Have been on TWO since the early days in 2002 and the winters of the 2000's weren't good, but my God they seem positively Arctic compared to the crap we have had to endure since 2011. Its been two years now since I had a morning with lying snow and I live at 135 meters in Cumbria which is hardly a snow desert.

I have known many years of mild winters but the past 7 have been the most snowless and depressing that I have had to endure, I almost look back at the 1990's with nostalgia!!

Andy

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Current readings here. Pretty much the same story for the last few days with RH values stuck between 95% and 98%. As Richard rightly points out above, this is absolutely toxic, unhealthy weather. 

 

Looks as though this mild & dank air will be gone from many areas by the end of the day on Xmas Day though, thankfully.

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I have known many years of mild winters but the past 7 have been the most snowless and depressing that I have had to endure, I almost look back at the 1990's with nostalgia!!

You've been beaten to that one already!

Down here, we had:

Feb 91 - the "wrong kind of snow", over a foot of powder and several ice days.

Nov 93 - six inches of snow fell at the end of the month, but it wasn't enough to get off school!

Dec 95 - the biggest icicles I've ever seen (eaves to the floor on some of the bungalows around here), snow lay on the marshes throughout Jan 96 too.

Jan 97 - the last midwinter easterly, the last time there was powder snow here, the last time we saw a high of -1C or lower here and the last time there were icicles.

Four decent events out of 10 years (3 of which involved the elusive powder snow) wasn't bad at all.

The AMO switch can't come soon enough for me, this gloomy, mild murk is just crushingly dull.

Fun fact: the current gap since I last saw an inch of snow (March 2013-Dec 2017, just under 5 years and counting), is the longest such gap in my 38-year lifetime. No sign of it ending any time soon either!

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This years Christmas Eve weather brought to us courtesy of the ghost of Ebenezeer Scrooge. 

It is pitifully miserable and devoid of festive cheer. It is the worst day of the month. Dull, depressing and wet. Temperature down on yesterday, which is not surprising since the midnight to midnight mean of 12.3C was the highest I have ever recorded in December, but still well above average  at 7.6C currently with a max of 9.4C since 9am (warmer during the night as usual )

It's been dry and bright over the past few weeks, both during the cold and mild spells, but bang on cue the holidays arrive and so do the most putrid, useless and unpleasant conditions imagineable

This weather is the equivalent of finding a stocking stuffed with broccoli on Christmas Morning then being served a Christmas Dinner consisting of a hard potato and bowl of gruel sprinkled with turkey shavings. Simply Vile

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You've been beaten to that one already!

Down here, we had:

Feb 91 - the "wrong kind of snow", over a foot of powder and several ice days.

Nov 93 - six inches of snow fell at the end of the month, but it wasn't enough to get off school!

Dec 95 - the biggest icicles I've ever seen (eaves to the floor on some of the bungalows around here), snow lay on the marshes throughout Jan 96 too.

Jan 97 - the last midwinter easterly, the last time there was powder snow here, the last time we saw a high of -1C or lower here and the last time there were icicles.

Four decent events out of 10 years (3 of which involved the elusive powder snow) wasn't bad at all.

The AMO switch can't come soon enough for me, this gloomy, mild murk is just crushingly dull.

Fun fact: the current gap since I last saw an inch of snow (March 2013-Dec 2017, just under 5 years and counting), is the longest such gap in my 38-year lifetime. No sign of it ending any time soon either!

When are we likely to see the AMO switch Darren?

I’ve done some reading and my best guess seems to be another 10 years of a positive phase - at least?

Deep joy ! ;-) 

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When are we likely to see the AMO switch Darren?

I’ve done some reading and my best guess seems to be another 10 years of a positive phase - at least?

Yup, it should have flipped within 10 years. However, before it does there are likely to be years where it's nowhere near as positive as it currently is, which should give us an earlier taste of colder conditions - that is, assuming the climate's not warmed enough to override that!

