if the current trend continues, then at the very least one of the curses of 'the even larger teapot' will soon be gone and that, of course, is way above average sst's around these shores. I feel that part of our extensive snowfall this winter off, at times, fairly marginal synoptics is due to the average to slightly below temps we have been experiencing since the autumn around the uk. This, at least, is a small crumb of comfort. If only the Barents could show a similar cooldown we might start getting some seriously cold northerlies. Matt