Spring 2023 - Moans, Ramps & Chat

[NEVES SCREAMER]

1 minute ago, Summer8906 said:

I think for me I'll take what we had earlier this week. Only Tuesday afternoon was slightly dismal, with heavy cloud and one or two brief showers. Other than that it's been comparatively good for weeks down here, the last really bad weather being around January 12th.

I don't mind a switch to something more changeable, but please, any wind direction other than southwesterly!

Only yesterday was remotely spring like here this week. Sunny spells. Still chilly. Today back to full cloud cover and feeling cold. But not raining unlike Mon/Tue/Weds. 

[LRD]

29 minutes ago, KTtom said:

West Wales is up to 9c by Thursday! Not sure which model they use or whether its a blend.  This could be the mildest cold spell in history! 

😁

It'll be British-weather folklore - "remember that day when it was 8 or 9C in March 2023. 'The great drizzle with a bit of snow on the hills' we called it"

[Downburst]

1 hour ago, LRD said:

And when that sort of comment is made mid-run... and then the run ends up taking a cold turn anyway, it's "Ah, the ECM has pulled it out of the bag" or some such cliche

Serious lack of self-awareness in that thread. I used to be part of it but have learned the lessons over the last 2 or 3 years and realised the error of my ways

Here's a couple to make the skin crawl, "ECM has redeemed itself at the end and has come onboard" 

[Summer8906]

5 minutes ago, NEVES SCREAMER said:

Only yesterday was remotely spring like here this week. Sunny spells. Still chilly. Today back to full cloud cover and feeling cold. But not raining unlike Mon/Tue/Weds. 

For me I think it's sunshine and dryness combined with later sunsets that makes "spring like" weather, more than temperature. If it's 8C but with strong sunshine, that's to me more spring-like than 13C with heavy overcast skies and drizzle.

Last Sunday in particular felt distinctly spring like in strong sunshine between 4-4.30pm (which not so long ago was after sunset) and dry, clear air - despite the rather chilly conditions.

Edited March 3 by Summer8906

[LRD]

2 minutes ago, Downburst said:

Here's a couple to make the skin crawl, "ECM has redeemed itself at the end and has come onboard" 

Ha ha! Yep, another classic! Some people talk as though the models are a) sentient, living beings and b) sentient, living beings that control the weather 😄

[NEVES SCREAMER]

1 minute ago, Summer8906 said:

For me I think it's sunshine and dryness combined with later sunsets that makes "spring like" weather, more than temperature. If it's 8C but with strong sunshine, that's to me more spring-like than 13C with heavy overcast skies and drizzle.

Last Sunday in particular felt distinctly spring like in strong sunshine between 4-4.30pm (which not so long ago was after sunset) and dry, clear air - despite the rather chilly conditions.

Fair enough. This time of year (Nov through March)  a mild SW does me just fine. Anything to take the chill away. Sunshine can come along in April ! 

[Summer8906]

13 minutes ago, LRD said:

😁

It'll be British-weather folklore - "remember that day when it was 8 or 9C in March 2023. 'The great drizzle with a bit of snow on the hills' we called it"

Well I suppose 9C is (slightly) below average, to be fair. So officially, it's a cold spell, of sorts. 😉

[Summer8906]

More generally about the current setup, it's strange how often we have to "pay" for possible interesting cold and snow in March with dull, wet, cyclonic weather. This contrasts with January and February, when the coldest months also tend to be very dry (February 1986, and 1956, being notable examples).

March 2013 was interestingly cold at times, but, in the south (probably from around the 7th for about 10 days) it was dull and very wet, I remember that was a really depressing spell. Then it turned drier but was really very, very dull. Things improved in the last few days, when the cold was probably most extreme relative to the time of year, but the weather was sunnier.

March 2018 had those two notable snowy spells, particularly at the start of the month - but the rest of the month was quite frankly horrendous; probably the worst March overall I'd experienced since the late 80s.

A poor March does not necessarily mean a poor April, though - but I have a feeling there'll be a distinct lack of really warm weather for a while. My gut feeling is that April will be 'mixed' and about average but we'll see, I guess.

Edited March 3 by Summer8906

[snowblizzard]

ITV (Laura Tobin) much much colder next week with snow showers, especially Eastern counties (including Kent!).

BBC (Nina Ridge) a little colder next week with the possibility of a few wintry showers.

Spot the difference!  🤣

 

 

[MP-R]

32 minutes ago, Summer8906 said:

More generally about the current setup, it's strange how often we have to "pay" for possible interesting cold and snow in March with dull, wet, cyclonic weather. This contrasts with January and February, when the coldest months also tend to be very dry (February 1986, and 1956, being notable examples).

March 2013 was interestingly cold at times, but, in the south (probably from around the 7th for about 10 days) it was dull and very wet, I remember that was a really depressing spell. Then it turned drier but was really very, very dull. Things improved in the last few days, when the cold was probably most extreme relative to the time of year, but the weather was sunnier.

March 2018 had those two notable snowy spells, particularly at the start of the month - but the rest of the month was quite frankly horrendous; probably the worst March overall I'd experienced since the late 80s.

A poor March does not necessarily mean a poor April, though - but I have a feeling there'll be a distinct lack of really warm weather for a while. My gut feeling is that April will be 'mixed' and about average but we'll see, I guess.

Indeed. Probably due to the fact that cold marches generally depend on a southerly jet which results in fine margins between cold/snow but also a lot of rain. At least in winter, most synoptics deliver cool or cold weather. Next week doesn’t even look as cold as the mid latitude high we had in the first week of Feb!

