Anyone on here actually prefer mild winters over cold winters?

[jtay]

10 minutes ago, Alderc 2.0 said:

Yep - hate the cold so the less cold it is the better. 
 

Can’t wait to flinalise on my house in Spain to take away the majority of the winter gloom and grimness. 
 

Snow is pretty for about 10mins until you realise you have a life and trying to get anywhere is a nightmare. 

Whereabouts in Spain?

[scu98rkr]

What I want is dry weather much better for getting outside MTB/Running/Footy/Walking, what I dont like is wet weather as it pretty much makes it impossible to go MTB as its so clayey and muddy in the SE.

If its going to be cold I prefer it to be early ie December/January. By February I normally like things to be warming up.

The problem with the last option
4. Dry and Mild is does it really ever exist in the UK in Winter ?

Normally to get dry weather in the UK in Winter you also end up with Cold Weather too.

 

[In Absence of True Seasons]

The way I see it, our climate doesn't bring 'mild' winters to the degree that it's any sort of actual mildness you can comfortably sit out-and-about and relax in. It's a case of "do I wear a medium jacket and jumper" or "do I wear a jumper, scarf and winter coat". 

Indeed, we're talking about "quite chilly" (7-11c) vs "very chilly" (0-7c), lol. Those numbers being the usual sort of winter temp ranges for day max temps.

And given that "quite chilly" (aka mild UK winter weather) is more-or-less inextricably linked to wet, dark and dull conditions, I'd rather sacrifice those extra few degrees C and have "very chilly" weather because in Britain that often = sunnier + drier conditions. Which actually feel more pleasant on the face, and to be out in.

Today is the perfect example of this. In my area anyway, it was very chilly today, I think a high of 4/5c, but clear and dry all day. Tomorrow, the temps are doubling or more with a high of 10-11c, but of course, rain us also forecasted for, well, the entire morning, day, and night. 

If we had genuinely mild and dry winter weather, that would obviously be a completely different story. But that only really happens in the Mediterranean. 

I'd also like to add that we experience overcast and drizzly/rainy weather for a decent chunk of every single other part of the year, so getting proper 'wintry' conditions feels different, interesting and seasonal.

Edited December 6, 2023 by In Absence of True Seasons

[Alderc 2.0]

3 hours ago, jtay said:

Whereabouts in Spain?

Just outside Feungirola west of Malaga. 
 

Sunny winters, plenty of room for other cold winter haters. 

[jtay]

16 minutes ago, Alderc 2.0 said:

Just outside Feungirola west of Malaga. 
 

Sunny winters, plenty of room for other cold winter haters. 

Nice. Sounds ideal. Mum's got a place a bit further West in Estepona. She flies out on the 20th for a month. Don't blame her one bit.

[East Lancs Rain]

On 05/12/2023 at 21:08, Sun Chaser said:

22 hours ago, Alderc 2.0 said:

Yep - hate the cold so the less cold it is the better. 
 

Can’t wait to flinalise on my house in Spain to take away the majority of the winter gloom and grimness. 
 

Snow is pretty for about 10mins until you realise you have a life and trying to get anywhere is a nightmare. 

I agree. I don’t mind a 5C sunny day too much but when it’s 5C and raining or 1C and frosty then it’s pretty miserable. If UK winters were drier, a lot sunnier and were a bit milder I’d like them a lot more. I’d love the mild and sunny winters in Spain, but I wouldn’t enjoy the endless 30°C+ sunny days in summer. I like our summers a lot more temperature wise, but I wish they were less wet and had more sunshine, especially living here in Lancashire lol., if I had a second home there, I’d spend October - April in Spain and live in the UK between April and October. Like how birds fly south in winter and fly north in summer lol. If houses were more affordable and there was more “work from home” jobs then I bet a lot more people would do that.

23 hours ago, cheeky_monkey said:

when i came back to live in the UK briefly from 2014-16 those two winters 14/15 & 15/16 were total bliss for me had one brief snow shower in Dec 2014 and that was it..i was almost dancing in the streets 

On 05/12/2023 at 16:24, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

If the UK had a more continental climate then I think a lot of us over here would feel exactly the same way in regards to snow as it wouldn't be a novelty. Snow is like gold in today's UK climate. I have a friend in Mexico who isn't a fan of the heat and he tells me that he would love to experience our generally mild summers. As for snow, he'd be in heaven.

Just goes to show that old saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” is so true. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by East Lancs Rain

[East Lancs Rain]

22 hours ago, scu98rkr said:

What I want is dry weather much better for getting outside MTB/Running/Footy/Walking, what I dont like is wet weather as it pretty much makes it impossible to go MTB as its so clayey and muddy in the SE.

If its going to be cold I prefer it to be early ie December/January. By February I normally like things to be warming up.

The problem with the last option
4. Dry and Mild is does it really ever exist in the UK in Winter ?

Normally to get dry weather in the UK in Winter you also end up with Cold Weather too.

