German Late Spring Weather Singularities

[Lettucing Gutted]

There once a topic about this but the original thread disappeared.

Below is a list of weather singularities that can effect Germany, Belgium and even France and Great Britain in the late spring:-

Ice Saints - Occurs between 12-14 May

Sheep Cold - Occurs between 4-18 June

Below is information on the singularities quoted from:-http://german.about.com/library/definition...ef05_0707.htm:-

"die Schafskälte a brief cold spell in early to mid-June or other summer months ("sheep's cold snap" - see note below)

Schafskälte bringt 20 Zentimeter Neuschnee in den Alpen. (Schlagzeile)

"Sheep's cold snap" leaves 20 cm of new snow in the Alps. (headline)

Gerade erst haben wir die Rekord-Eisheiligen hinter uns gelassen, da läßt bereits wieder eine Super-Schafskälte Europa bibbern. (Die Welt, 9. Juni 2005)

Barely do we have the record cold "ice saints" behind us, and already a super "sheep's cold snap" has Europe shivering once again. (Die Welt, 9 June 2005)

Note: A Schafskälte or Schafkälte is a statistically frequent European weather phenomenon. A true "sheep's cold spell" can result in a temperature drop of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (9-18 Fahrenheit degrees) during the period between June 4 to June 18 (most often around June 11). The name comes from the risk to freshly shorn sheep from the unusually cold weather. It usually results from cool and damp northwesterly winds.

Related:

die drei Eisheiligen (Eisheilige) a period of cold weather in the spring (the three saints' days from 12-14 May), after which frost is supposed to be rare; lit. "the (three) ice saints"

der Altweibersommer ("old wives summer") period of nice weather towards the end of September (similar to "Indian summer" in the U.S.)

der Martinssommer period of nice weather in November"

Edited April 7, 2007 by Craig Evans

[Lettucing Gutted]

Someone on this site said that the surprise Northerly outbreaks in May in Western Europe are caused by low pressure systems invading the North Pole. On the low's western side a Northerly wind can inject the displaced cold air from Greenland into the circulation of the westerlies which then invades Western Europe.

[Lettucing Gutted]

Examples of surprise May Northerly outbreaks in Britain include the following:-

1. May 1935. In an already cold May with a C.E.T of 9.9C things turned much colder on the 16th with a cold front followed by Northerlies. these produced ground frosts and snow showers on the day oft he Silver Jubilee of King George CV (17th May 1935).

Very warm Southeasterly breeze on 4th of May 1935. http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19350504.gif

Very mild UK Bartlett High on the 8th.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19350508.gif

However very cold North-Northwesterlies on the 16th

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19350516.gif

Cool East-Northeasterly winds from the 20th.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19350520.gif

2. May 1902. According to http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley...ther_in_may.h... "The coldest May this century (8.9C), with wintry showers and frosts. It got slightly warmer at the end of the month, with 24C recorded in Aberdeen on the 23rd."

From the start May 1902 was cold with cold Northwesterlies starting on the 1st.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19020501.gif

Warmer Southwesterlies returned on the 22nd with 24C in Aberdeen on the 23rd.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19020522.gif

3. May 1996 was also a cold May overall in fact the second coldest of the 20th Century at 9.1C C.E.T.

May 1996 began already cool on the 1st with cool Northeasterlies.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119960501.gif

Things turned even colder on the 18th when Bournemouth only reached a high of 7C due to a Siberian "Beasterly" Easterly.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119960518.gif

However a warm front moved in from the west on the 28th which would start up the phenomenal heatwave of early June 1996.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119960528.gif

4. May 1995 was slightly milder than average at 11.6C C.E.T however there was some very warm and very cold spells.

May 1995 began very warm on the 1st with equally very warm Southwesterlies giving temperatures as high as 28C in St Helier (Channel Islands).

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119950501.gif

However things turned cold on the 8th when warm southerlies were replaced by cold Northwesterlies.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119950508.gif

On the 17th parts of the Northeast of Britain only reached 5C with even snow in a very cold East-Northeasterly.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119950517.gif

5. May 1997 at 11.5C C.E.T was also slightly milder than average. However was also some very warm and very cold spells in this month.

Starting on the 1st a UK Bartlett High and a Southwesterly breeze brought some very warm weather to Britain with 27C in London on the 2nd.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119970501.gif

On the 5th temperatures fell from 27C in a Returning Maritime Arctic airmass. http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119970505.gif

On the 6th temperatures got no higher than 10C in London as a very cold Northerly brought snow to North Wales and Derbyshire with a Morning low of -4.1C at Benson (Oxon).

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119970506.gif

However on the 16th a warm front brought warm, humid and thundery Southeasterlies up from France with highs of 27C once again in London.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119970516.gif

Edited April 10, 2007 by Craig Evans