Snow lovers have been praying for a Scandi High all Winter. A true winters setup for really cold air and proper snow. A high pressure established over Scandinavia can draw very cold air across the North Sea and give a real dumping of the white stuff, in say Jan/Feb.
We're now coming to the end of March, the ground is beginning to warm a little more each day in the Spring sunshine. The risk of ice is now lessening, and the chance of snow settling for long.
This lovely satellite image from http://eumetrain.org/eport EuMetSat's training website. METSAT infraRed Tues Mar 25th 06Z
The clear skies over Scandinavia showing up well (dark area). The UK is under an old occluded front stretching North South and followed by a trough line to the SW. Both these bring some damp weather to the UK on Tuesday but will be pushed back westwards towards the Atlantic by the end of the day.
Then we look to the LOW I have marked by the Baltic states. The flow around the High pressure is clockwise and this low will feed around the base of the high, heading across the North Sea to the UK late on Wednesday/Thursday.
Observations on Tuesday morning from southern Lithuania, Poland and the small Russian enclave of Kaliningrad show rain and snow being reported from the low pressure.
Everyone is feeling a bit jaded by the lifting of snow hopes this winter, only for them to fall flat. Anyone reading certain Daily newspapers must be totally bewildered after this winter's lack of snow. This is apart from the Scottish mountains and most ski resorts who have been digging out lifts every week. So here we are with an easterly, some cold air and some moisture.
Netweather Snow Risk charts for Weds evneing and Thursday morning show
Red and white colours show snow risk over 75%. Yellowy green 40-70%. Snow is likely above 200m Wednesday night but in some of the heavier showers you could see snow at lower levels, just a slight brief covering. This risk continues into the first part of Thursday morning, with deep convection leading to heavy showers, hail, thunder and snow potential. Those showers will have pushed further west across northern England, W.Scotland and could be over N.Ireland.
So a chance, for some, of a wintry wakeup on Thursday. If that news is making you shiver, it will be warmer by the weekend.
Jo
