When do you change preferences from cold to warm (if at all)?

[matt111]

Usually start looking for signs of warmth after early March, I don't mind springlike weather at the end of February but would prefer cold if given the choice. As for cold, I start looking for that from late November, although that's usually rather unrealistic here.  

[In Absence of True Seasons]

Beginning of April.

They end at the beginning of October.

[stewfox]

Given what we had in April 1988 I'd say late April and late October but we had snow in October before. 

 

 

[Vortex3929]

What an interesting point to raise! Is there a point that we give up, and why. Is there common ground? Model fatigue, let down too much in the winter season etc?

Agreed that it has to be a seasonal thing. Cold is fine in winter.. ideally with snow of course but then around this time I'm starting to think of hot sunny days and long daylight hours. I do prefer summer to winter however. 

[reef]

I like unusual weather, so the answer is never, as anything below average is so rare these days. Plus you can get some pretty dramatic weather in a cold flow in Spring. The bog-standard 14C and overcast is also pretty grim at any point in the year.

Most people with "cut-off" dates (something I don't really understand as snowfall would be as exciting to me in May as it is in January) tend to look for cold in Autumn and warmth in Spring far too early. March for example is really quite a cold month in the scheme of things. Warmth is possible then but its never going to be that common.

A lot of people when they say "look forward to Spring" actually mean summer or just the higher light levels in general. Apart from occasionally at the very end, Spring is almost never "hot".

Edited January 25 by reef

[KTtom]

Im finding it gets earlier every year. Probably mid Feb for me...cold is no use in west Wales after this it wont give anything here apart from maintaining the oil useage.

Im already desperately looking foreward to some lighter evenings.

Edited January 25 by KTtom

[Arctic Hare]

As with some others, it's increasingly conditions rather than temperature that matter to me. Boxing Day here was lovely: a cold, frosty morning leading into a chilly, sunny day. That's a really nice winter's day to me. I have very little interest in murky wet days at any time of year, regardless of what the thermometer says, especially if they lead to flooding.

These days my favourite season is spring, though we've had rather too much of the cloudy grot in recent years and less of the interesting changes and contrasts that a "traditional" spring contains. In general, by Easter I definitely want warm, sunny weather. Easter is at the end of March this year so 20 °C will be unlikely, but nevertheless I'd like it.

[MAF]

My wife changes every other day - hot/cold... hot/cold..... 

[lassie23]

when UK winters became a complete waste of time

[damianslaw]

Late March is the cut off point for winter to me, March can and often packs a winter punch. For deep winter weather usually around third week of Feb I tend to feel a shift towards thoughts of Spring. 

[SunnyG]

I only like two seasons, spring and summer, so can't wait for the end of February....

[Dark Horse]

  @damianslaw the winter chase is getting more tiring & tedious for me every year now especially when we get to late March we often have little to show for it. Always potential way out in fantasy island but getting it into the reliable is what we want. I've not looked at the charts now for a few days which isn't like me really but I've got other dilemmas in my life at the moment. At least you had that mega dumping of snow early in winter. Here only a couple of inches so far. Another poor show on the snow front up to now...still got Feb to go though and yes March.

Edited January 28 by Dark Horse

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

I'm looking for settled, sunny weather all the year round. Happy enough with cold winter days with plenty of sunshine. For me the switch to warm weather hunting starts during mid March to early April. That's the time you can be realistically be chasing the magic temperature of 18C when you can throw open your patio doors and the temperature inside and out is the same.

[jellybaby1969]

Personally for me i look fwd to warmth from 1st April and Cold from the 1st November..... tho nowadays winter has just become an extension to autumn !!

[In Absence of True Seasons]

  @SunnyG what about Autumn if it delivers another September 2023 and early Oct 2023...?

[SunnyG]

  @In Absence of True Seasons No. Don't like the feeling of things dying (or dead, as in winter). Plus light changes...

[MattStoke]

Second half of spring. Don't really get proper warmth until then but can still get significant cold until then.

[danm]

Middle of March for me. The BFTE was exceptionally cold, so was worth it even as we entered Spring. However, usually cold spells in Spring are limp affairs with transient snow at best. Solar energy just gets too high to allow anything substantial. Even during the BFTE, as soon as the sun came out, the snow melted despite air temperatures and dew points being sub zero. Shows how up against it we are as we get into March. 

By mid March I'm looking for Spring warmth and the countdown to Summer. No more cold for me after that point.

 

Edited January 29 by danm

[In Absence of True Seasons]

  @SunnyG Fair enough.

Personally i felt that the warm, sunny spell in October 2023 was a little wasted, almost like a kick in the teeth after the dross of high-summer we had that year. Why couldn't that spell have landed in July-August when things are greener, days are longer, and light more summery?

I enjoy sun and warmth in September though, especially the first half of the month. Can definitely feel like an extension of summer in most regards.

[Scorcher]

My preference is for warm/mild weather whenever possible. Although I can appreciate some dry, bright, cold weather in the run up to Christmas, over new year and in January as long as it doesn't last too long.

Definitely mid-February onwards I only hope for mild/warm weather.

 

[Summer18]

The back end of March, cold weather just gets annoying in April and especially May. 

[danm]

  @Summer18 Absolutely, cold in April & May is bloody annoying. It serves no purpose. 

[damianslaw]

Not a fan of cold weather in April or May, but arctic northerlies and north easterlies are most likely then... March cold I can accept, it has bite to it still despite the warming sun, but often feels too late.  

Likewise September heat annoys me, always feels too late with the ever shortening days.

I do like my seasons to behave as they should, they rarely do though, we increasingly seem to achieve the most wintry or hottest synoptics you can get at the wrong time of year! i.e. abnormal southerly plumes in mid winter, long fetch northerlies in late spring, cyclonic cold lows in high summer and expansive euro high heatwaves in mid Autumn.

Edited January 29 by damianslaw

[Daniel*]

Cold and sunny well into spring is a delight April 2021 was a great month. I live in middle of London I don't crave warmth we have plenty of that.

[stainesbloke]

I like seeing warmer temperatures begin to show in April. I also like traditional April showers which seem quite rare, these days.
As for things cooling off, the end of October feels about right for that