 

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A distinct lack of Scandy Highs has resulted, IMBY at least, pathetic attempts at winter proper. I can remember snow drifts measured in feet not millimetres, villages cut off and lakes frozen over for weeks on end. Now if your lucky it's an overnight frost and snow that's melted after half an hour. All rather a sign of the times I'm afraid.

Yup, it should have flipped within 10 years. However, before it does there are likely to be years where it's nowhere near as positive as it currently is, which should give us an earlier taste of colder conditions - that is, assuming the climate's not warmed enough to override that!

 

Yup. I wouldn't hold your breath. The amount of warming in modern times (since 1988) is frankly startling. The lack of punch from such prolonged northerlies this month have really demonstrated to me how far we are along the road now with regard to the warming process. 

We look to virtually non existent easterlies now to deliver the goods. 

The brief window of opportunity is open in the south with nothing on offer. We look to January..a month that has offered nothing since 1997. 

Closer to home I note with interest that there is an opportunity for some back edge hill sleet on the 27th..excitement down here is at fever pitch as you can imagine. 

Happy Christmas all. 

 

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Yup. I wouldn't hold your breath. The amount of warming in modern times (since 1988) is frankly startling. The lack of punch from such prolonged northerlies this month have really demonstrated to me how far we are along the road now with regard to the warming process. 

We look to virtually non existent easterlies now to deliver the goods. 

The brief window of opportunity is open in the south with nothing on offer. We look to January..a month that has offered nothing since 1997. 

Closer to home I note with interest that there is an opportunity for some back edge hill sleet on the 27th..excitement down here is at fever pitch as you can imagine. 

Happy Christmas all. 

 

Merry Christmas Steve. 😊 Always appreciate your posts. 

Years like 2013 give me a bit of optimism. We all know what the trends are, and we all know and accept that our winters have become milder.

Given the right conditions though, we can still get a good run of colder than average temps, and I still have a hope that one day we will strike the winter jackpot again in our lifetimes. 

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cet_info_mean2013.html

Maybe it’s wishful thinking. 

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The next lot of snow... for exactly the same areas. Getting thoroughly cheesed off with this winter.

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Overcast and occasional drizzle with mild murky gunk! YUCK! It's 11c outside and with no wind it feels so mild i may turn off all the central heating and open windows! -So unseasonal.

We really do need to have some cold frosty and snowy weather. I woke up with a sore throat which is the start of a stinking cold and no wonder! It's so still, benign, mild and muggy outside. We need a true Arctic plunge or severe frost to kill all these bugs and germs!

Maybe one day we will have a cold and snowy Xmas or at least wake up to something more seasonal. At least we are not the only ones suffering -! Most of Europe is milder than average too!? Cold air is in N. America now!

There could have been a white Xmas for many in northern England i think a few years ago but the snow event' was on boxing day!? - I remember Sheffield along with may parts of Yorkshire had 10cm of snow falling on Boxing day few years ago? - If only it snowed a day earlier!? It would have been a memorable white xmas!?

Is it me, our luck, sods law or just the pure coincidence that every Xmas Day ends up mild above average or well above average!? Like this seems to be a regular thing? The last cold Xmas day was December 2010 for us.  

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The next lot of snow... for exactly the same areas. Getting thoroughly cheesed off with this winter.

Should do what I do Nick and pay no attention to the weather. I didn't even know there was potential for snow on Wednesday because I haven't looked at any forecasts or model output. That's the best thing to do when the weather isn't going your way. 

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“This weather is the equivalent of finding a stocking stuffed with broccoli on Christmas Morning then being served a Christmas Dinner consisting of a hard potato and bowl of gruel sprinkled with turkey shavings. Simply Vile“

Brilliant! 

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So wish this was the forecast for here. A perfect Xmas day with snow and weather warnings and bitterly cold for the foreseeable.

https://m.bbc.co.uk/weather/6325494 

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Yup. I wouldn't hold your breath. The amount of warming in modern times (since 1988) is frankly startling. The lack of punch from such prolonged northerlies this month have really demonstrated to me how far we are along the road now with regard to the warming process. 

 

Isn't it just a case synoptics, though?

