You have a good point there as imby March has produced more snow than any other month except when the uk has been under severe cold during the meterlogical winter,recent examples are 2018 and 2013. With the odd exception March imo is more a winter month than spring.

So for all the coldies there is still around 10 weeks or so to get severe cold and/or snow

 

The problem with March snowfalls is that they're depressingly short-lived. We had two good (10cm+) falls in March 13 and, even though the air temp was only 1c, there was meltage, especially when the sun came out, as it's so much stronger in March than Dec/Jan. You struggle to get a few days, let alone a few weeks under snow cover. 

---

Excuse me for asking but what is causing this weather pattern to change? It's so boring from a meterological point of view with nothing to talk about and has been the case for a while now and will continue to be the case - why is HP always staying or building to our west and moving in and then re building? What's the cause of this uneventful winter? There has been plenty of weather in continental Europe and Scandinavia as well as N America etc but why is it so benign right now because even with the zonal winter of 19/2020 there were colder interludes and things to discuss but there is absolutely nothing to discuss what so ever. Look at the ECM pattern day one and then forward to day 10 at 240z? Spot the difference? I just wondered why? are we cursed!? Why are we always missing out on the fun?

 

Speak for yourself, it all depends what you're looking for! It would be amiss to suggest that there is no 'weather' as weather is a constant. Having familiarised myself quite well with the forum its apparent that there is a bias in many peoples outlook for extreme cold and disruptive snow. I have a similar bias and why not? Its an exciting and rare evolution! However, to say that we are cursed to have cool, dry and mostly clear conditions is a little dramatic. The wolf moon was fantastic last night and the drive to work this morning across the frozen Weald in -4 conditions with the crimson sun rise (and moon!) was a delight. This is weather in action - favourable atmospheric conditions enhancing our enjoyment and appreciation of the world around us!

However, i am more than aware that i am speaking for myself too IMBY.

To keep OT it is rather disappointing that the current synoptics arent introducing proper ice days and snow showers when it seems we are so close with the atlantic kept at bay, but this is definitely a better pattern than we've had throughout the first half of the winter which was thoroughly miserable, especially from 22nd Dec (ish) when everything went bandy down here until the new year.

Its also rather disappointing that in recent years cold and snow events in the south of the country have been increasingly uncommon and fleeting. I'm not sure if this is rose tinted glasses and embellishment on my part when i look back at winters of my childhood, but there's definitely a pattern change. All of this has further inflated my cynicism when looking past 120hrs on the old models.

On the plus side, Tally, you're not too far from Exmoor which can on occassion get some cracking winter conditions in favourable situations. You can also wild camp via the right to roam if you want to go full Shackleton next time the Bristol channel whips up a little bay effect snowfall - It'll have you wishing for the summer in no time!

---

 

 

Speak for yourself, it all depends what you're looking for! It would be amiss to suggest that there is no 'weather' as weather is a constant. Having familiarised myself quite well with the forum its apparent that there is a bias in many peoples outlook for extreme cold and disruptive snow. I have a similar bias and why not? Its an exciting and rare evolution! However, to say that we are cursed to have cool, dry and mostly clear conditions is a little dramatic. The wolf moon was fantastic last night and the drive to work this morning across the frozen Weald in -4 conditions with the crimson sun rise (and moon!) was a delight. This is weather in action - favourable atmospheric conditions enhancing our enjoyment and appreciation of the world around us!

However, i am more than aware that i am speaking for myself too IMBY.

To keep OT it is rather disappointing that the current synoptics arent introducing proper ice days and snow showers when it seems we are so close with the atlantic kept at bay, but this is definitely a better pattern than we've had throughout the first half of the winter which was thoroughly miserable, especially from 22nd Dec (ish) when everything went bandy down here until the new year.

Its also rather disappointing that in recent years cold and snow events in the south of the country have been increasingly uncommon and fleeting. I'm not sure if this is rose tinted glasses and embellishment on my part when i look back at winters of my childhood, but there's definitely a pattern change. All of this has further inflated my cynicism when looking past 120hrs on the old models.

On the plus side, Tally, you're not too far from Exmoor which can on occassion get some cracking winter conditions in favourable situations. You can also wild camp via the right to roam if you want to go full Shackleton next time the Bristol channel whips up a little bay effect snowfall - It'll have you wishing for the summer in no time!

Well the thought of us being in the same pattern in a weeks time is a bit boring isn't it? We aren't getting ice days out of this and daytime temperatures are still in the high single figures which is at or even above average by day despite frosty nights although last night was a disappointment went it dropped to -1c and cloud rolled in around midnight so then the temperature rose to +2c by morning with the frost had melted. Furthermore, there is nothing really to get excited about - no ice days to record? Not overly cold -1 to +1c by night isn't anything unusual and in the north it's even worse - I don't think parts of Scotland are reporting much if any frost at all and usually if there is no wintry weather or excitement down south of the country there would usually be more excitement up north to discuss but it's worse up there and just overcast and a borefest. It's a dirty high really.

I remember NYE/NYD 2020/2021 we had a nighttime low of -7c and recorded an ice day on NYD 2021 here in Exeter. Frosts are not that severe due to cloud cover perhaps?

---

Bitterly cold weather now sweeping into the North eastern seaboard of USA/Canada and bitterly cold weather approaching continental Europe esp the east and SE including Balkans/Greece and Turkey yet the UK will miss out on it once again - lot's of snow showers heading down the north sea on Thursday but with the UK just on the edge of any snowy weather but sub zero daytime maxes just across the north sea on Thursday with snow showers - typical eh?

Best place for snow is southern Greece, Athens/Crete and Turkey and Cyprus!

