Batten Down The Hatches (* * * Fresh Snow Warning Added * * *)

Ian D J said:
Hi Chris and thanks for showing an interest in this.
Without me boring you with the exact details, it is looking set to be windy on Friday, Saturday and into Sunday. A fresh southernly wind at first, and then will slowly back into as south east as we go through the weekend, before finally settling into as a more moderate east as we wear through next week.
So it is looking set to be quite breezy I'm afraid, especially on Saturday but at least not at the same kind of strength as what we had last week (storm force gales!).
At least it is set to remain dry with a fair amount of sunshine, and this cold dry will prevent a hard hoar frost from setting in at night time, and at the same time drying up the ground nicely. As a result icy patches will be few and far apart for now (apart on poorly drained roads and that, of course).
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Well having just "picked up" the local met office forcast looks like you are spot on :thumbs:
gusts up to 30 odd MPH
light snow sunday night increasing to heavy showers monday / tuesday
although we tend to miss the worst as it get "stuck" around the chilterns
( dunstable downs) ( another zoo meet anyone :shrug: :D )
 
Hello and good evening all. Well, this cold snowy spells seem to be "nailed on" now.
While I'm here, allow me to add a bit more detail to the proceedings.

SATURDAY: Generally dry with sunny spells over the whole of the UK. However, a stiff south east wind will make things feel a whole lot colder.
However, it is also that very same wind (and continental dryness) that will prevent a hoar frost from forming, but watch out for icy patches. Just as well that most road surfaces had dried up nicely in any case.

SUNDAY: Starting off dry with a good deal of sunshine. That stiff south east wind will actually pick up so it will make things feel very cold.
Then during the course of the afternoon, cloud cover will begin to thicken over the eastern side of the UK. By the evening, it will start to snow there, albeit light. Remaining dry to the west
However, that snow is expected to turn heavier overnight as winds turn more in from the east so most east-facing coastal areas should start to get a covering.

MONDAY: Persistent and heavy snow to affect eastern side of the UK, which will spread quickly westwards to cover the rest of the UK as we wear into the day.
By the afternoon, the snow should turn more showery in nature but still heavy at times. I can see many eastern areas receiving 5 inches by the end of the day.
Winds will turn lighter by then.

TUESDAY: Snow likely to turn into rain or sleet over Southern England as less cold air try to nose up from the south, but remaining very cold with further heavy snow likely anywhere north of the M4 corridor.
But there's the possibility that the mild air may lose out to this cold east wind and snow may continue to affect all areas. A very hard call to make at this point!

REST OF WEEK: Staying unsettled and cold with further outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow affecting most areas. Hard frost by night whenever skies become clear.
I can't see the Atlantic having an effect on our weather not just yet, so there's the potential for further cold and snowy stuff coming back in from the east but that's a long way off.
 
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:clap:

Ian, I love reading this topic.
Your forecasts are awesome!!

Actually looking forward to a bit of snow, for some funny reason :cuckoo:
 
andy_fozzy said:
:clap:

Ian, I love reading this topic.
Your forecasts are awesome!!

Actually looking forward to a bit of snow, for some funny reason :cuckoo:
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:) Thank you!
I think it's fair to say that the snow does bring out the kid in most of us . . . including me. :geek:
Until it turns to slush and freezes over and back to sludge, etc, etc and I realise that I have to drive in it to get to work. :|
 
Ian D J said:
Hello and good evening all. Well, this cold snowy spells seem to be "nailed on" now.
While I'm here, allow me to add a bit more detail to the proceedings.
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Thanks for the update Ian :thumbs:
now then is that a "stop and a half" under or over for snowy conditions erm :thinking:
:D
 
Ian, is it coming to London too?? we seem to be missed every time!!..
 
Cobra said:
Thanks for the update Ian :thumbs:
now then is that a "stop and a half" under or over for snowy conditions erm :thinking:
:D
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I just simply turn the dial over to the "Snow and Beach" setting. :D :eek: :nono: :thumbs:
 
I'm with Fraggle and Jolsterj. We want snow too.I seems to miss us as well,we've never even got any haw frost this year. :(
 
fraggle101 said:
Ian, is it coming to London too?? we seem to be missed every time!!..
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jolsterj said:
or devon?

i want snow i want snow i want snow
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babytiger said:
I'm with Fraggle and Jolsterj. We want snow too.I seems to miss us as well,we've never even got any haw frost this year. :(
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Here's a map I've just put together (the weather symbols were all hand drawn by me, the map I got from a web site, I liked the map as it was nice and plain, the whole lot was cobbled together using Microsoft Paint).
It shows what conditions should be like by the time Tuesday Morning comes round.

