Spring 2023 - Moans, Ramps & Chat

[LRD]

11 hours ago, Azazel said:

Really trying now.

 

my son arrives in a little over 3 weeks time. It would be nice to see the sun just once before my life is thrown into turmoil!:p 

Good luck. April/spring is a good time to welcome a baby. 2 of mine were spring babies. The sleepless nights were somehow more bearable in spring/summer!

[alexisj9]

20 minutes ago, LRD said:

When all is said and done, all the late winter SSW really did was give us 3 or 4 days of slush with some snow on higher ground (after a 5 or 6-week chase, that result seemed a poor return on investment to me) and then an utterly, relentlessly miserable, wet, dull rest-of-March. Which, I'm guessing, doesn't suit most folk's tastes. Perhaps some members might think twice before cheering on a late winter SSW if this is the result. At least it's warmed up I s'pose. Although it might turn cold again next week. Still not ruling out Scandi heights giving us a grim, grey start to April too

In future winters I'll be cheering on a Nov or Dec SSW but an SSW beyond the 1st week of Feb? Stick it where the sun doesn't shine (pardon the pun) unless there is a ridiculously quick response at the surface

It was never going to give an easterly this time, the stratosphric pole vortex was in the wrong place, so northerly was more likely, but it didn't really set up in the right place for us, plus, the lows moving west, got stuck and came back. Could have been better, if the lows didn't come back lol. I won't be cheering one on at all lol, I don't look that far up, yes it has effects, but trying to second guess those effects before they happen, well it's different everytime, and not worth the headache, or the disappointment, if it doesn't fall right. I stick with the troposphere.

Edited March 30, 2023 by alexisj9

[LRD]

Just now, alexisj9 said:

It was never going to give an easterly this time, the stratosphric pole vortex was in the wrong place, so northerly was more likely, but it didn't really set up in the right place for us, plus, the lows moving west, got stuck and came back. Could have been better, if the lows didn't come back lol.

I'm not a fan of March cold anyway. If it happens, it happens (and there were personal reasons as to why I definitely didn't want it this year) but, for me, March 2013 was the worst March in my lifetime. All we got (and I presume you got the same in your location) was grey skies and horrible, raw cold, without any snow to at least make it interesting. The north and midlands did well snow-wise but MBY did not. Horrible month.

I'm not even that bothered about Feb snow unless the rest of the winter has been snowless. If Dec and Jan deliver then I would welcome a mild Feb

[alexisj9]

1 minute ago, LRD said:

I'm not a fan of March cold anyway. If it happens, it happens (and there were personal reasons as to why I definitely didn't want it this year) but, for me, March 2013 was the worst March in my lifetime. All we got (and I presume you got the same in your location) was grey skies and horrible, raw cold, without any snow to at least make it interesting. The north and midlands did well snow-wise but MBY did not. Horrible month.

I'm not even that bothered about Feb snow unless the rest of the winter has been snowless. If Dec and Jan deliver then I would welcome a mild Feb

I was in London then so yes, but Dover actually got a red warning snow event. At the second time of trying from a channel low, first one went south. Think people were hoping for that again this year.

[danm]

1 hour ago, LRD said:

I'm not a fan of March cold anyway. If it happens, it happens (and there were personal reasons as to why I definitely didn't want it this year) but, for me, March 2013 was the worst March in my lifetime. All we got (and I presume you got the same in your location) was grey skies and horrible, raw cold, without any snow to at least make it interesting. The north and midlands did well snow-wise but MBY did not. Horrible month.

I'm not even that bothered about Feb snow unless the rest of the winter has been snowless. If Dec and Jan deliver then I would welcome a mild Feb

Yes I remember March 2013 being cold, grey and raw in London, but with very little snow. Was horrible. 

Hoping we get a switch to some warm, Spring like weather soon. 

[al78]

It feels like an appropriate end to the month that the Met Office is forecasting 27 hours of continuous rain for Horsham starting this evening.

