Before all the excitements of the upcoming snow event later this week, we have a couple of good radiation nights coming up mainly in the Scottish Highlands where there is a cover of fresh snow.

If we discount the extreme numbers being forecast by the Met Office UK model, and to a lesser extent UKV, most of the other models are forecasting minima of between -11C to -14C tonight and tomorrow, night. MOGREPS control run now goes for about -13C at the Cairngorms gridpoint, and a couple of the perturbations drop below -20C.

Most of the ingredients are in place - Arctic airmass, snow cover and light gradient winds (from late this evening onwards) so it will be one to watch with interest, especially via the network of private weather stations run by Lee Schofield (Highlandweather.) The only ingredient not yet in place is a pre-existing pond of cold and stagnant air, which might prevent such a rapid fall this evening, but this will certainly be in place for tomorrow night.

---

One to watch indeed. You might want to edit the post title, unless I have lost a day somewhere?

---

I noticed that the BBC forecast this morning suggested minima in the range of -13 to -15⁰C in parts of Scotland tonight.

---

One to watch indeed. You might want to edit the post title, unless I have lost a day somewhere?

Haha thanks for pointing that out Rob! Bit of a senior moment there.

---

The lowest temperature last night looks like being in Altnarra at -14.6°C.

A few minutes ago Aberdeen airport was at -9°C. Looks like another very cold night tonight.

Edit: It was the coldest March night since 2010. Colder than the lowest minimum during the “Beast from the East”.

---

-8.6 here about 6am, usually we tend to get some wind mixing things up and more serious frost hollows like Rievaulx go lower but not seen any of the local ones lower than mine this morning.

---

Got down to -11.5 early this morning, now rising rapidly up to -6.5C cracking day though.

---

The lowest temperature last night looks like being in Altnarra at -14.6°C..

-15.2c at Kinbrace 

---

The lowest temperature last night looks like being in Altnarra at -14.6°C.

A few minutes ago Aberdeen airport was at -9°C. Looks like another very cold night tonight.

Edit: It was the coldest March night since 2010. Colder than the lowest minimum during the “Beast from the East”.

I can add to that as well by reporting that the temperature at Edinburgh Airport was also down to -9°C during the night and the temperature there even at 8am GMT (08:00 UTC) was still at -6°C.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures at my other local stations were around or below -7.5°C at Edinburgh Gogarbank and -5.4°C at the botanic gardens in Edinburgh.

That makes last night our coldest night since 12 December 2022 which is quite remarkable when you consider that we don't even have the same snow cover here in Edinburgh which Aberdeen has had (even Richard was impressed by that, and it takes a lot for that to happen).

What makes that even more remarkable as well is the fact that we are technically, not even in winter any more (although astronomical spring doesn't start until the Vernal Equinox towards the end of this month).

Here in Edinburgh, it's actually even colder than what it was at this time back in 2010. I know that the winter of 2009-2010 was a very cold winter with the winter of 2010-2011 also being very cold during December 2010 in particular, before gradually becoming milder after that. However, I'm not aware of the cold weather of that winter of 2009-2010 extending into the following spring as well. The archives at Meteomanz.com show that we had a fairly cold start to March 2010, but nothing all that exceptional with the temperatures no lower than around -4°C at Edinburgh Gogarbank.

During the Beast from the East event in 2018, we had a lot of snow but the temperatures during the night even back then, never actually got all that low due to a lot of wind and cloud cover at the time. As a result, the overnight temperature at Edinburgh Gogarbank at that time was no longer than -4.5°C.

As far as March is concerned, the only occasion which even comes close to what was recorded last night at Edinburgh Goigarbank was in March 2013 (our coldest March on record). Back then, the temperature got to as low as -7.8° at Edinburgh Gogarbank on 12 March 2013. However, there has been no other occasion since then when it has got as cold as that here at any point in time during the month of March and so, last night was probably actually our coldest March night since then.


 

---

Good to see the official stations capturing the extent of the cold this morning. The lowest from Highlandweather's network is -16.4C at his Kinbrace site which is in a colder location than the Met Office site.

Just for fun here are the lowest March temperatures from the MIDAS network going back to 1960. I've only used low level stations below 400m as in the full list there were quite a few years when the lowest was recorded on top of Cairngorm, Great Dun Fell etc.

