Spring 2024

[Pauski]

At the moment, part of southern Finland has received more than 30 cm of new snow and more is coming all the time, it was already 0 cm. 

Last night/evening it rained a lot of supercooled water.  I can't remember the last time I saw this late in the year.

[MJB]

 Pauski Colleagues in Finland have sent pics of snow covered gardens, looks great  

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 SunSean Oh no please don't take September away from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MP-R]

 *Stormforce~beka* There is hope... 

   

[In Absence of True Seasons]

Pretty much at my wit's end tbh. It's like living inside a tupperware box dripping with condensation.

We haven't had a 'Spring' this year, and it looks like it'll be well into May before we see anything remotely settled, sunny and warm. So that's 2 years on the trot, because 2023 was also effectively Springless until very far into May (the end of May for me in the SE). If its somehow possible, 2024 is actually panning out even worse than 2023, which is actually quite impressive considering the bar for last Spring and last year in general is so low, its buried 10 feet into the dirt.

2023-24 has been a real eye-opener for me about the realities of living in this climate in its current iteration - having to wait until nearly halfway into the year to obtain a few scraps of consistent sunshine, dryness and warmth, is just no way to live life, unless your sense of fulfilment solely comprises reaching a book whilst listening to the rain smack the window, watching TV with the lights on at 2pm in late April (because its so dark outside), and playing in puddles.

Seeing as winter is more-or-less non-existent now, we spend 8-9 months of a year wallowing in the same dull, wet, depressing 8/9c-13/14c conditions, waiting for the May to Sept period to land and potentially deliver something more uplifting. I say 'potential', because during that 3-4 month period, dry, sunny and warm weather only occurs a few weeks in total (if that). Indeed, a big chunk of that May-Sept period can very easily be dross too, but at least the grey lasts longer and the rain is warmer, eh. 

It's honestly no wonder that people of the British Isles became such avid seafarers, and that their seafaring was generally focused towards places with sunny, tropical, colourful climates. A desire to seek colours other than grey undoubtedly seeped into the national psyche. 

A pessimistic post, admittedly, but I'm utterly defeated seeing as my health issues are going to be worse a second-year running due to the weather conditions, regardless of how many Vitamin D tablets I pop.

Edited April 23 by In Absence of True Seasons

[B87]

I didn't think we could get a worse spring than 2023, but 2024 is doing just that.

March was as bad as 2023. April will end up far worse as we won't even get to April 2023s sunshine total if we have unbroken sun for the rest of the month. May 2023 was dreadful for the first 17 days, though I fully expect May 2024 will manage to be worse.

Our normal spring climate should have at least a few rainless and sunny weeks, yet the last couple of springs have produced nothing.

Some people seem to think the normal climate is closer to Bergen than to the UK, and no doubt will be complaining when we do get a well overdue week of sun and 25s.

[B87]

Our average spring sunshine is 509 hours. Assuming April ends up around 120 hours which seems accurate based on the forecast, then May will need to record almost 290 hours just to get to average. The 2nd dull spring in a row.

[raz.org.rain]

 MP-R yeah there's consistent themes for something significantly warmer and probably drier throughout summer. I'm sure some will say "we heard that all winter" but we mustn't forget what it was that prevented any cold from reaching us in winter...

[Scorcher]

I drove over to Huddersfield this morning and it was noticeable how much colder it was there with this NE flow.

The Pennines make a big difference in this sort of setup- it was noticeably warmer and brighter west of the Pennines.

13.3C at Rostherne which isn't far below average. Some were suggesting we wouldn't see double figures in this area this week.

Only 8.8C at Bingley on the Yorkshire side of the Pennines and 10.2C at Wakefield.

 

 

[SummerShower]

 In Absence of True Seasons I am generally a happy, everything's sunny, naive type person but I agree this spring has been so bad its beginning to get to me too in some ways and I think it's the light levels tbh.  Never have I known such a period devoid of sunshine and was happy to take what sun we had at the weekend despite it coming with only 11C.

This month up to now is reminding me of May 2022 which was anomalous for its warmth but with an actual lack of warm weather if that makes sense.. the daytime maxima have not warranted such a high CET.  that had a northerly at the end too.  Is it too naive to think we'll have the summer to follow  

[reef]

 Scorcher it's been rubbish here the last few days, max temps of 10.2C, 9.7C, 8.0C and 9.6C, little sunshine, showers and a persistent raw wind (apart from yesterday when it was calm).