[Mapantz]

Another silly wind warning out.. I'm in it with gusts of 39mph being forecast. We had 40's last week, and no warning was needed, or issued. The inconsistencies are baffling.

90% of the warning is over the sea, there's "uncertainty" about the track and depth of the low, yet the impact matrix gives it a high probability and low impact.

[Metwatch]

17.8⁰C in Santon Downham makes that the warmest day of the year today for the British Isles.

Considering that's with 850hPa temperatures of 2-3⁰C, you can tell the sunshine is strong now.

[Row w]

20 hours ago, Azazel said:

Really trying now.

 

my son arrives in a little over 3 weeks time. It would be nice to see the sun just once before my life is thrown into turmoil!:p 

Congratulations mate 

[markyo]

3 hours ago, Mapantz said:

90% of the warning is over the sea

Err.......isn't that where you need the most warning of any POSSIBLE issue??

[alexisj9]

Just now, markyo said:

Err.......isn't that where you need the most warning of any POSSIBLE issue??

Yep, it's very busy for shipping, they need to know.

[Sun Chaser]

March 2023 was a solid 2/10.

Started off dry but dull, with minor cold and snow events impacting the country from around the 6th onwards but not down here. Starting in the second week, the rest of the month was infested with mild deluges with no real warmth or cold. Currently the wettest March of the century here. I can count the number of decent days on one hand (2nd, 14th, 18th and 27th) none of which were particularly warm and 2 of them even clouded over late in the day.

Our highest temperature was 15.7C on the 18th, not too bad but that came with a fair bit of cloud cover

Sunshine Hours: 51.6 so far (48% of average which says a lot)

Rainfall: 129.2mm (195% of average, again awful) - with more to come

Avg Max: 11.6C (exactly average)

A pretty hideous month tbh. Especially following from such a brilliant March in 2022, with late March warmth in 2021/2020/2019 as well.

[SummerShower]

16 minutes ago, plymsunshine said:

March 2023 was a solid 2/10.

Started off dry but dull, with minor cold and snow events impacting the country from around the 6th onwards but not down here. Starting in the second week, the rest of the month was infested with mild deluges with no real warmth or cold. Currently the wettest March of the century here. I can count the number of decent days on one hand (2nd, 14th, 18th and 27th) none of which were particularly warm and 2 of them even clouded over late in the day.

Our highest temperature was 15.7C on the 18th, not too bad but that came with a fair bit of cloud cover

Sunshine Hours: 51.6 so far (48% of average which says a lot)

Rainfall: 129.2mm (195% of average, again awful) - with more to come

Avg Max: 11.6C (exactly average)

A pretty hideous month tbh. Especially following from such a brilliant March in 2022, with late March warmth in 2021/2020/2019 as well.

Yes I honestly cannot believe how dull its been.  Not sure where to get sunshine stats from but must be in the top 10% dullest here

[Sunny76]

Congratulations Azzy.

Can’t see the post above, so best wishes

1 hour ago, plymsunshine said:

March 2023 was a solid 2/10.

Started off dry but dull, with minor cold and snow events impacting the country from around the 6th onwards but not down here. Starting in the second week, the rest of the month was infested with mild deluges with no real warmth or cold. Currently the wettest March of the century here. I can count the number of decent days on one hand (2nd, 14th, 18th and 27th) none of which were particularly warm and 2 of them even clouded over late in the day.

Our highest temperature was 15.7C on the 18th, not too bad but that came with a fair bit of cloud cover

Sunshine Hours: 51.6 so far (48% of average which says a lot)

Rainfall: 129.2mm (195% of average, again awful) - with more to come

Avg Max: 11.6C (exactly average)

A pretty hideous month tbh. Especially following from such a brilliant March in 2022, with late March warmth in 2021/2020/2019 as well.

March 2021 wasn’t great either, we just had a couple of very warm days towards the end.

It has felt like an extension of winter more than a start to spring for March 2023.

[Sun Chaser]

52 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

Congratulations Azzy.

Can’t see the post above, so best wishes

March 2021 wasn’t great either, we just had a couple of very warm days towards the end.

