The Weather Watcher

Backing West, could be in Business. Moderate snow now.

snizzle here, not lying very well. Didn't think it would be great intensity. If it could back west about 10-20 miles it'd be good.

Exactly where I was thinking, up forest side way.

I'm that snow starved I might take the scenic route.

It does indeed, but I am dubious to the intensity of the precipitation as the area of milder air mixes out. Will make my drive to Lisburn to get the daughter interesting. Particularly dropping her back in the evening should any accumulations occur and freezing.

Anyone know who runs the NI weather advisory page, they must be a member as they use the charts from netweather?

Later tonights front further South than yesterday, looks like it only skiffs the border area. Still looks like sleet and snow for Ireland though, atm. The North coasts continuing to see some showers throughout the day. According to the Meto, some frequent showers possible for County Down on Sunday, but couldn't see them this far North on the county

Must be some decent coverings in the NW this morning, looks like showers continued well overnight. Some even getting right to the East. A slight shift in wind direction to NW rather than WNW and stronger winds looks to have helped NE Antrim also get into the mix, and maybe even some Central areas.

Wouldn't expect anything this night, maybe the odd isolated skiffle of dandruff should any showers make it all the way across. Tomorrow night is interesting due to a frontal system. An area of milder air associated with it, though not terribly milder. Still 850hpa uppers of -3/-4. Dewpoints upto 2c near the Dublin coast but 0 or less inland. Certainly worth a watch still. GFS shows the milder sector oushing through 3am to 6am.

Looks like more organised bands moving into Lietrim, Sligo, Donegal and maybe Derry. Showers becoming more hefty too. Might help them breach further inland before fading. Fingers crossed for a surprise trough.

I wouldn't say expert But yes, miss my old "The watcher" account. I no longer use or have access to the email address associated with that account and can't remember the password. Otherwise I would prefer it so all the old users recognise it's me lol.

It's no problem at all. I am a weather geek too. All the information I got was from my interest in meteorology and there's a great learning section on these forums for it. I'm good at explaining it, but not so good at the mathematical side of it. I love maths, but never divulged in anything beyond GCSE maths.

Commonly known as a land breeze. Apart from possible surface winds changing direction due to buildings/land interference, it is most likely a land breeze. These do prefer to happen at night as the inland temperature gets colder, plus with the slack NW winds atm it'll not be hindered. The winds increase somewhat later tonight, enough to stop the land breeze from happening. I might add also that wind divergence can cause unusual surface wind directions, although it is more likely to cause sinking air, fog, etc.

No problem. Apart from the cold air aloft, on this occasion all other forcings are not conducive to good shower activity, so we just have the wishbone kind of effect, with showers only really on windward coasts. What could aid us better is even colder uppers (more upward forcing), small patches of moist and milder air (for trough development) or converging winds.

There are multiple reasons why. Could be less moisture rich air inland, could be surface to troposphere temperature difference, slack air flow/divergence. In this case the showers are developing due to sea to troposphere temperature difference (moist warmer air will try rising above the colder air aloft). This is larger than the land to troposphere temperature difference, and with less moisture over land, any air that rises is drier (meaning no shower development). With no development, the showers fade. There is also slack isobars, meaning wind divergence more probable. In summer/thunderstorm potential you will hear of convergence zones. Convergence helps aid convection (and organised storm development), but divergence is the opposite, and aids sinking air.

And they look to be fizzling out as they hit the Antrim county border.

I never knew Markree castle was the coldest recorded. I was there about 15 years ago on a ghost hunt in its Chapel. The grounds on it are amazing.

No shortage of showers here tonight, but all hail/graupel and just melting. The coldest uppers do seem to come in overnight, but do so as the pressure rises, so expect the showers to become less and less.

There's been rain/sleet here for an hour (showery), courtesy of a small streamer.

That's the coldest 850's I've ever seen modelled for here.

Was snowing even down to sea level in Bangor. First main band cleared now, but depending on mild sector, not sure what the showers or second band will fall as. I drove just 10 minutes away to Craigantlet hills for the initial band and it snowed heavy for around 20 minutes, everything white. It's roughly 150m asl.

Remember it so well, like it was yesterday. At the end of November I was up on a roof rebuilding a chimney when the first snow showers began to fall in Belfast. By Christmas time there was 1 metre Icicles hanging from the sky dish, snow had been laying for weeks and there was more forecast. From what I remember it started with a Greenland high then this moved to Scandi, then back and forth like a game of tennis the whole time.

Well, I hope he at least keeps it warm. Otherwise the birds will go crazy for it, the avian kind. haha

Are you lampost watching in the buff?

I'm on the snow hunt, my partner is in Singapore and wants pictures of any snow. Depending on how things go this evening, might take a drive up to Glenshane pass for early morning, or, if it falls as snow on high ground here (Belfast hills etc) somewhere local. Showers do look to be penetrating inland well and strong at the minute, so who knows. It's been that long since the last snow risk I've near forgotten just how nowcast snowfall can be. It is a marginal event, but do expect some high ground accumulations.