Borei

Lamentably poor Met O. Drove to Salford and back today, and there was continuous snow cover with temperatures barely scraping above freezing in the Quays this afternoon. Approx 10cm here, and we've had snow cover since Friday night. Currently -5.6c under clear skies with freezing fog in the valley.

A couple of mainly light snow showers added another thin covering amidst the sunny spells. Currently flurries, -2.7c

Been mostly dry since mid afternoon but light snow now, 1.1c

Rain fully transitioned to snow now, 1.4c

There's no doubt that these forecasts are poorly written and constructed from a plain English and grammar perspective. At @johnholmes, it's not the meteorological content that's the issue, it's the words that are chosen to convey the message. I really feel that as a supposedly premier met organisation, and with this being their main public facing content, they should take more care to ensure that the wording is appropriate. It needs to be clear, relatively easy to understand, and coherent. Too often it isn't, and frankly, whatever the quality of the underlying science, the presentation of the message is very poor and that's not good enough.

Well, possibly, but it's still not an excuse for abysmally written public facing output.

More evidence of a deeply un-professional malaise. The forecast for the period starting Tuesday 12th begins by talking about Sunday (presumably 10th). This is their public output, their premier forecast for every-day consumers - and it's lamentably poor. An enthusiastic child would do a better job of writing them. They should be proof read and clearly they never are.

A light snow shower has added a small covering, but the main point of note is the persistence of a snow cover here since Dec 28. That's notable in any winter, and makes this spell easily the best since March 2018. Minimum last night -4.3c.

Further, this boundary between the cold and milder conditions could also allow for some significant snowfall where the two air masses. I hear a lot about how the UKMO are the best in the world - an assertion which is invariably recited as an article of faith without any supporting evidence. But their forecasts are often poorly written and worded, ambiguous, and in today's example above, grammatically atrocious. It's un-professional and very poor. I've seen better worded fraud e mails from spoof Nigerian princes

Light snow from 12 intensified to moderate snow for the last half hour and an additional 2-3cm covering on all surfaces to date. Temperature 0.4c

Hi Kasim, No, my point was totally that it was too late. For hill walkers, of which there are many at weekends in this region, decisions will often be made based on MO forecasts. Getting stuck on a hill in blizzard conditions can be a really serious situation and this is where timely warnings really matter. Putting one out at 10AM for an event due at 1PM is too late. As always, thanks for your really excellent interpretative contributions to this regional forum .

With its belated nowcast weather warning, I'm afraid that the MO has once more proved that it's a long way from being 'world beating'. Its forecasts are important to such as hill walkers, and this is really poor. Indeed, as Covid has exposed, our ability to deliver 'world beating' anything is more a fond illusion than a reality, and the MO is no exception. Clear skies here with a low of -5.6c aided by the persisting snow cover, easily the coldest night of the winter.

Freezing fog, -1.8c. Very little snow melt today so still about 5cms on the ground.

Mostly clear, -2.8c with about 5cm of level snow intact. Surrounding white hill tops visible against the night sky.

Cloudy and -0.3c. Still a covering of snow to all levels locally (noting that the valley floor locally is about 130m).