The Weather Outlook

Remove ads from site

Brian Gaze
31 January 2026 13:26:06
A new MO thread as we head into February, traditionally one of the months for cold lovers, even if it’s been all promise and precious little delivery in recent years. But… is this finally the moment? Are we actually edging towards that mythical deep cold easterly, or is it another classic case of model led heartbreak? Here’s the GEFS 06Z London chart to kick things off and let the ramping begin…😉

 UserPostedImage


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

TWO Buzz - get the latest news and views 

"I'm not socialist, I know that. I don't believe in sharing my money." - Gary Numan

tallyho_83
31 January 2026 13:56:30
Sorry to be a killjoy but I can't personally see any cold weather for the south - may be the north. Especially given that he USA/Canada (eastern most States/Provinces are remaining very cold uppers - re blasting the jet and giving us cyclogenisis:

NYC for instance:

UserPostedImage 

2m temps below show NYC doesn't even get to freezing at all for the next 2 weeks let alone above and we all know there is warm water off eastern seaboard:

https://www.wetterzentrale.de/en/show_diagrams.php?geoid=131181&model=gfs&var=5&run=6&lid=ENS&bw=1 

Hope I am wrong and we see something interesting but for now it all looks grim. We are stuck in the same weather pattern. 


Home Location - Vixen Tor Close, Okehampton, Devon (221m ASL)

---------------------------------------

Sean Moon

Magical Moon

www.magical-moon.com

squish
31 January 2026 14:21:19
Well synoptically the models are looking much better ( eg 06z ECM) for cold , but tapping into any remaining ‘deep cold’ air  to our NE is finely balanced and quite uncertain still
D.E.W on Dartmoor. 300m asl
ballamar
31 January 2026 15:41:16

Sorry to be a killjoy but I can't personally see any cold weather for the south - may be the north. Especially given that he USA/Canada (eastern most States/Provinces are remaining very cold uppers - re blasting the jet and giving us cyclogenisis:

NYC for instance:

UserPostedImage 

2m temps below show NYC doesn't even get to freezing at all for the next 2 weeks let alone above and we all know there is warm water off eastern seaboard:

https://www.wetterzentrale.de/en/show_diagrams.php?geoid=131181&model=gfs&var=5&run=6&lid=ENS&bw=1 

Hope I am wrong and we see something interesting but for now it all looks grim. We are stuck in the same weather pattern. 

Originally Posted by: tallyho_83 

Don’t overly fixate on NY temperatures there are other factors at play. Fact is the tilt of the high is wrong so it’s more of what is happening further east.

doctormog
31 January 2026 15:55:54

Don’t overly fixate on NY temperatures there are other factors at play. Fact is the tilt of the high is wrong so it’s more of what is happening further east.

Originally Posted by: ballamar 

Indeed, it is not as simple as eastern US cold = UK mild. Even if what happens there can have an onwards impact in the Atlantic and wider patterns it does not always preclude wintry conditions here. 

From a local perspective the 12z GFS continues the theme of bringing a risk of wintry precipitation around here on Tuesday. If this run follows the previous ones and other models then that will be followed by a milder few days and then a renewed push from the east, which is the time point I think most people are interested in re. a more widespread cold risk.


squish
31 January 2026 16:12:57
UKMO +144 


D.E.W on Dartmoor. 300m asl
ballamar
31 January 2026 16:18:33

UKMO +144 

Originally Posted by: squish 

Be quite excited by that chart usually!

31 January 2026 16:30:13
Trying reverse logic, “winter is over “ 😁
31 January 2026 16:30:52

Be quite excited by that chart usually!

Originally Posted by: ballamar 

Yes the problem is the lack of consistency from UKMO, the fact that FI sits currently at around t96, and the fact that the 12zs from ICON, GFS and GEM are no where near as good, with limpit lows back to spread flooding misery more widely around the SW on the other models.

Snow Hoper
31 January 2026 16:49:43
GFS 12z is a mudfest🙄
Going to war over religion is like killing each other to see who has the better imaginary friend.

Home : Mid Suffolk.

48m Asl

Retron
31 January 2026 17:03:57

GFS 12z is a mudfest🙄

Originally Posted by: Snow Hoper 

As is the MetO raw for here - I think we must have Aberdeen's climate right now, only several degrees warmer.

9 or 10 degrees over the next week, 6 or 7 by night (so well above average there) and rain or drizzle most days too. I've never seen the "headline" summary for the day show drizzle before, either!

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/meto.jpg 

UserPostedImage


Leysdown, north Kent
Brian Gaze
31 January 2026 17:21:42
I've not checked the verification stats for OS47 yet. It would be interesting to see whether they are approaching the current iteration of ECM.

UserPostedImage


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

TWO Buzz - get the latest news and views 

"I'm not socialist, I know that. I don't believe in sharing my money." - Gary Numan

CField
31 January 2026 17:27:27
Gfs12z showing signals for strengthening of heights to the south at end of run......an early spring to rid us of this goddamn winter of tease 
Favourite snowstorm

Famous channel low

Dec 31st 1978

Hastings East Sussex

Foot of level snow severe drifting

Next day max temp -4 degrees Celsius

Brian Gaze
31 January 2026 17:29:33

Gfs12z showing signals for strengthening of heights to the south at end of run......an early spring to rid us of this goddamn winter of tease 

Originally Posted by: CField 

I think there have been a number of runs in the various ensembles in recent days which have signalled an early taste of spring. That said, there are plenty of cold options too, so I wouldn't be confident yet.


