wanzelbin

The odd, tiny flake in Tonbridge...

Thanks Knocker.

Thanks very much for responding. As you say, unfortunately a number of the links in the guides are broken. This afternoon I found this link for info on the DAM stuff - http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/node/152. I haven't read it all yet (supposed to be working :-) ) but it looks pretty thorough. Any more help on the terminology, blocking etc would be great. Thanks again

I posted this on the Model Discussion thread a few days ago, but I didn't get a reply - guess I should have put it on here. Hope someone might be able to straighten out some of my ideas below. Many thanks Hi I read lots of the posts on here, year after year, and regularly get caught up in the excitement, but despite having tried going through the nw guides (unfortunately a lot of broken links), wikipedia etc I still struggle to understand the detail of what's going on. The terminology is tricky and mostly learnt (probably not correctly) from context - e.g. I think a "ridge" is a line of high pressure while a "trough" is an area of low pressure - but what would be really, really fantastic is if someone could use something like the chart above and explain why it would be so great for there to be a "link between our Atlantic ridge and the Arctic high" as winterof79 says above. Also, why is one called a "ridge", and one termed as a "high"? If these high pressure areas linked, this would increase the potential for cold in the UK? Is this something to do with "blocking"? This seems to be where a high pressure system holds up or directs the movement of a low pressure system, or vice-versa perhaps? As I understand it, a high pressure area will be pushing air down and out across the earth's surface - if this is in the polar regions, this is especially cold air, which is then sucked up by the moister slightly warmer and lower pressure area over the UK which might provide snow? Also, the colours on the chart - am I right in thinking this is something to do with DAM - the height above sea level at which pressure is 500 mb? If so, what does the purple spot over the Baltic Sea mean? On the colour chart this would be approx 510. Does that mean the pressure is 500 mb at 510 metres(?) with a surface level pressure of 1005 mb (judging by the numbers on the isobars)? So pressure is reducing quickly as you go up where there is a low DAM value? And that means what? I'm obviously building assumptions on assumptions, some of which are probably embarrassingly wrong. As I say, I've tried various resources to learn more, but it's very difficult without relevant examples. I hope this is considered acceptable for the modelling forum as it refers to current charts, but it would enormously help a very interested but struggling observer should anyone be able to provide a little insight. Many thanks

Hi I read lots of the posts on here, year after year, and regularly get caught up in the excitement, but despite having tried going through the nw guides (unfortunately a lot of broken links), wikipedia etc I still struggle to understand the detail of what's going on. The terminology is tricky and mostly learnt (probably not correctly) from context - e.g. I think a "ridge" is a line of high pressure while a "trough" is an area of low pressure - but what would be really, really fantastic is if someone could use something like the chart above and explain why it would be so great for there to be a "link between our Atlantic ridge and the Arctic high" as winterof79 says above. Also, why is one called a "ridge", and one termed as a "high"? If these high pressure areas linked, this would increase the potential for cold in the UK? Is this something to do with "blocking"? This seems to be where a high pressure system holds up or directs the movement of a low pressure system, or vice-versa perhaps? As I understand it, a high pressure area will be pushing air down and out across the earth's surface - if this is in the polar regions, this is especially cold air, which is then sucked up by the moister slightly warmer and lower pressure area over the UK which might provide snow? Also, the colours on the chart - am I right in thinking this is something to do with DAM - the height above sea level at which pressure is 500 mb? If so, what does the purple spot over the Baltic Sea mean? On the colour chart this would be approx 510. Does that mean the pressure is 500 mb at 510 metres(?) with a surface level pressure of 1005 mb (judging by the numbers on the isobars)? So pressure is reducing quickly as you go up where there is a low DAM value? And that means what? I'm obviously building assumptions on assumptions, some of which are probably embarrassingly wrong. As I say, I've tried various resources to learn more, but it's very difficult without relevant examples. I hope this is considered acceptable for the modelling forum as it refers to current charts, but it would enormously help a very interested but struggling observer should anyone be able to provide a little insight. Many thanks

leemondo - you always get more snow in Crowborough. I'm in Tonbridge, one of the lower parts, and we always get the least around here. Not fair! I've found an excellent webcam in Oxford and you can see it just starting to snow : http://webcam.oii.ox.ac.uk/camera1.cfm. Hopefully not too many folks click on it or it'll probably crash.

Snowing mediumly here. Seems to have come from the east.

Hills to the north of Tonbridge have just disappeared... Snowing lightly here but looks like it's about to get harder.

Down in the valley Tonbridge is often a little warmer than surrounding places, especially Sevenoaks to the north and Tun Wells to the south - they always get more snow than us!

Reduced to very fine snow in Tonbridge - almost stopped.

Hi (first post!) - big flakes here in Tonbridge, Kent. Can't believe how exciting this is, following all the comments etc.