 

Yes it can happen with the right setup and there have been quite a few mild and dry winters in recent years, winter 2016/17, 2018/19 and 2021/22. It often happens when you get a mild area high pressure centered just to the west or south of the UK, with low pressure and the Jetstream pushed well to the north. You allow just enough Atlantic influence in to keep it mild, but not enough for a washout. Either that or just get a mild ridge of high pressure right over the UK. Usually brings boring anticyclonic gloom though, dry and cloudy, but with temperatures above average. The graphic below shows the height anomaly for winter 2018/19 and winter 2011/12, also a mild(ish) but dry winter. Also, remember February 2019? That was an exceptionally mild (warm even) winter month, with many days dry, sunny and in the low to mid teens.

21 hours ago, In Absence of True Seasons said:

The way I see it, our climate doesn't bring 'mild' winters to the degree that it's any sort of actual mildness you can comfortably sit out-and-about and relax in. It's a case of "do I wear a medium jacket and jumper" or "do I wear a jumper, scarf and winter coat". 

Indeed, we're talking about "quite chilly" (7-11c) vs "very chilly" (0-7c), lol. Those numbers being the usual sort of winter temp ranges for day max temps.

And given that "quite chilly" (aka mild UK winter weather) is more-or-less inextricably linked to wet, dark and dull conditions, I'd rather sacrifice those extra few degrees C and have "very chilly" weather because in Britain that often = sunnier + drier conditions. Which actually feel more pleasant on the face, and to be out in.

Today is the perfect example of this. In my area anyway, it was very chilly today, I think a high of 4/5c, but clear and dry all day. Tomorrow, the temps are doubling or more with a high of 10-11c, but of course, rain us also forecasted for, well, the entire morning, day, and night. 

If we had genuinely mild and dry winter weather, that would obviously be a completely different story. But that only really happens in the Mediterranean. 

I'd also like to add that we experience overcast and drizzly/rainy weather for a decent chunk of every single other part of the year, so getting proper 'wintry' conditions feels different, interesting and seasonal.

I get what you’re saying. but mild and dry winters are more common than you think. Often happens when you get a mild ridge of high pressure sat over the UK. Winter 2016/17 and winter 2018/19 are good examples. 
 

For me it isn’t as simple as saying I prefer mild over cold, or cold and dry over mild and wet. For me it depends more on what I’m doing, and what the exact weather conditions are. If I’m just sitting indoors then I’d prefer cold and sunny over mild and wet as at least it isn’t gloomy and miserable, and I have the heating on inside so its pretty much the same temp whether it’s cold or mild. Id take 3°C and sunny over 7°C and heavy rain any day, but I’d take 10°C, dry and cloudy over 3°C and sunny. If I was going to be outside for a while, I’d rather have 12°C and drizzle over 2°C and sunshine, but if stopping indoors all day I’d rather have the cold and sunshine.

 

Id much prefer February 2019, an exceptionally mild, even warm at times and sunny month, over February 2018, a cold and snowy month. If I had to choose between Feb 2018 and Feb 2020, which was mild but exceptionally wet, then that would be more difficult however. And I’d prefer December 2016 or 2018, both mild but not overly wet Decembers over the December just gone. But if I had to choose between December 2015, an exceptionally mild but also extremely wet month in my area, or December 2017, a much drier but also much colder month, then again, that would be more difficult.

On 06/12/2023 at 10:29, Wynn D Woo said:

My preference would be;

1. Cold and Snowy

2. Cold and Sunny

3. Mild and Sunny

4. Mild and Wet

5. Cold and Wet

6. Stormy

 

I find cold and sunny feels less cold than mild and wet, which is the annoying default around here, then everything is just damp, it gets into the bones as well, its depressing and it doesnt save on the heating because its damp so still has to go on...

I guess everyone feels things differently, as I’ve heard stories about some people who have come from really cold climates, actually find the winters worse here than where they are from, despite the temps being much milder here. 
 

If it’s 8°C, wet and windy with 100% humidity then that feels really miserable, whereas if its 4°C and sunny with light winds, and you are out during the middle of the day when the winter sun is at its strongest, then it doesn’t feel too bad.

 

I find high humidity makes chilly temps feel damper and colder, especially if the ground is wet. But low humidity makes chilly temps feel warmer. I remember a day in October when it was only 8 or 9°C, but it was mostly dry and sunny, and the humidity was quite low around 50%, and it didn’t feel as chilly as what you expect with the temperature. On the other hand, there have been days in winter when it’s has been 12 or 13°C, cloudy and windy, with high humidity. I expected it to feel very mild, but it actually felt quite chilly in the wind.

 

The reverse is true in summer though, I find a damp 16°C with 90% humidity feels warmer than a cloudy day or clear evening with 16°C but only 60% humidity.

[Catherine91]

Fave to least fave...

1. Cold and snowy (also love a crisp sunny day once the snow has stopped)

2. Mild and dry

3. Cold and dry

4. Mild and stormy