Just to add insult to injury looking at the 12z GFS Op run - here the UK starts off with a pressure of 1035mb to the south:

0 hrs: - Day 1:

Day 7:

Day 10:

Day 14:

Day 16:

Where do we go from here? But a question why aren't we even getting freezing fog so that we can record sub zero daytime maxes?  So at least there would be something of interest happening at the very least!? Could feel positively springlike with this set up! Pity it won't happen in the Spring and Summer months but anyway...!

---

At least the weather will change.....in Belfast in particular:

(Sorry can't seem to get the image to scale right for some reason!) 

 But the forecast is for the same weather and temp from Sunday until Thursday - (+9.0c and cloudy).  

---

This has been a good January for sunshine. Most days have seen at least a few hours of it, which as been a pleasant surprise. It also makes the increase in daylight more noticeable too.

My mind is naturally turning to spring, so I hope there are no wintry episodes now. Though, saying that, winter will probably come in April...

---

What is this thing called Winter you moan of?

 

---

What is this thing called Winter you moan of?

 

It'll arrive Ally.

In May or June we will have a monster Greenland High that will sit there for 4 months with lows barrelling in across the UK, you just know it given our luck.

---

Though, saying that, winter will probably come in April...

Like last year you mean😆

I can't remember such a let down of a Winter , yes there have been milder one's but this year was a tad different due to the background signals we have all read about .

 

Of course Feb and March could well deliver , time will tell 

---

The coldest upper air of the winter will be passing over Kent tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what the maximum temperature will be with -9c (850 Hpa's). . I suspect I'll still scrape a near average 7c.

---

Last snow here was in Autumn.. since then its been a complete borefest...roll on the Atlantic driven spring and endless weeks of not been able to cut the grass ....

---

The coldest upper air of the winter will be passing over Kent tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what the maximum temperature will be with -9c (850 Hpa's). . I suspect I'll still scrape a near average 7c.

You'll need to carry on waiting, then, as the -9s won't be any closer than the Netherlands!

https://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/gfs/850-hpa/3h.htm

---

For some of us in the UK at least, we may be saying this was the year without a winter. Not just because we didn’t get snow, but because it’s just felt like Autumn the whole time.

Dreadful can’t really really dreadful. What gets me is even the US can still scrape a few snowfalls to at least make up for long periods of mildness.

We are cursed.

---

As ‘interesting’ as this never ending high pressure is, for a weather enthusiast day after day of this tedium is a total bore fest.

---

For some of us in the UK at least, we may be saying this was the year without a winter. Not just because we didn’t get snow, but because it’s just felt like Autumn the whole time.

Dreadful can’t really really dreadful. What gets me is even the US can still scrape a few snowfalls to at least make up for long periods of mildness.

We are cursed.

That "snow in the Sahara" article didn't help either.... no snow since 1979, then they get five lots in the last seven years. 'Snot fair, as the kids say!

I realised the other day that what we're seeing is very unusual at this time of winter. Normally persistent high pressure would lead to a gradual chilling effect, dew giving way to frost and eventually layers of the stuff lingering in the shade all day long. The dewpoint would fall, too, as the stagnant air gradually dries out.

This time we're looking at days on end of dry weather, but with dewpoints generally above zero... that kills any prospect of frost lingering all day, and the moisture in the air means it won't cool down as much at night either.

The reason, of course, is that as our high wobbles around it continually entrains moisture (and warmth) top-ups from the Atlantic, meaning it feels like an autumn calm spell rather than a wintry high.

I'd rather have this than gales and torrential rain any day, but as someone who loves snow it's just as bad in terms of potential!

Every year that passes makes me realise all the more just how lucky I was to have lived through the 80s and 90s. Twenty or more years on and I do wonder if we'll ever see proper winters again!

---

Living on top of a hill means I'm getting even milder conditions than many others. This is turning into a historic winter. Perhaps 2020-21 was this era's equivalent of 1963.

---

 

That "snow in the Sahara" article didn't help either.... no snow since 1979, then they get five lots in the last seven years. 'Snot fair, as the kids say!

I realised the other day that what we're seeing is very unusual at this time of winter. Normally persistent high pressure would lead to a gradual chilling effect, dew giving way to frost and eventually layers of the stuff lingering in the shade all day long. The dewpoint would fall, too, as the stagnant air gradually dries out.

This time we're looking at days on end of dry weather, but with dewpoints generally above zero... that kills any prospect of frost lingering all day, and the moisture in the air means it won't cool down as much at night either.

The reason, of course, is that as our high wobbles around it continually entrains moisture (and warmth) top-ups from the Atlantic, meaning it feels like an autumn calm spell rather than a wintry high.

I'd rather have this than gales and torrential rain any day, but as someone who loves snow it's just as bad in terms of potential!

Every year that passes makes me realise all the more just how lucky I was to have lived through the 80s and 90s. Twenty or more years on and I do wonder if we'll ever see proper winters again!

The best option is to go abroad every winter to see the snow and make up for missing life years of not seeing snow here.  I am turning 50 next year and now planning to go to Lapland to see snow on my birthday since I was born in Jerusalem and had 30cm of snow in 1973.  Also being 49 now and not able to see much of snow since I was a kid in the 80's snowfalls so will start making up by seeing snow proper every winter by going abroad.  I suggest you can do it Darren to go abroad at least a week somewhere with snow. 

It'll arrive Ally.

In May or June we will have a monster Greenland High that will sit there for 4 months with lows barrelling in across the UK, you just know it given our luck.

Dont you just know it. This pattern in July would be stunning.  

---

It'll arrive Ally.

In May or June we will have a monster Greenland High that will sit there for 4 months with lows barrelling in across the UK, you just know it given our luck.

Possible, but most recent summers have brought periods of extreme heat to the south. Last year was a little different, but we still easily reached 30C without a mainline feed of warm air. Summers are as different to winters when comparing now to the 1980s. 

---