Midlands regional discussion - Winter 23/24

[JakeWorces]

Equally was far, far worse last night here than Isha. My garden furniture has been re-arranged, the whole house was shaking as if the roof was about to blow off for several minutes right before the whole town's power went out; thankfully now back on this morning, and I barely slept due to the wind noise. Some of the worst wind I can remember ever hitting this area.

It seems bizarre that under Isha we were under an Amber warning, yet last night which seemed quite dangerous we were only under a Yellow warning? Seems like plenty of other posters report similar awful conditions in their parts of the Midlands overnight; was the forecast wrong? Did conditions change meaning the Midlands bore the brunt of the wind? Or did the storm strengthen more than expected everywhere?

Edited January 24 by JakeWorces

[Snowyowl9]

@Polar Maritime

Odd gust touching 70mph here on the Davis, with heavy rain. The wind is howling through the plantation at the back of the house dec 8th..

 

Thats strange I didn t recall anything for that night here..unlike last night january 22nd..severe gale..

Theres also another day in december that TM had gusts 70 or 80mph more of a NW looks impressive on the chart nothing much here from that either..

 

Edited January 24 by Snowyowl9

[Metwatch]

A warm but blustery storm last night. The strongest gust since January 2018! (Storm Eleanor) New date record as well and 0.3°C from all time January record set on the 9th in 2015.

Edited January 24 by Metwatch

[Sparkiee storm]

Same here extremely gusty last night, bins toppled, some fences down in other gardens and a single plank ripped of a fence here. Some gusts so strong was rattling the house and sounded like it was gonna put the windows through. Saw what looked like a piece of felt fly past someones garden light. Worst here since 2017/18 too.

[Arctic Hare]

Jocelyn was definitely worse than Isha here too. We had a fairly sizeable tree down in a nearby lane, blocking it completely, something which didn't happen anywhere during Isha. Seems to have been very patchy, though. No power cuts here, for example, despite other parts of Worcestershire having them.

Edited January 25 by Arctic Hare
typo fix

[Weather Enthusiast91]

It was a fairly pleasant day over here - 12 Celsius and dry with sunny intervals. 

Though another shot of cold at some point during the next few weeks would be nice, preferably with snow but crisp and sunny would be great also. Despite the lengthening daylight hours, we are at the coldest point of the winter season now, so there is still plenty of time yet.

Edited January 25 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Wade]

  @Weather Enthusiast91 Whilst I admire your positivity, there is virtually no hope of a decent cold, snowy winter spell now. Just look at the latest GFS run, all the way through to the end it is heights to the south with double digit temps throughout. This winter is finished. If it snows in spring, ok but it doesn't count as winter by then.

[nobble]

  @Wade there is always hope

 

[Metwatch]

10 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Despite the lengthening daylight hours, we are at the coldest point of the winter season now, so there is still plenty of time yet.

Alternatively we are now losing what I like to call the 'golden' period for the best time for cold in winter (as the outlook for the next 2 weeks at least is zonal and mostly mild) which is late December to early February, where we have the combination of shortest daylength / weak sun strength and deepest reserve of cold to our north & east.

Once we're passing mid February we need colder air compared to January for snow to last longer and combat the stronger sun, i.e BFTE or mid March 2013, both an easterly spell. Northerlies i find tend to be not as great once getting to end of Feb / early March and not cold enough against the stronger sun.

I still think mid February we have a chance for something similar to mid January just gone, but that chance isn't a high one at the moment.

 

Edited January 25 by Metwatch

[Arctic Hare]

I strongly suspect that what will actually happen is a miserable cold, wet spell around Easter (31st March this year) at which point half of NW will do the "If only it was January!" thing. Frankly, give me an Easter of high teens and sunshine over that any day. Now, I don't have any proper evidence that this will happen. It's just what I expect.

[Wade]

  @nobble No hope I am afraid, our luck has always been rotten when it comes to decent snow events even if a cold spell does verify. Always next winter I suppose.