2022 Mar  -9.1  00150  ABOYNE NO 2           
2021 Mar  -8.5  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2020 Mar  -7.6  00150  ABOYNE NO 2           
2019 Mar  -6.9  00150  ABOYNE NO 2           
2018 Mar -10.7  19193  CAWDOR CASTLE NO 2    
2017 Mar  -8.6  00111  DALWHINNIE NO 2       
2016 Mar  -8.1  00044  ALTNAHARRA NO 2       
2015 Mar  -7.4  00150  ABOYNE NO 2           
2014 Mar  -6.8  16589  REDESDALE CAMP        
2013 Mar -12.9  00048  KINBRACE, HATCHERY    
2012 Mar  -8.5  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2011 Mar  -7.5  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2010 Mar -18.6  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2009 Mar  -9.6  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2008 Mar -11.4  55827  BRAEMAR NO 2          
2007 Mar  -8.2  00067  LOCH GLASCARNOCH      
2006 Mar -16.4  00044  ALTNAHARRA NO 2       
2005 Mar  -9.0  00742  GOUDHURST             
2004 Mar -12.0  00150  ABOYNE NO 2           
2003 Mar -10.2  17210  ALWEN                 
2002 Mar  -7.6  00130  GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY      
2001 Mar -21.7  00048  KINBRACE, HATCHERY    
2000 Mar  -8.3  00144  CORGARFF   
1999 Mar  -7.4  00991  CARNWATH              
1998 Mar -17.1  00048  KINBRACE, HATCHERY    
1997 Mar  -8.0  01511  DOWNPATRICK     
1996 Mar  -7.7  00613  BENSON                
1995 Mar -14.0  00930  BLACK MOUNT           
1994 Mar -11.5  00125  TOMATIN, FREEBURN     
1993 Mar -12.2  00147  BRAEMAR               
1992 Mar  -9.5  00155  LEITH HALL            
1991 Mar  -8.0  00991  CARNWATH              
1990 Mar  -7.9  00983  LEADHILLS             
1989 Mar  -8.2  00983  LEADHILLS             
1988 Mar -10.2  00209  TUMMEL BRIDGE         
1987 Mar -13.5  00111  DALWHINNIE NO 2       
1986 Mar -20.0  00112  LAGGANLIA             
1985 Mar -16.7  00130  GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY      
1984 Mar  -9.5  00130  GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY      
1983 Mar  -7.1  00148  BALMORAL              
1982 Mar  -9.0  00412  SANTON DOWNHAM   
1981 Mar  -7.6  00991  CARNWATH              
1980 Mar -13.0  00219  KINDROGAN             
1979 Mar -16.5  00147  BRAEMAR               
1978 Mar  -7.2  01023  ESKDALEMUIR           
1977 Mar  -7.8  00412  SANTON DOWNHAM   
1976 Mar -10.5  17210  ALWEN                 
1975 Mar -11.0  00112  LAGGANLIA             
1974 Mar  -8.2  00111  DALWHINNIE NO 2       
1973 Mar -13.5  00188  BUDDON NESS           
1972 Mar -11.4  01241  CENARTH MILL          
1971 Mar -11.7  00412  SANTON DOWNHAM   
1970 Mar -14.4  00651  NEWPORT (SALOP)       
1969 Mar -11.7  00148  BALMORAL              
1968 Mar  -7.8  00148  BALMORAL              
1967 Mar  -7.2  00049  ACHENTOUL NO 2        
1966 Mar  -8.3  17210  ALWEN                 
1965 Mar -21.7  01182  CORWEN                
1964 Mar  -8.9  01330  CLAWTON               
1963 Mar -15.6  00147  BRAEMAR               
1962 Mar -16.7  00147  BRAEMAR               
1961 Mar  -6.7  00029  HALKIRK    
1960 Mar  -7.8  00109  CANNICH               
 

---

I've amended the thread title as the potential for low overnight minima has been extended beyond tomorrow morning according to the latest model runs.

Models today are suggesting the potential for very low temperatures on Friday night / Saturday morning after the low moves away across the North Sea. This time it's not just across the Scottish Highlands but more widely across Wales, the north Midlands and across northern England.

Deep, fresh snow is one of the most important contributors to rapid drops in temperature and if conditions come together on Friday night then it could be very interesting indeed. Another one to watch!

---

Minimum -4.8c. Now only 0.1c. 

---

I see that at 6pm the temperature at Altnaharra was -10°C.

The automated Met Office forecast  suggests a low of -16°C. 

---

At 10pm Altnaharra is now at -14.9C and Kinbrace at -13.2C (official Met Office stations). Radar is  showing some snow showers approaching the north coast which could disrupt the cooling mechanisms.

Corgarff PWS  in Upper Donside has dipped to -15.4C recently.

---

Altnaharra-16c this morning. 
 

---

Altnaharra-16c this morning. 
 

Lowest as already stated from an official station was -16.0C at Altnaharra.

Lowest from the PWS network was -16.8C at Kinbrace.

It shouldn't be as cold tonight but probably below -10C again in Sutherland. Tomorrow night / Saturday morning looking cold especially in Wales and the Midlands, possibly Northern Ireland.

 

---

Altnaharra didn't get above -2C today either - not sure of the exact max. Amazing to still get ice days under calm clear conditions well into March. 

---

Here going for -5C tomorrow night so with snow cover from tomorrow snowfall stay on the ground I hope I can record the snow surface temperatures but not sure if will be very low since I am on top of the hill area, not valley.

Tonight could be notably cold for March across a much wider area with negative double digits (°C) possibly across serval different areas. 

Looking beyond that the 00z ECM op run remarkably has negative double digits in parts of Scotland every night from next Tuesday to next Friday. Surely that is unlikely?

---

Altnaharra didn't get above -2C today either - not sure of the exact max. Amazing to still get ice days under calm clear conditions well into March. 

Official max of -2.4C yesterday and 9.6 hours of sunshine. It was the coldest by night, coldest by day and sunniest place in the UK yesterday. 

---