Sapporo is interesting. They get a load of snow - more than any other city of its size in the world - but winters are not particularly cold. Same is true for many Japanese cities - they receive way more snow than you'd expect given their comparatively mild winters.

Indeed, they're well prepared for it too, with underground walkways and shopping areas. I'm writing this on the train back to Tokyo and yes - it was snowing, and settling too! So much for the warm ground theory, the temperature was just above zero.

That's probably more snow than I'll see back home this winter! :P

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I'm actually looking forward to this Winter, I think it's due to the last few being quite mild and fairly snowless that it's made my thought's change regarding Winter and wanting lot's of snow and getting all worked up about the charts and so on.

If it snows and snows heavy then fantastic, if it's mild then fantastic also as it'll keep the heating bills down once again. I remember one of the Sunday's in December last year we was able to still sit in the pub garden without feeling that cold, yes needed a sweater on but wasn't any real need for a big jacket etc.

One thing this Autumn I've noticed is the Pyracanthra berries have matured a lot earlier than the usual Late Autumn, also the Magpies have been breaking off some of the rotten wood off our shed and taking it to build nests..cheeky little buggers but I'm getting a new Shed in Spring so they are welcome to help take it down for me 

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also the Magpies have been breaking off some of the rotten wood off our shed and taking it to build nests..cheeky little buggers but I'm getting a new Shed in Spring so they are welcome to help take it down for me 

 

If they build their nest near your house, their squawking will make you bitterly regret your benevolence.

 

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The general evidence of the last 30 years of winters suggests otherwise -  we are now 21 years since the last md-winter easterly.

I say again, over Herts, Hants, Cornwall and Cumbria; over Notts, Norfolk, Leicestershire and Lancashire; over Suffolk, Sussex, Surrey and Scilly, there will be uncertainty. The only exception will be Shropshire. There will be a cloud over Shropshire.

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Indeed, they're well prepared for it too, with underground walkways and shopping areas. I'm writing this on the train back to Tokyo and yes - it was snowing, and settling too! So much for the warm ground theory, the temperature was just above zero.

That's probably more snow than I'll see back home this winter! :P

Indeed. A light covering of snow in Asahikawa today.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DM0a20oX0AUZEZe.jpg

 

 

 

 

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If they build their nest near your house, their squawking will make you bitterly regret your benevolence.

 

I have access to plenty of fireworks Saint  but yeah that is the concern and something I will have to keep an eye on, I did see on the internet a solar powered deterrent I might purchase if it becomes a bigger issue 

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Isn't this good news? ie. Northern Blocking??

 

As for Accu Weather - they got last years winter's forecast wrong for Europe - south and central and east was forecast to be warmer and drier when it was colder and snowier for over a month. Parts of the south and east of Europe were in a freezer for weeks if not a month in January. and the UK and Ireland accu Weather forecast to be stormy when it was drier than average. I quote directly from the winter weather forecast from AccuWeather last October 2016.

"Above-normal rainfall across the U.K. and Ireland will result in another winter of flooding problems," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

I don't want to be horrible or slander Accu weather but this forecast for for Europe that they produced this time last year was totally wrong

Turned out it was one of the driest winters ever recorde.d in the UK. Not to mention boring and dull. Winter 2016/2017 certainly wasn't a 'Warm' winter for Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy etc. A reminder of this below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38554357

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So moving on now...!?

 

Now the AccuWeather Europe winter forecast for 2017/18:

A bit of a deja vu here.. All they have done is changed 'STORMY' to 'Stormy' Early*.

At best if it is stormy early then perhaps there will be a change to a more blocked pattern in January. Unless they default this based on bartlett HP! - Otherwise it's pure guess work IMO.

 

What are your thoughts on accuWeather?

 

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My non scientific thoughts here.....but have a look at UK winters that have co-included with Ashes cricket tours to Australia in the last century! 😁

All I will say is 1946/47, 1962/63, 2010/11 are all there among with many many other noteworthy cold UK winters. As good a guess as any science I reckon. 😉😊

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My non scientific thoughts here.....but have a look at UK winters that have co-included with Ashes cricket tours to Australia in the last century! 😁

All I will say is 1946/47, 1962/63, 2010/11 are all there among with many many other noteworthy cold UK winters. As good a guess as any science I reckon. 😉😊

😂😂😂😂........ It’s as good as any other correlation out there. 😎

Sorry if I am giving too much away Gav - But look how much more snow cover there has been over Russia in the past few days and how it has been extending westwards!? Next week it will be knocking on the doorstep of eastern Europe.

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Sorry if I am giving too much away Gav - But look how much more snow cover there has been over Russia in the past few days and how it has been extending westwards!? Next week it will be knocking on the doorstep of eastern Europe.

I've come to the conclusion that the advancing snow cover really doesn't mean anything by itself. It's only of help IF we get a proper easterly setup - and they're rare as hen's teeth in the period where they matter (roughly mid-December to mid-February).

Still, here's a picture from yesteday of the mountains in Siberia - I annoyed the guy across the aisle from me because I kept the window blind open, but tough, frankly. The view was well woth it!

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😂😂😂😂........ It’s as good as any other correlation out there. 😎

Also 1990-91, 1978-79 were Ashes winters.

 

Oh and 1986-87 And 1928-29 just for good measure. 😀😁😂

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The weather company is going for a cold December and January.

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Well we could have a northerly next week - Apart from New Years day 2017 - we struggled to get a northerly wind throughout the whole of winter 2016/17. Just a shame that it's so early.

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What are your thoughts on accuWeather?

 

 

For their part of the world ok for ours rubbish ....................IMO

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My non scientific thoughts here.....but have a look at UK winters that have co-included with Ashes cricket tours to Australia in the last century! 😁

All I will say is 1946/47, 1962/63, 2010/11 are all there among with many many other noteworthy cold UK winters. As good a guess as any science I reckon. 😉😊

As was  1978/79 (CET 1.6C). But 1928/29 was at home (CET 1.7C) and then there is 1974/75 (6.4C) and 1998/99 (5.4) away. Still prefer yours to the OPI though.

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Thanks for the photo & news Retron.

As for Accuweather, same question most years pre December... do we really have memories that short? - they may as well be sifting through horse sh!te and writing what ‘pops in there’ (in the words of Dan Akroyd) for this part of the world.
Awful track record in other words.

Interesting what The Weather Company says:
"many of the climate models are depicting a very mild start to winter, but we are seeing enough evidence so that we do expect December to be colder-than-normal across NW Europe."
I wonder what this said evidence is?

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Interesting what The Weather Company says:
"many of the climate models are depicting a very mild start to winter, but we are seeing enough evidence so that we do expect December to be colder-than-normal across NW Europe."
I wonder what this said evidence is?

Maybe they read the Express? 

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I've come to the conclusion that the advancing snow cover really doesn't mean anything by itself. It's only of help IF we get a proper easterly setup - and they're rare as hen's teeth in the period where they matter (roughly mid-December to mid-February).

Still, here's a picture from yesteday of the mountains in Siberia - I annoyed the guy across the aisle from me because I kept the window blind open, but tough, frankly. The view was well woth it!

Gosh! An ice desert - where on earth are you /were you flying to!?

Reminds me of Greenland - i remember this similar view when travelling to Canada !

 

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