[SollyOlly]

  @Wade Next winter is going to be the warmest on record. You heard it here first... 

[Wade]

  @SollyOlly Well it wouldn't surprise me, I think it is best if we all just focus on summer from now on because we always get at least three heatwaves a year.

[SollyOlly]

  @Wade Yes, sadly I'm only half-joking...obviously, I have no idea what the weather will actually be like in about 10 months (!), but if 'the trend is your friend' then the winter trends have been pretty clear for years now. And I say that with a heavy heart, I'm a dyed in the wool coldie!

Since I was diagnosed with some health conditions (and the associated medication) a few years ago, I can't take heat at all, anything about around 25c and I start to get unwell. Which isn't brilliant timing given the regularity and severity of heat in the past few years! July 2022 almost killed me...time to invest in air-conditioning, I think!

Here's hoping for at least one more wintry blast, I haven't seen more than a few flakes falling and only transitory lying snow for two years now. And I used to think that the West Midlands was good for snow...

Ah well. We can't control the weather, I know!

[Metwatch]

Lucky sods in Spain, 30-31C in the middle of winter today around Murcia, and it's set to remain above 20c another few days. No rain and plenty of sunshine for the forseeable. I suppose we'll be dry and fairly mild too for the next week but still incomparable

[SollyOlly]

  @Metwatch Sheer filth! In late January! Our weather is bad enough, but I pity them.

Edited January 25 by SollyOlly

[I remember Atlantic 252]

not looking bad at all here, early spring like, and hopefully mostly dry, usual applies though if sunny will be cooler, if cloudy drizzle/wet/dark will be warmer

[SollyOlly]

  @I remember Atlantic 252 I'm working in London on and off this week Atlantic, and believe me it is very spring-like...in what should be deepest winter. I despair. Just as some folk say that cool and wet is bad for their mental wellbeing in summer...well, warm and wet is bad for mine in winter...! 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Solihull Oliver, warm and wet, cannot understand anyone wanting that, mild/warm and dry is fine with me, if we can't have snow

[Metwatch]

  @SollyOlly

11C and grey skies with intermittent drizzle or low to mid 20s and not a cloud in sight, I know which one me and countless many would pick. IF we had those options only. Though I'm sure we all agree sunshine is nice whether it's 3C or 30C!

Dozens of millions live in areas where it's mid to high 20s or above all year and many with health conditions, so it's all about perspective too.

Everyone used to different things and of course have different preferences in weather conditions, I respect that!

 

33 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

warm and wet, cannot understand anyone wanting that

Only time i'd want that is during a good thunderstorm!

Edited January 25 by Metwatch

[nobble]

  @Metwatchmid March , was actually late March 

and I had snow on the ground until apr the 12th

  @Wade there will be snow on the ground before feb is out

[Arctic Hare]

6 minutes ago, nobble said:

there will be snow on the ground before feb is out

Yeah, but you don't actually say you don't mean in northern Canada...

Edited January 25 by Arctic Hare
typo fix

[Metwatch]

28 minutes ago, nobble said:

@Metwatchmid March , was actually late March 

The deepest snow around here came later in March indeed, although I was thinking about the coldest airmass of that month which was 11th-12th. The snow came around 23rd-24th, with Coventry seeing 8cm.

 

Temperatures at Church lawford from the 20th below. From the 26th, despite 850s of -10c, the cold air is really fighting against that strong sun with daytime temps reaching 3-4c, which I imagine melted the snow quite quickly, maybe it stayed a bit longer in the shade. Something like this in January would be incredible, but in March it's a no thanks from me Shows easterlies are the coldest direction by far in March though.

Edited January 25 by Metwatch

[nobble]

  @Metwatch was a memorable snow event 

 

lots of drifting too

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Was very good, still snow around into April too out of sun, with no actual mild up, just a strong late March sun thaw