WeatherMapforFeb3rd.jpg


Notice the wind (as drawn as blue arrows) in the bottom left hand corner of the map trying to come back in from the Atlantic, that's the lesser cold air wanting to come back in from the Atlantic as we go through the middle part of next week.

Who needs fancy blue-blobs type graphics and maps panning around when the old symbols did the job very nicely. Bring 'em back, BBC!
 
First class there Ian :thumbs:
 
HOLY $_HITE !
I have a purple line going straight through me :eek:
is that purple snow?
BTW I know you can't eat yellow snow but is purple snow OK?

:D ( sorry Ian great map) :thumbs:
 
I think I am just about to the left of the nasty purple line, so with a bit of luck I will only get 1 snowflake instead of 2 thats the other side of it :lol:
Will do all my outside stuff tomorrow just in case, that way I only have to do the essentials if it turns nasty!

Great picture :D
 
I've watched this thread with interest Ian, and have noted how accurate you are with forecasts, I'm impressed :clap:

Now, could you call the gritting station next time there looks like it's going to be a particularly icy morning. This morning I witnessed no fewer than 10 vehicles swerve off the road and into dyke's outside my house :eek: The gritters didn't do our road last night, but instead drove through and spread some 2 minutes after I call police this morning. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, but what a surreal experience that was!

I'm actually quite excited about the 'up to 5 inches' you predict for the east coast :D I love a bit of snow here in Boston. I guess I better stock up on supplies!
 
Jo said:
I've watched this thread with interest Ian, and have noted how accurate you are with forecasts, I'm impressed :clap:

Now, could you call the gritting station next time there looks like it's going to be a particularly icy morning. This morning I witnessed no fewer than 10 vehicles swerve off the road and into dyke's outside my house :eek: The gritters didn't do our road last night, but instead drove through and spread some 2 minutes after I call police this morning. Thankfully no one was seriously injured, but what a surreal experience that was!

I'm actually quite excited about the 'up to 5 inches' you predict for the east coast :D I love a bit of snow here in Boston. I guess I better stock up on supplies!
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While I don't really like to get embroiled into the "politicial" aspect of meteorology (global warming, climate change, etc), I guess it does come with the territory, especially when it is responsible for many a disagreement at my work place!
It is true how the transport infrastructure does fall down to it's knees whenever more than a centimeter of snow lie on the ground. The UK isn't a particularly snowy country so whenever it does snow, it does appear local councils are totally unprepared for it.
However, I do believe that since the last REAL proper snow spell occured in a densely populated area such as the South East, cars has become much lighter and faster. The last time we such a proper snow event (I'm talking about a week of thick heavy snow and drifting) was in 1991, and since then our winters came in dribs and drabs and only as day-long events and at the same time cars became lighter and much more racier. Not to mention people now seeming to lead more busier lifestyles. Combine all that together and it's hardly a wonder why we get caught out whenever it does snow.
Back in 1991, people nattering away on mobile phones while driving was totally unheard of, I just wonder how many of those cars that ended up in that dyke was caused by drivers in a hurry doing their office work in it while driving a feather-light car that can do 0 to 60 in 8 seconds, something that just about every modern car can do these days.
The other thing about today's society is how I'm already hearing about schools preparing to be closed on Monday morning - even though not a single flake of snow had fallen yet!

Anyway, back to business. I've just had a nose about on the 'net to get fresh data regarding the upcoming snow event . . . and blimey, the computer outputs seems to be chopping and changing more often than a Chinese martial arts convention.
It looks like only rain and sleet expected for the South and South east of the UK on Monday while the northern half of the country will go onto receiving snow as this less cold air want to move up from the south west sooner than expected.
Still, even if it does turn out to be a "marginal" event (where rain and sleet only falls on low ground and coastal areas and high ground gets a right pasting) I'm still sticking to my guns and think my own original forecast will bear fruit.
Who'd be a weather forecaster! . . . Well, I would be as I like a challenge.

Anyway, whatever the weather will be, be safe.
 
