North West Cold Spell Discussion:

[Backtrack]

Gone cloudy, up to -3.4c from a low of -4.4c

[k19]

North west forecast was absolute crap! They desperately avoided the front!

[snowdrifter]

As for snow prospects tomorrow for the region, the front heading down from the north tomorrow night looks likely to deliver widespread snow to most if not all the region. The flow is going to be north westerly, the Irish Sea will help to enhance the precipitation I feel, hilly areas close to the Pennines and especially here in the Lake District could see some quite heavy snow for a time. I expect upgrades in potential amounts of snow in the morning forecasts.

Beyond, plent of further snow opportunities on Tuesday and Wednesday with quite a strong N/NE flow eventually backing more ENE, showers will easily travel across the Pennines to affect many eastern and northern parts of the region less so the further south and west.

Cheers for that pal - I hope temps aren't modified too much for more marginal areas such as mine, though of course I know hilly/eastern parts of the region will get more. Lots of radr watching for all to look forward to tomorrow.

[martinj2]

Just looked at UK Sea temperatures (http://www.seafordweather.co.uk/wl/UKSeaTemp.htm)

They look quite high! In fact the Irish Sea is showing one of the coldest at 9C!

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Nice photos Spurry. I can't help but notice a lack of snowy photos from all regions to the south of us. Mwa ha ha.

Down to -8.4C -8.6C here now. Can't see why I won't get a sub -10 night here. My record low is -11.8C, but I can't see that being beaten....or could it?

Edited January 3, 2010 by Osbourne One-Nil

[James M]

High cloud passed through now and it is now crystal, after a slight rise to -7.0°C it has dropped all the way to -8.2°C, if it stays like this all night it really is going to be mighty cold in the morning

[Interitus]

Minima figures for Buxton overnight are -10'c by Midnight with it still remaining that way even until 9am tomorrow morning.

Here in Whaley Bridge were expected -9'c throughout the night with the temps posing a problem for commuters and the school-run up until 9am also with temps barely recovering until Midday tomorrow. Gritting Depots around here are on their last reserves or run out altogether, Footpaths are barely walkable on (even with Mountain Boots) and I dread to think of those using the higher passes in the morning, even the main roads have barely been gritted. And those that have are now literally ice.

Have to say that conditions didn't seem that bad earlier. Went through Marple to New Mills and then headed south on the A6. The snow is not very deep in this area at only around 1 or maybe 2 inches of fresh fall, hard to say what hard stuff was frozen underneath. The snow only starts to get reasonably thick when you go up the hill past Chapel-en-le-frith to Dove Holes. Even here and on into Buxton fresh snow was typically 4 inches at most.

BBC website advised Leek and Macc roads were closed, but I reckon they would be passable judging by returning on the Whaley Bridge road (B5004). Fresh depth there was perhaps 5 inches - hard to say because of earlier drifting.

All in all, I would consider these conditions significant in my area near Warrington, but not in High Peak.

[Cecil Hogmanay Melchett]

Certainly some very cold temps around in the NW tonight, will be interesting to see how the temp shoots up tomorrow night ahead of the likely PPN. Yesterday morning saw some astonishingly mild temps for the set-up.

sure will ian.they'll have to climb a hell of a lot to even get near zero here tomorrow,we have -7.7 with plenty of snowcover.Nice top up I HOPE tomorrow.

[dodge]

It's says -3c here, but -7 in Manchester. Strange. Anyway I think it's a lot lower than -3 to be honest. Sharp frost formed very early on this evening.

[snowingtequila]

Have to say that conditions didn't seem that bad earlier. Went through Marple to New Mills and then headed south on the A6. The snow is not very deep in this area at only around 1 or maybe 2 inches of fresh fall, hard to say what hard stuff was frozen underneath. The snow only starts to get reasonably thick when you go up the hill past Chapel-en-le-frith to Dove Holes. Even here and on into Buxton fresh snow was typically 4 inches at most.

BBC website advised Leek and Macc roads were closed, but I reckon they would be passable judging by returning on the Whaley Bridge road (B5004). Fresh depth there was perhaps 5 inches - hard to say because of earlier drifting.

All in all, I would consider these conditions significant in my area near Warrington, but not in High Peak.

they were closed from what I know because of ice not just snow, people were unable to drive up the hill from Buxton without sliding back down again! There is 6 inches of snow on the Buxton road just out of MAcclesfield, certainly not a huge fall but very nice. The drifting has been minimal and mostly happened last night wheh the snowfall had stopped.

[chrisbooth0070]

Current temp -5c with a dp of -5.6c. Temp seems to be fluctuating, so there must still be some small patches of cloud around.

[Liam J]

-4.4c DP -6.6c very cold for my area.

low -5.2c @ 8am today

high -1.1c @ 13.30

not seen the isle of man at -3 for a long time!!

Edited January 4, 2010 by james12

[SP1986]

Yes same here, currently -4.2C which is something like a 1 in 10 years event for here, but it's happened twice on the trot. Interesting.

[SP1986]

-3.9C now rising steadily but rapidly, despite clear skies. It doesn't feel that cold to be honest..

[dodge]

-6c hard frost. Somebody's glad they booked tomorrow off work. It might be payback on Tuesday morning though.

[SP1986]

Rising really fast now with the onset of a northwest breeze.

