Hang on a minute , wasn't this forecast as a backloaded winter.?
All the action was meant to be after any SSW
Yes, most forecasts went for a colder second half of winter and I suspect that is almost certain (not just because the bar is not exactly set high!) Having said that the forecasts at the beginning did not/could not have taken the SSW into account.
Things still look cold and not just in FI. The problem is it may be cold but possibly not “cold enough” during any precipitation. I think hindsight may be needed for this one as well as a bit of nowcasting.
I would expect quite a bit of cold rain, some wintry or snow showers and some severe frosts in parts of the north especially. Frustratingly what we may end up with is a persistent cold outlook (end of the week blip excepted) without anything very snowy or prolonged deep cold. I do however think now that we are in a generally cold regime there will be more opportunities (as well as more disappointments).