7 days of April left and we're already on 120% of normal rainfall, just 91 hours of sun and not a single clear day. Spring 2024 is making 2023 look good so far!

[richie3846]

This data is from my home weather station. Other than the cold spell in January, the temperature hasn't really changed that much over the 4 months period. With the end of April being much cooler than the general trend of the year, it's basically flatlined the whole thing. The beady eyed may notice the lack of air frost after January. Just a few days in February, and none since. I found it interesting that a well above average period has now been balanced with a below average spell, resulting in a relatively even temperature over a very long period. 

With 41mm rain recorded, this could be the first average or slightly below average month for a long time, depending on what happens in the last few days of April of course. 

[SunnyG]

 In Absence of True Seasons I am reading the journals of Lord Byron and he calls it a "preposterous climate". And that was back in 1812.

[MP-R]

 raz.org.rain I must caveat my post with the fact that there was plenty mediocre westerly naffness between those charts… but 1-2 weeks of solid summer every month with episodes of less settled is definitely preferable to all our summer coming in June and for five minutes in August and September like last year!

[Greyhound81]

Has there been many years when the second half of April has been colder than the first half?  It has not actually been a cold month, 2021 was a lot colder.

[Scorcher]

 reef You're still doing considerably better than West Yorkshire though- only 61 hours so far in Wakefield.

We're not doing much better here at 73.1 hours so far- very poor.

 

[carinthian]

Who likes snow at this time of the year ? Fourth consecutive day of persistent snowfall in these parts. Currently -1.6c in the village with a deep covering. Strange though as it was 30c in the valleys 10 days ago. The joys of spring !

c

Edited April 24 by carinthian

[SunnyG]

 carinthian I don't like snow any time of the year so I feel for you. Luckily though you will have warmth soon, which we will not...

[Markus03]

 SunnyG Yeah, 20 degrees is possible for next week. So weird, I've never seen a situation that after snow it already feels like Summer. It's only taking a week until we can wear t-shirts and shorts.

[carinthian]

 SunnyG  SunnyG Yes, probably all start to melt fast by the end of the week with a return of warmth hopefully. Still delaying my trip back to blighty as I cannot stand , persistent cloud wet and Atlantic winds anymore ! Maybe, a flaming June for you lot ?

C

[Markus03]

The melting already starts tomorrow with rain. Forecast models say that 20 degrees could happen next Tuesday. 

Edited April 24 by Markus03

[SunnyG]

 carinthian I doubt it but here's to hoping, mate.

 Markus03 Climate change has wrecked seasonality.

[AWD]

11 minutes ago, SunnyG said:

Climate change has wrecked seasonality

That’s probably a rare statement that both summer lovers & winter lovers will agree on!!  

[carinthian]

 SunnyG I suppose I have become conditioned now to a continental style climate after nearly 20 years. The thought of facing a British summer brings shivers to me now as I am a right softy ! I still remember in fear of playing cricket wearing 3 sweaters at the start of the season when winds blew off the Yorkshire coast towards Wetwang CC... Brr.

C

[In Absence of True Seasons]

 SunnyG  Yes, many such references can be found throughout historical writings haha.

The oldest one I've read was in Tacitus' (the roman historian) Agricola & Germania. I quote:

"The climate is foul. The sky is overcast with continual rain and cloud, but the cold is not severe. The duration of daylight is beyond the measure of our zone. The nights are clear and, in the distant parts of Britannia, short, so that there is but a brief space separating the evening and the morning twilight. If there are no clouds, the sun’s brilliance, they maintain, is visible throughout the night. It neither sets nor rises, but simply passes over. That is to say, the flat extremities of earth with their low shadows do not permit the darkness to mount high, and nightfall never reaches the sky or the stars".

Highlighted the most interesting part lol, especially seeing as it mentions that the cold is not severe, and this was nearly 2000 years ago (I thought we had tonnes of proper cold, regular snow, etc "back in the day". ). This is coming from a Roman perspective too, so pretty much anything fairly chilly would've been 'cold' to him, so indeed, Britain must've always been largely pretty mild, but often wet and overcast...aka, what we have now.