It has felt like an extension of winter more than a start to spring for March 2023.

True. Though it wasn't especially bad either, as we had some sunny days at the start, some warmth around 15-17 March and then obviously the memorable very warm snap at the end. 1C above average here regarding max temps with around 90% of sunshine average, plus it was nice and dry as well, only 6 days with precipitation recorded! A little boring until the end but I did feel it was more springlike than this month, also following on from a week of clear blue skies and mild weather at the end of February 2021.

The last "bad" March all-around was 2016... 2018 would've been one of my least favourites ever had it not given Plymouth 2 separate snow events. Considering we had zero snow settle here from January 2011 to January 2018, it was pretty exceptional.

[Nick L]

With tonight and tomorrow's rain, we could easily be pushing 130mm for the month here. We only had 87mm in Jan and Feb combined.

[cheeky_monkey]

Geese are back heard the first honks of the season this morning 

[stainesbloke]

Interesting weather day here in the Czech Republic. Several hours of heavy, soaking frontal rainfall ensued around lunchtime. This cleared away allowing a bit of brightness/sunshine. Then a cracking thunderstorm moved over at dusk, was quite dramatic 

[Don]

12 hours ago, danm said:

Yes I remember March 2013 being cold, grey and raw in London, but with very little snow. Was horrible. 

Hoping we get a switch to some warm, Spring like weather soon. 

Missed out on the channel low event in March 2013 which was too far south, grazing the south coast.  However, I did have an unexpected wet snow event on the 23rd which stuck for a while.  That said, the snowfalls in March 2018 were much better.  I can't say this March has been bad as it contained significant snowfalls IMBY between the 8th and 10th, but it has to be said has been very poor since!  I think it's been a particularly bad month in the south as even during the cold snap, most places only had short lived transitional snow and have been very wet thereafter.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Don

[Don]

On 28/03/2023 at 23:36, Sunny76 said:

After months of cold or colder weather. I think it’s the right time to start wanting temps in the high teens and low 20s very soon.

You had better not moan about it being too warm over the coming months! 

[Don]

Latest Met Office Contingency planner for April to June.  No real surprises.....

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/business/public-sector/civil-contingency/3moutlook_amj_v1.pdf

[Sunny76]

25 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Interesting weather day here in the Czech Republic. Several hours of heavy, soaking frontal rainfall ensued around lunchtime. This cleared away allowing a bit of brightness/sunshine. Then a cracking thunderstorm moved over at dusk, was quite dramatic 

Amazing pictures

8 minutes ago, Don said:

You had better not moan about it being too warm over the coming months! 

I rarely complain about the heat. Even when the nights are uncomfortable I always find a way to deal with it, because it’s never long lasting.

I always remind myself, it’s colder for longer periods of the year as opposed to hot or very hot, so just enjoy the hot sunny weather if and when it arrives.

[Mapantz]

5 hours ago, alexisj9 said:

Yep, it's very busy for shipping, they need to know.

That's why there's a shipping forecast..

Perhaps there's 10 million people floating around in dinghy's that need a warning?

Forecasts of 39mph gusts tonight, so I've made sure to batten down the bird feeder and put paving slabs on piles of leaves.  

 

[Don]

6 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

I rarely complain about the heat. Even when the nights are uncomfortable I always find a way to deal with it, because it’s never long lasting.

I always remind myself, it’s colder for longer periods of the year as opposed to hot or very hot, so just enjoy the hot sunny weather if and when it arrives.

Each to their own of course, but I rarely feel cold outdoors now, albeit rain is a pain when you're out in it!

[alexisj9]

1 minute ago, Mapantz said:

That's why there's a shipping forecast..

Perhaps there's 10 million people floating around in dinghy's that need a warning?

Forecasts of 39mph gusts tonight, so I've made sure to batten down the bird feeder and put paving slabs on piles of leaves.  

 

I'm not in the warning, and I'm quite sure the TV forecasts had gust much higher than 39 in the warning areas.