2016, 2006 and 2001 also ended up dull and wet as well as chilly in addition to yours listed above.

[Stabilo19]

"We don't need the rain!"

Couldn't be more wrong IMO! We need a thorough soaking this spring before another summer drought hits us.

Driest February in 30 years for England

WWW.METOFFICE.GOV.UK

---

England had its driest February in 30 years according to provisional figures from the Met Office, as meteorological winter concluded with a dry and mild month for most.

 

[Snowy L]

Three weeks model watching just for a 2 day cold snap, what a waste. Why is this country allergic to snow.

[Alderc]

Appears there’s some reality starting to become evident over in the MAD thread. 2 months, tens of thousands of posts regarding SSWs and we’re looking down the barrel of a 24-48hr chilly snap. Still I’m sure it won’t be long until we’re chasing the late March blizzard or the coldest Easter on record in that thread. 
 

Can’t wait for to post the first 20C in that thread (and for it probably to come off lol) 

[matt111]

I'm quite looking forward to next week. Whatever happens we might see some actual weather. 

[Tidal Wave]

1 minute ago, matt111 said:

I'm quite looking forward to next week. Whatever happens we might see some actual weather. 

Yes, much better than this mundane set-up we have now.  Looks like being a pretty standard affair next week, realisation dawning on the MAD thread bar one or two dreamers!  Those Iberian heights will soon bring some warmth hopefully.

[Methuselah]

Oh dear, it looks like the ECM has received a yellow card... The GFS, on the other hand, has earned an honorary hat trick! 👍

But... After a lengthy look, VAR has upgraded its yellow to red! 😁

Edited March 3 by Methuselah

[Robin2012]

12 minutes ago, Tidal Wave said:

Yes, much better than this mundane set-up we have now.  Looks like being a pretty standard affair next week, realisation dawning on the MAD thread bar one or two dreamers!  Those Iberian heights will soon bring some warmth hopefully.

Does that mean his is the SAD thread then? 🤷‍♂️

As you were

To me, to you 

[Summer8906]

2 hours ago, Stabilo19 said:

"We don't need the rain!"

Couldn't be more wrong IMO! We need a thorough soaking this spring before another summer drought hits us.

If another summer drought hits us. And that is, IMV, a big if. Most summers in recent times have not been notably dry, but dull (hence, less evaporation) and somewhat damp. 2018 and 2022 were very much the exception. I'd be prepared to bet on this summer being cloudier than the 1981-2010 average, and rainfall at, or somewhat above, average - because that's the form horse these days.

That same Met Office article also suggests that winter overall was close to average in terms of rainfall in central southern England - following a wet autumn.

Given I am sceptical about summer producing prolonged spells of fine weather, we need some fine weather in the spring!

We need some good weather in the coming months, given the general gloomy outlook on life at the moment we need something to cheer us up. A wet spring would really not be psychologically good for many of us. Winter has been tough, please let's not have a miserable dull wet spring, followed by a typical post-2007 summer, otherwise basically that's almost the whole year gone and we'll have to rely on the unlikely event of an exceptionally sunny, dry autumn!

I suspect the problems with water are more down to the shocking mismanagement and under-investment by the water companies, than lack of rainfall. We've been without water twice over the winter, and it wasn't down to lack of rain, but lack of investment in infrastructure by the water company (despite them making vast profits).

Vast swathes of the western world have a drier climate than us as a matter of course, and many of those areas somehow manage.

 

 

Edited March 3 by Summer8906

[Alderc]

It's been an odd winter, separated into 3 distinct blocks down here. 

1 - Early Dec, dry and cold, lowest temp of winter at -8.6C and only 2.5mm of rain.

2 - Mid Dec - Mid Jan, floodsville , 220mm of rain from 19th Dec to 16th Jan (almost the whole winters allowance 

3 - Mid Jan onwards, alternating between dry and cold & dry and mildish only 21mm of rain from the 17th Jan onwards

So while we don't need the rain now (the local golf courses are in amazing condition for the time of year) if the really dry weather continues we could have a problem going into summer however to be honest and knowing how fickle our climate is I always get nervous about extended dry spells in late winter and spring as that generally tends to lead to an abundance of payback rain in the summer. 

So hopefully some rain in March but with a continual warming trend please, we have 5 bank holidays in April & May would be good to see the weather behave itself for these. 

[Bristle Si]

I'll take cold rain for next week, as i'm in Barbados at mo, and selfishly dont want to miss any snow. A nice dollop of rain, like a good 5 or 6 days worth, will be good for Cheltenham the following week.👍😎

[cheeky_monkey]

4 hours ago, Stabilo19 said:

"We don't need the rain!"

Couldn't be more wrong IMO! We need a thorough soaking this spring before another summer drought hits us.

 

 

how do you know it wont be a wet summer?

[alexisj9]

1 minute ago, cheeky_monkey said:

how do you know it wont be a wet summer?

That's the point, no one knows either way.

[KTtom]

Hard to believe, after what seems like weeks on end of being promised a 5 star banquet, we are back to the inevitable squabbling over scraps dropped on the floor. 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

Apart from the cold and frosty sunny spells of weather we had in December and mid January, there hasn't been anything of interest happening and I don't think it will be a particularly memorable winter. 

With very little snow, very little wind, very little rain, no names storms, no hail and no blizzards I found it to be quite a bland winter with very little going for it. We did get a decent number of frosty nights though and I enjoyed the two cold and frosty sunny spells. 

Overall rating: 4/10. 

I would have rated it lower if not for those two above mentioned spells.

 

Edited March 3 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Tidal Wave]

The fabled SSW delivers a 1 day passing glance 😅🤣🙈