Currently -3.5C

If it continues it will be 0C before dawn.

[SP1986]

-6C in Crosby now, for a coastal location in the relative shelter of Merseyside plus being right on the coast, this is a rarity. It's also a rarity that it's alot warmer than Crosby here.

Wirral is actually quite mild, relative to the rest of the region right now.

-3.4C here, -4.0C in Moreton and -1.7C in Bebington

[stoke weather watch]

-7 here in Macclesfield at moment

Have to say i dont think ive ever seen it so cold and im 34!!!!!

What are Macclesfield chances of Snow this week? as we have done well so far 

[James M]

My word it's cold here this morning, currently -11.5°C

[HotCuppa]

The irish sea should keep you above -10 overnight and above freezing during the day, it would be very strange to see liverpool drop below -10c

Liverpool city and south liverpool do not share the same weather types. Much like us in rural Hale do not share the same weather type as south liverpool. Liverpool is unique in that. What your trying to do is compare London's weather with that of Liverpool its pointless and thats how different it is in south liverpool. Some of the city's lowest minima's are recorded in the south of the region.

For example Garston 2 miles down the road from Speke as now clocked -8C and clear as a bell. Speke as clocked -6.7C and my location as clocked -9.2C.

The coldest times for minima's in the south of the region is between 7-9 before they fall off. I am expecting -10 to easily be broken in the next hour and half. As for South Liverpool -7.5C is reasonable, with Garston clocking in at -8.7 possibly -9C.

Garston is the cold spot in South Liverpool at the moment with a cold -8C. The only time south liverpool is similar to liverpool is when its under the effects of a westerly..by then the entire region is feeling it so it's quite irrelevant.

Garston should remain at about -1,0C much of the day, Speke should be around 0, 1C but then we have a front heading down and I would expect temps by then to have dropped off again. Maybe we'll get something who knows. For my location I expect us to remain below freezing -1, -2C all day.

We have totally smashed the -7.1C set a few days before christmas completely. and I think it could be some time before see temps anywhere near -10C for south of the region. As S prudence stated even Crosby (the warmest place outside the city) is down to -6C.

Edited January 4, 2010 by HotCuppa

[Liam J]

-6.5c DP -8 lowest temp here for many years.

[Snow free zone]

Morning everyone. Very hard frost here overnight currently minus 8c which is very cold for here. Met office now calling sleet for us tonight and the warm sector seems to have re appeared on the gfs but the precipitation seems to have pepped up.

[karyo]

The latest forecasts have upgraded the precipitation for our region! The UKMO and GFS pick up some wintry showers from 6pm onwards. These are ahead of the weather front which is expected in the early hours of tomorrow. The ECM precipitation forecast has upgraded the intensity of the front too!

Of course, there is alsways a risk for coastal areas in particular seeing a wintry mix rather than snow, but for areas further inland things are looking quite good at the moment!

Karyo

[HotCuppa]

There is a good chance no one will see anything.

Can't say I agree about the coasts getting sleet/mix the synoptics are particularly just about right for the coasts to see perhaps some of the heavier stuff..since its coming down the west side. If it was eastern england Id agree with you, but its not. West parts those by the coasts, those on high grounds to the west (not manchester) are reporting the coldest temps in both the south and nw region..the temps if they get above freezing today will rapidly sink back again tonight to similar values if not even colder with the upper air finally in charge of producing this marvellous freezing conditiosn

Liverpool, South Liverpool, Halton are now under -10 air while outside of this footprint places are seeing around -2 to -4C...this footprint extends pretty much to the extreme of sw scotland with parts of Cumbria on it's northern edge.

Places with elevation are reporting similar temps to those under the -10C air..so its win win for those by the coasts at the moment. Its very rare to see this kind of thing happen with temps especially those sitting on the coast, this could herald the start of something truly amazing for snowless areas...as much as it could end up with bugger all apart from an ice day if things go pear shaped as they usually do...lets keep our chins up and hope for the best..if coasts and southern regions get it...then the whole of the west side of the pennines will too imo

Edited January 4, 2010 by HotCuppa

[Liam J]

There is a good chance no one will see anything.

Can't say I agree about the coasts getting sleet/mix the synoptics are particularly just about right for the coasts to see perhaps some of the heavier stuff..since its coming down the west side. If it was eastern england Id agree with you, but its not. West parts those by the coasts, those on high grounds to the west (not manchester) are reporting the coldest temps in both the south and nw region..the temps if they get above freezing today will rapidly sink back again tonight to similar values if not even colder with the upper air finally in charge of producing this marvellous freezing conditiosn

Liverpool, South Liverpool, Halton are now under -10 air while outside of this footprint places are seeing around -2 to -4C...this footprint extends pretty much to the extreme of sw scotland with parts of Cumbria on it's northern edge.

Places with elevation are reporting similar temps to those under the -10C air..so its win win for those by the coasts at the moment. Its very rare to see this kind of thing happen with temps especially those sitting on the coast, this could herald the start of something truly amazing for snowless areas...as much as it could end up with bugger all apart from an ice day if things go pear shaped as they usually do...lets keep our chins up and hope for the best..if coasts and southern regions get it...then the whole of the west side of the pennines will too imo

where is the -10 air, that comes later heres some 850's through today, slightly warm sector at -6 on the coast south of cumbria as front moves south

Edited January 4, 2010 by james12