In Jan 2010, we (here, in lowland east-Merseyside) had almost a month of temps struggling to reach 3/4c by day, with snow on the ground for virtually the entirety. In December 2010, some places within an hour's drive of here had snow lying from late-November to early January. On the coast just west of here, a temp of -17c was recorded; just the pinnacle/nadir of a run of minus-double digit temps. As a country, we had the coldest December since the 19th century. In 2013, we had two snowy weekends in the January, two in the March - and March was one of the coldest on record. 

The temperature can still be as low as ever when the synoptics are right, just as we can have snow. I appreciate that in recent years the source of cold/snow has predominantly been from a northerly quadrant, rather than the easterly that is far better for Kent and the far SE. But just as you and others will eulogise about the 80's, I don't believe they were any better IMBY than the past 10 years. 

Anyway, we can unite in a common enemy now - the bloody Midlanders & Home Counties are in the sweet spot for snow AGAIN, whilst those north and south of that are likely to get nowt.

 

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Isn't it just a case synoptics, though?

In Jan 2010, we (here, in lowland east-Merseyside) had almost a month of temps struggling to reach 3/4c by day, with snow on the ground for virtually the entirety. In December 2010, some places within an hour's drive of here had snow lying from late-November to early January. On the coast just west of here, a temp of -17c was recorded; just the pinnacle/nadir of a run of minus-double digit temps. As a country, we had the coldest December since the 19th century. In 2013, we had two snowy weekends in the January, two in the March - and March was one of the coldest on record. 

The temperature can still be as low as ever when the synoptics are right, just as we can have snow. I appreciate that in recent years the source of cold/snow has predominantly been from a northerly quadrant, rather than the easterly that is far better for Kent and the far SE. But just as you and others will eulogise about the 80's, I don't believe they were any better IMBY than the past 10 years. 

Anyway, we can unite in a common enemy now - the bloody Midlanders & Home Counties are in the sweet spot for snow AGAIN, whilst those north and south of that are likely to get nowt.

 

 

Yes the storm on boxing day looks like a deja vu of 10th/11th December but just less cold - perhaps wet snow and rain turning to sleet rather than 4-6" of snow that fell quite widely back then.,

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Merry Christmas everyone.

It's funny how some winters or snow seasons fall into a habit of repeating events. This winter so far seems to be turning into the winter of the slider. Let's see how many times this happens this winter regardless whether snow falls or not.

1995-96 had three frontal events that stalled over the UK against a Scandi block producing snowfalls 

2009-10 had repeated blocks to our NW

 

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 Merry Christmas Steve. 😊 Always appreciate your posts. 

Thanks Joe. A merry Christmas to you too mate. 

Not one to moan, especially with it being Christmas day and all that but my 10 year old son has just said that he has never known it sunny on Christmas Day. Thinking about the last sunny one that I recall was 2009. He could be right.

2010 was a grey after a sunny start early.

This run of new modern era Christmas's have been extremely mild since 2011. With the exception of 2014 that was closer to 7c with a thunderstorm to boot. 

Happy Christmas to all !! 

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Wakes up to a mild murky and milder but still 12c - yet again! This has been the 3rd consecutive year that we in Exeter have woken up to double figure temps on Xmas day! At least in 2015 it was 9c at 0900am. Just horrible crap we are experiencing - at least we are not the only ones in Europe suffering from an unusually warm Xmas! Merry Xmas everyone!

Bah Humbug!]

This is what the UK needs to experience ha!:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ru/oymyakon/571464/weather-forecast/571464

 

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Thanks Joe. A merry Christmas to you too mate. 

Not one to moan, especially with it being Christmas day and all that but my 10 year old son has just said that he has never known it sunny on Christmas Day. Thinking about the last sunny one that I recall was 2009. He could be right.

2010 was a grey after a sunny start early.

This run of new modern era Christmas's have been extremely mild since 2011. With the exception of 2014 that was closer to 7c with a thunderstorm to boot. 

Happy Christmas to all !! 

I think it is often forgotten that Christmas 2013 wasn't exactly mild, infact there were reports of wintry preciptation on Christmas Eve. We had sleet here that day.

 

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