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

TWO Buzz - get the latest news and views 

"I'm not socialist, I know that. I don't believe in sharing my money." - Gary Numan

doctormog
31 January 2026 17:39:26

As is the MetO raw for here - I think we must have Aberdeen's climate right now, only several degrees warmer.

9 or 10 degrees over the next week, 6 or 7 by night (so well above average there) and rain or drizzle most days too. I've never seen the "headline" summary for the day show drizzle before, either!

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/meto.jpg 

UserPostedImage

Originally Posted by: Retron 

We have had just under half an hour of sunshine in the past two weeks so the sooner I see the end of this endless easterly muck the better. If it’s replace by mild southwesterlies I won’t complain (but I wouldn’t say no to a drier and more wintry outlook either).

More of the same (as recently) looks likely.


Lumi
31 January 2026 17:40:34

Gfs12z showing signals for strengthening of heights to the south at end of run......an early spring to rid us of this goddamn winter of tease 

Originally Posted by: CField 

Can't fault you with this post, it is becoming a possible outcome, although there seems to be the significant possibility of the stalemate continuing, with a small chance of nationwide substantial cold? Uncertainty continues. The professionals have mentioned both cold and mild outcomes although reading between the lines the cold has a good chance. I have a gut feeling we will miss out on the cold. 


Thurlstone

South Yorkshire

230m AMSL

Retron
31 January 2026 17:43:06

Gfs12z showing signals for strengthening of heights to the south at end of run......an early spring to rid us of this goddamn winter of tease 

Originally Posted by: CField 

Yes, a bit of a theme there from the GFS - it's not the first time recently it's shown that outcome. I suspect that's the best chance of cold for us in the south, a push of cold as the block collapses...


Leysdown, north Kent
Jiries
31 January 2026 18:04:04

I think there have been a number of runs in the various ensembles in recent days which have signalled an early taste of spring. That said, there are plenty of cold options too, so I wouldn't be confident yet.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Anything to get out of this horrible set up, less cold to average temps, no sun, no frost, no snow and all rain and dull, is not what we are here for a winter season that supposed to be snowy, cold and frosty with mild weather at times.   Would like to see the ensembes to trend milder, drier and sunnier pattern if we can't get deep cold as it nearly past it winter sell by date.

Chunky Pea
31 January 2026 18:05:44

Gfs12z showing signals for strengthening of heights to the south at end of run......an early spring to rid us of this goddamn winter of tease 

Originally Posted by: CField 

No doubt that when Spring hits, the cold will pour in, just to keep the temps the same as they are now. 


Patrick,

East Galway, Ireland.

ballamar
31 January 2026 19:19:41
ECM extended is a fairly good run for the SE
Snow Hoper
31 January 2026 19:59:11
ECM makes it chalk and cheese with the GFS. Still seems to be in the far reaches though on the ECM. Not really moving forward.
Going to war over religion is like killing each other to see who has the better imaginary friend.

Home : Mid Suffolk.

48m Asl

jhall
31 January 2026 20:40:41

ECM makes it chalk and cheese with the GFS. Still seems to be in the far reaches though on the ECM. Not really moving forward.

Originally Posted by: Snow Hoper 

Not just the 12Z op runs but the ensembles too are wide apart.


Cranleigh, Surrey
Snow Hoper
31 January 2026 20:57:01

Not just the 12Z op runs but the ensembles too are wide apart.

Originally Posted by: jhall 

Makes you wonder if the blended solution is something akin to what we have now😬


Going to war over religion is like killing each other to see who has the better imaginary friend.

Home : Mid Suffolk.

48m Asl

Rob K
31 January 2026 23:05:13
We’re now looking at mid February for the cold spell that was first meant to arrive a week ago. 

The British winter: brought to you by Evri.


Yateley, NE Hampshire, 73m asl

"But who wants to be foretold the weather? It is bad enough when it comes, without our having the misery of knowing about it beforehand." — Jerome K. Jerome

BJBlake
31 January 2026 23:24:26

We’re now looking at mid February for the cold spell that was first meant to arrive a week ago. 

The British winter: brought to you by Evri.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

Hahahah - that reliable!! GFS pub run is a snow fest again to continue the tease, but not as much as the ECM, which embeds and prolongs a cold spell of dreams. I have much more confidence in this one verifying, despite the Woolf crying to date, because the cold Associated with such a block as we have seen out east, even if the wrong shape for us thus far, always spills out west at some point - as February progresses, due to the weakening jet and destabilising influences as the sun returns.  I actually think this could be snowiest spell in 16 years, and some pond icing frosts, even if the sun strength attacks the non-shaded parts. Low dew points will keep it in place hopefully.


Brecklands, South Norfolk 28m ASL

Remove ads from site