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Ian , thanks for taking the time and effort to put this all down ,,,:thumbs:

anyway im driving from kent up to hull on monday morning , east coast all the way ,,,,so let it snow , let it snow , let it snow ,,,
 
donutagain said:
Ian , thanks for taking the time and effort to put this all down ,,,:thumbs:

anyway im driving from kent up to hull on monday morning , east coast all the way ,,,,so let it snow , let it snow , let it snow ,,,
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Yikes. That's gonna be a tough 'ol drive. Let us know how you get on and that you got to your destination safely. :) You don't really need someone like me to drive safely and carefully, do you? :lol:

In the meantime, the Met Office catches on: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html
Thus restored my confidence in my own forecast.

And beyond that, after a less cool and wet spell in the second half of the week, it looks like another cold and snowy spell wants to hit the UK by next weekend, but this time by a good ol' fashioned northernly wind. :suspect: :eek:

Definitely one to keep an eye on, especially for our Scottish friends.
 
Thanks again Ian :thumbs:
the met office have "downgraded" my local area in the last 24 hours to "light" snow showers, from sunday night through Tues
Though they still have a blanket "be prepared" across the whole area for monday / tues.


 
Love reading your weather reports and love the map :thumbs: looks like we're finally gonna get snow yipeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!! :clap::clap::clap:
 
babytiger said:
Love reading your weather reports and love the map :thumbs: looks like we're finally gonna get snow yipeeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!! :clap::clap::clap:
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Simmer down missus we going to the fly in tomorrow so hope the snow holds off till mid afternoon lol:thumbs:
 
Maybe I need to get another load of logs in?
I'm on that there purple line as well by the looks of things.

Excellent report btw.
 
Many thanks Ian.I travel the M4 corridor daily so the beginning of the week looks interesting to say the least.There are enough nutters on the road when theres fog about which will make the snow and ice a real pain.
Keep up the good work.
Pete.
 
TheWombat said:
Many thanks Ian.I travel the M4 corridor daily so the beginning of the week looks interesting to say the least.There are enough nutters on the road when theres fog about which will make the snow and ice a real pain.
Keep up the good work.
Pete.
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That's a good point about the fog which will need a special mention in it's own right.
As the "mild" sector begins to bite in on late Monday evening, firstly over southern England and then as it spreads northwards to the rest of England and Wales as we go through Tuesday, that will cause a lowering of the cloud base and cover all high ground to become as hill fog.
That fog will most certainly be very thick by the end of Tuesday.
Wednesday will be a miserable drab murky, drizzly day to the whole of England and Wales. Scotland and northern England will remain cold with outbreaks of sleet and snow.
The return to brighter but colder and snowy weather for all parts of the UK is still on the cards by the next weekend.
 
So Ian, will we be getting snow in London??? *Taps foot in anticipation*

Cos if we don't!! IM GONNA CRY!!!!!
 
Charge your batteries, i'll see ya tomorrow! im clinically depressed! you never know, wont be the first time this week!! :lol:
 
Oh good! we can have a cry together.. or go on a joint murder spree!!! :naughty:
 
:thinking:



:bat: Lets go....
 
Snow now starting to show up over Holland on the radar and is marching westwards towards the south east as I type. :eek:

Lightish stuff should start to show up over the south east of the UK during the course of the day.
But it won't be until late afternoon and into this evening that the proper heavy stuff kicks in.
I could even see an "all nighter" for the south east, London, East Anglia, and up the eastern side of England out of this one.
The real issue today is that raw chill factor. That fresh east wind will make things feel even colder than what is deemed necessary!
Wrap up warm and please drive safely if you have to drive tomorrow morning.
 
Typical, I have an indoor job booked for this afternoon and tomorrow my car is going in for a service so unless I want to walk along a very dangerous road with no pavements I will have have problems getting the snowy pictures I want for my Village in Pictures project I am doing this year unless it lasts a few days :)
 
Well we've had some snow this morning :D I got caught in it while I was out on my scooter. 7kph seems fast usually, but it was bloody slow in that snow and freezing wind I can tell ya! :lol: I say snow .. but really it was like hale!

Oh, and Ian the last bout of 'real' snow I remember was in early 1996. I remember because for about a week I spent my mornings in the back of a van scared half witless that we (about 14 of us gang staff) were going to end up in the dykes like everyone else we saw on the way to work that week.
 
A few light flakes blowing around in a fairly strong ENE wind but thats about it so far
 
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