I am going to have to agree!! Last winter was a cold start [End Nov/Dec], but to be honest January the temperature was around average and February it was above average and well above average for the south of the UK, in fact it was the warmest February since 1998. There was little frost if any in February and any snow was confined to Scotland if i can remember however I was not here for the final week in Feb. But from what I can remember there were a lot of Bartletts highs. I would not say that last winter was a severely cold one.

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/people/wwang/cfs_fcst/images3/euT2mProbMon.gif

In the space of 4 days the CFS model has chaged from a below average  to cose to average dec-feb.maybe that La Nina assunption or the random movement of the model.It certainly has not yet rach any consotency in outlook.

I think the gist of the argument for far south dwellers is not the amount of snow but the 'quality'. True we have had two or three exceptional dumps of heavy, wet snow over the last few years but the missing ingredient from the great winters of the past (78, 81, 87, 91) is a spell of those fantastic days when the temperatures stay below freezing and dry powder drifts and blows around in the wind. Of course you can have both heavy falls and drifting powder as on 12th Jan 87 but those days are very rare here.

I'd be happy with 3 metres instead of the rubbish 1.5m last year

I'm looking forward to see what winter holds but it'd take something exceptional to get conditions anything like Nov/Dec last year again! Once in a lifetime stuff really.

101

Good to see the winter thread as friendly as ever 

Incidentally, I'd take the 09/10 winter over the 10/11 one anytime. Jan 2010 was a stonker of the month - heavy snow at the start giving us a 17cm dumping, then lasting on the ground for nmore than a fortnight. All this after a pre-Xmas fall gave us about 5cm and lying snow until Boxing Day passed.

I might stick to UIA this winter, Saint, as the calmer option. ;)

Or the climate forum

Sounds like a typical summer's day here when there is a heatwave in the south

Classic-

I think the gist of the argument for far south dwellers is not the amount of snow but the 'quality'. True we have had two or three exceptional dumps of heavy, wet snow over the last few years but the missing ingredient from the great winters of the past (78, 81, 87, 91) is a spell of those fantastic days when the temperatures stay below freezing and dry powder drifts and blows around in the wind. Of course you can have both heavy falls and drifting powder as on 12th Jan 87 but those days are very rare here.

 

Originally Posted by: Snow Wolf 

Agreed - and I might add the extreme frustration of hearing and seeing other parts of the country experiencing quality snowfalls and hard frost day and night whilst we in parts of the south had to watch, purple faced with rage, as our mediocre dumps of wet snow were gradually filthed away by sleety rainy muck!

Originally Posted by: nsrobins 

Hey! Parts of the South East got way more snow than I got last winter, parts of the Sussex Downs got close to 60 cm I believe, parts of surrey got up to 40 cm and parts of Kent and I believe even Brighton got over a foot.. heck, even south London (Croydon) got around 30 cm.. and don't even get me started on February 2009, when 8 inches of snow fell in central London leaving the rest of us sour-faced.

I understand that a very well known lrf'er has today advised people not to waste thier money on winter tyres this year.

I notice you say very well known but not very well respected.

I think the gist of the argument for far south dwellers is not the amount of snow but the 'quality'. True we have had two or three exceptional dumps of heavy, wet snow over the last few years but the missing ingredient from the great winters of the past (78, 81, 87, 91) is a spell of those fantastic days when the temperatures stay below freezing and dry powder drifts and blows around in the wind. Of course you can have both heavy falls and drifting powder as on 12th Jan 87 but those days are very rare here.

 

Originally Posted by: LeedsLad123 

Agreed - and I might add the extreme frustration of hearing and seeing other parts of the country experiencing quality snowfalls and hard frost day and night whilst we in parts of the south had to watch, purple faced with rage, as our mediocre dumps of wet snow were gradually filthed away by sleety rainy muck!

Originally Posted by: Snow Wolf 

Hey! Parts of the South East got way more snow than I got last winter, parts of the Sussex Downs got close to 60 cm I believe, parts of surrey got up to 40 cm and parts of Kent and I believe even Brighton got over a foot.. heck, even south London (Croydon) got around 30 cm.. and don't even get me started on February 2009, when 8 inches of snow fell in central London leaving the rest of us sour-faced.

Originally Posted by: nsrobins 

Leeds (lad) digging out after yet ANOTHER snow dump 2009 - 2011

Us down in soggy Sussex

If we're talking about you know who, all I'll say is;

Time to start lagging me pipes.

Or is it Moomin?

I've not seen a Winter Tyres update from TomC though?

I understand that a very well known lrf'er has today advised people not to waste thier money on winter tyres this year.

Originally Posted by: Snow Wolf 

If we're talking about you know who, all I'll say is;

Time to start lagging me pipes.

Originally Posted by: Gavin P 

Hold on, TomC tends to be the 'winter tyre' man doesn't he?

Or is it Moomin?

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

I reckon it could be top man Brian!!

Well I still think its the "well known" LRF'er who looks a bit like The Doc;

When you think of his recent bitchy comments about "wanabees" forecasting cold weather in The Express its seems to make sense...

The plot thickens;

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twoother/latest.aspx