South Central England Cold Spell Discussion

[shuggee]

Please use this thread to have a good old chat about the prospects for something wintry in southern central England

[molegap]

After early Feb this year (in the east of the region) gave a surprise reminder of what thick snow is like, I am looking forward to a possible repeat in the next week or so. I like the sudden quiet, the unusual early morning whiteness, the squeak of it underfoot and the "smell" of snow. There is a smell to it. Coming over all poetic....ahhh.

[Uncle_Barty]

I doubt we get anything in Bournemouth. Slack easterlies don't really do it for us, and neither do northerlys whick dry out by the time they get down here.

Doesn't look potent enough for us this time out.

[molegap]

I sympathise. Early years on S Coast, where snow was a rarity (except for 62/3 of course, and a very surprising one day blizzard in 12/67 which closed my school). Now I am in Surrey, which is a bit east of you. Good luck this week.

[butler_son]

I doubt we get anything in Bournemouth. Slack easterlies don't really do it for us, and neither do northerlys whick dry out by the time they get down here.

Doesn't look potent enough for us this time out.

I know the feeling well, but I'm sure it's worse in Weymouth! I'd much rather have a longer Easterly regime.

Though, I hope we get some snow - I'm sure the match down at Dean Court on Monday evening could do with being postponed after Saturday's exploits (even if I am planning to go to it)!

[steve1971]

drizzel here now dont think we gona get much this side of winter might be lucky in new year.

[Snowman15]

what a positive bunch you all are down here on the south coast!!!!!!!!!!

[molegap]

and slightly inland too!

[PompeyFC]

yeah cannot see much for us here in Pompey either, we just do not live in the right part of the country for snow - only time is when there is a battleground and we get a load for 2 hours then a huge melt......sigh

[Kiwi]

yeah cannot see much for us here in Pompey either, we just do not live in the right part of the country for snow - only time is when there is a battleground and we get a load for 2 hours then a huge melt......sigh

Jump in the car and head up to Butser Hill ...inland and a bit of altitude should do the trick.

[butler_son]

The presenter on South Today's weather forecast seemed to find it hard to contain her excitement... :lol:

[Uncle_Barty]

what a positive bunch you all are down here on the south coast!!!!!!!!!! :wacko:

With good reason!

Feb 86 didnt deliver a thing and Feb 1991 gave us barely a covering.

WE really need a proper channel low and cold air to deliver properly down here, think we have had three of those in the past 25 years (1985, 1987 and 1994 (I think that was a CL, have to check the archives.

Feb this year did give us an inch though, as did the thundersnow of Jan 2004.

[Duane S.]

what a positive bunch you all are down here on the south coast!!!!!!!!!! :wacko:

It's true though. Those whinging Northerners have absolutely no idea what 'not getting a lot of snow' actually means! :wacko:

Weymouth rarely gets anything on a North Easterly or even rarer from a Northerly but a good Easterly, or preferably a SE, blast, can give us a light dusting ever 5 years or so! That said, a nice little circulation halted over us last Feb giving us enough to block all the roads out of the town for a few hours, so we get our moments. Just not enough, certainly not in the past 15 years or so.

The only chance of 'proper snow' down here (aka 19/02/78) is from a system approaching from the SW butting up against established cold frigid air. Not totally out of the question this could happen with this setup later on though...

Edited December 14, 2009 by s4lancia

[wallopweather]

Optomistic I'll see some of the white stuff over the next few days. My daily journey takes me from Wallop to Amesbury over the top of Beacon Hill on the A303 so a nice bit of altitude there. Tonight's drive home was interesting. Damp all the way, heavier rain nearer home. Temps ranged from +5 to +2.5 on route. Steady rain with mist here now.

[molegap]

Yup, remember it well! 12 inches lying snow in urban Surrey, Mon Feb 2nd. Never seen that depth for years, decades. Didn't last too long though. (Hope I am still Central Southern, and not too far S. East.)

[coldfingers]

what a positive bunch you all are down here on the south coast!!!!!!!!!! :(

:D But I am positive snowman! I am positive we positively wont see anything positive this week. Well perhaps a few snow flurries at most. Of up to Gatwick area at the weekend though so I am holding my breath, crossing my fingers, and touching wood that I may see a thin smear of white. South Coast and snow just shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath, my son was 5 years old before he saw even a snow flurry.

I have just put a lovely snowy picture from Germany on my desktop as i reckon that is the best I will see.:wacko:

Edited December 14, 2009 by coldfingers

[john w]

Sentiments Molegap....I feel i would have to write for clarification to ask if I am central southern or south east.

To be honest the last 3 years have seen some snow days in Bracknell. Last year being the extreme. But I understand the above, I think South Central sunoptically is one of the hardest places to get snow...an Easterley is a good option, but often temps are so marginal that london warms it up. Northerlies often dry out. North westerlies do gice some. North Easterlies are good. I wont go any further south on the compass...rarely gives result unless a battleground.

synoptically the Thames streamer was the best and if the Mods or expertsdid a refresher post to remind us of the synoptics and reasoning behind it I think it wpould gve us southerners something to watch for.

[MR EXTREMES]

well if you go to the bbc weather and look at video it mentions snow on the back edge down into hampshire.

[Stoxs]

Well for a chance like this in DECEMBER is something i hanvn`t heard of recentlly so good news.

Cold temps and some good frosts will do for pre christmas even better if it last over christmas.

A good NE isn`t to bad for us down here especially if the direction sends it accross the thames.

Bring it on

[SunnySouthCoast]

well if you go to the bbc weather and look at video it mentions snow on the back edge down into hampshire.

Probably only for northern parts of Hampshire though, I very much doubt it would fall as snow down here. And I doubt if we will see a single flake at all during this cold snap, as has been said the best chance we ever have for snow is from a system coming up from the south west & hitting the colder air. This is about the only time we ever see a decent amount of snow fall (couple of inches) but then of course it either turns to rain or simply melts straight away anyway... Portsmouth & snow just do not mix Even last February here in Southsea we only got a dusting which melted by the afternoon...

[kold weather]

Yep northern Hampshire looks like a good bet for some snow on the eastern flank of the frontal system, timing looks decent for the CS, the snow zone would be fairly narrow though it has to be said but as the eveing hours go on I'd expect there could well be some snow on the eastern flank of the precip band, of course don't expect much from it but I suppose some snow is better then none!

[Snowman15]

Looks like its not not going to be as cold as first thought down here now as websites are saying highs of 4-7c most days into next week instead of highs of 0c to -2 which have been forecast over the last few days. We did well in feb this year in Dorset with 5 days in a row of heavy snow and a couple of days it was extremely heavy snow!. Got some good videos and pictures of it.

[Snowman15]

Just thought i'd share a couple of pictures of one of the 5 snow days here in feb in Dorset! - Lets hope that we still do get the cold weather down here and even just a few flakes would be good to see!

Edit: Sorry about the very large pictures: Not sure how i scale them down!

Edited December 15, 2009 by Snowman15

[coxxy22]

nah we never get nothing down here im not holding my breath this year lol spent the last 5 years or so glued to the computer around this time of year and all for nothing lol fingers crossed if im not watchin for it 24/7 it will snow lol

[*Stormforce~beka*]

What day is this stuff coming for "Northern Hampshire"?

That'll be 1 inch over the borer then. Any further South than that and your buggered!!:winky: