting point of other valleys that are set within high mountains and the cold air collecting within them that creates a frost hollow, Normally the coldest spots are those places set deep within high enclosed valleys, at lower elevations, though I guess Braemar is similiarly located so not always the case.

I was up in the Cairngorms end of October and it was notable how quickly temperatures fall once dusk sets in, in Aviemore the temp was already freezing point at 6pm in not especially cold uppers.. something to do with the cold air from off the mountains quickly draining into the valleys I suspect. Here in the Lake District we can achieve similiar effects, but we usually need a deep cold pool overhead and very light winds or no wind to stir the air. Many of the central lakeland valleys are deeply enclosed but conditions need to be just right, with deep snow cover helping.