January CET

[J10]

I'd love it to be 3.5c, so Craig Evans would be spot on.

[damianslaw]

Going from the usual Met Office link, rough calculations suggest

1-9 Jan was 0.3c

10-16 Jan was 8.1c

17-28 Jan was 0.3c

Thanks for these stats. As I expected the period of 10-16 Jan was very mild compared to the rest of the month. People should take note of these figures as it shows that apart from that 6 day spell it has been a jolly cold month in the main. Had we not seen the atlantic break through during the 10-16 Jan or if it had been more of a westerly/north westerly airstream we would have recorded a CET value probably lower than 3 degrees and perhaps not too far off 2 degrees meaning a notably cold month. It shows how the final CET figure of any month can be very misleading - te vast part of this month has been significantly colder than normal but with a generous filling of very mild weather.

[TonyH]

Thanks to an abundance of severe frosts my 'WWT' is sub 3c. Well below average here at least.

[Weather-history]

Going from the usual Met Office link, rough calculations suggest

1-9 Jan was 0.3c

10-16 Jan was 8.1c

17-28 Jan was 0.3c

The colder spells are far too low Jackone

1-9 Jan about 3.0C

17-28 Jan about 2.9C

[reef]

Hadley is 4.0C to the 30th. Yesterday came in at a cold 0.4C.

Today's min is down as -4.5C, making it the coldest of the month. The finishing number tomorrow before adjustments looks like being 3.9C.

Manley is also 4.0C to the 30th, so it'll be interesting to see what adjustments we get this month.

[J10]

The colder spells are far too low Jackone

1-9 Jan about 3.0C

17-28 Jan about 2.9C

Got the decimal points in the wrong place, a bit embarrassing really.

[SteveB]

Looks like Jan has come in at 3.7c

http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadcet/cetml1659on.dat

[AderynCoch]

3.7C it is.

CET max = 6.2C

CET min = 1.2C

[Don]

Looks like Jan has come in at 3.7c

http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadcet/cetml1659on.dat

Hadley and Manley both have January at 3.7C. We would have been very happy with this CET just 3 years ago but after the last two Winters and particularly December, it seems very mediocre. Just shows how spoilt we have been lately! What was without doubt very disappointing however was the distinct lack of snow. All I saw was a couple of light flurries on the 3rd, a little sleet just prior to the mild spell and a few snow grains last week. No lying snow at all. Even January 2007 gave some short lived lying snow. Anyway, shouldn't really complain I suppose.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Don

[North-Easterly Blast]

Yes, Jan 2011 has come in at 3.7*C. It is fractionally below the 1961-90 mean, although going further back, it is still just above the 1951-80 and 1941-70 means. Coming on the back of such an exceptionally cold December it has felt on the milder side, and certainly a contrast with December; although by the standards of the last 20+ years Jan 2011 has still been a fairly chilly month; only five Januarys in the last 24 years have been colder than this last month, and many Jans in the 1990s and 2000s came out a good deal warmer than last month. So, we can't moan too much can we about last month's CET.

What was dissappointing about last month was that for most areas there was very little snow, especially given the CET; I would have expected with a CET close to average that there would at least have been one or two snow moments even if there was no long snowy spell. It has been similar in many respects to Feb 2006, which had a similar CET to last month but gave hardly any snow for most.

[Snowyowl9]

How strange the same CET as January 1992 at 3.7c and that gave 1 day of wet snow.

February 2006 NEB you`ve got the wrong month there for no snow a snowy 2nd half here from that very lively easterly,one of the highlights of the 00`s here.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Feb 06 had regional variation- I remember a few wet snowfalls in Leeds from that easterly, but Cleadon got no lower than 2.4C during the entire easterly spell. On the whole it was less potent than the February 2005 easterly but I think snowfalls were more widespread than in January 2011.

I agree with NEB's general point though- lying snow was pretty "thin on the ground" (lol!) for most parts of the UK during February 2006, though it led into arguably the wintriest March of the "noughties".

[J10]

With the outcome confirmed at 3.7c, this has had a really topsy effect on the leader board.

Kentish Man and reef got it spot on while fozfoster, The watcher, davehsug were only 0.1c out.

Each of these have made huge strides up the leader board.

 
           Now  Was  
fozfoster    2 	 17 
Kentish Man  5 	 53 
reef         7 	 65 
The watcher 10 	 64 
davehsug    14 	 73 

Overall Snowyowl9 is 1st with mike Meehan in 3rd.

Jan 2011 CET.pdf

Jan 2011 CET.xls

While in the seasonal comp the 1-2-3 is fozfoster, Kentish Man and Mr Data.

[Snowyowl9]

Feb 06 had regional variation- I remember a few wet snowfalls in Leeds from that easterly, but Cleadon got no lower than 2.4C during the entire easterly spell. On the whole it was less potent than the February 2005 easterly but I think snowfalls were more widespread than in January 2011.

I agree with NEB's general point though- lying snow was pretty "thin on the ground" (lol!) for most parts of the UK during February 2006, though it led into arguably the wintriest March of the "noughties".

Forgot above potent N-ly and heavy fine snow showers last day and blizzard,blizzard for 3 hours on one day in feb E-ly too.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/2006/Rrea00120060228.gif

Feb 2006 was more potent for snow lying here lasting longer,than 2005 which was upper air 2005 was but lying snow thawed more.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Snowyowl9

[damianslaw]

How strange the same CET as January 1992 at 3.7c and that gave 1 day of wet snow.

February 2006 NEB you`ve got the wrong month there for no snow a snowy 2nd half here from that very lively easterly,one of the highlights of the 00`s here.

Yes many comparisons with this January and that of 1992. 1992 was remarkable for the persistance of high pressure close to the country - after a mild first 10 days high pressure built and came unstuck over the country sometimes ridging a little west and south and east yo-yoing about all over the place helping to produce bone dry and chilly conditions.

Difference with this month, is the high pressure came about 6 days later and the first 10 days of the month were not nearly as mild as the opening days of 1992.

The way both months ended bear an uncanny resemblence, although in 1992 the strong heights held sway into February for just a little bit longer.

In terms of snowfall Jan 92 was equally absent of the white stuff.

However those bemoaning lack of snow this past Jan should spare a thought for the abysmal January of 1990 when not even Aviemore recorded any lying snow at 9am - quite astonishing really..

[Snowyowl9]

Yes pretty simalar 1992 to this month as there was this failed easterly as the snow lovers would put it,but it was the coldest spell of the whole winter 1991-92.

This was the coldest night/day 1c colder than the coldest this Jan.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/1992/Rrea00119920123.gif

It seemed a cold dry month I remember.

There was a very mild beginning your right Damien.

[Thundery wintry showers]

However those bemoaning lack of snow this past Jan should spare a thought for the abysmal January of 1990 when not even Aviemore recorded any lying snow at 9am - quite astonishing really..

I'm surprised at that- January 1990 had a couple of fairly widespread snowfalls in the last week. There was a polar maritime incursion on the 24th with sunshine and wintry showers for many, on the eve of that destructive gale on the 25th, while a second polar maritime incursion resulted in a fairly widespread marginal snow event on the 27th as a frontal system pushed NE and collided with the cold air, and Lancaster near the Morecambe Bay coast had 7cm. I'll have to check the back issues of Weather Log to see if this is indeed the case or whether you've got 1989 and 1990 mixed up.

I agree with the gist of what you're saying though- if you were to quote January 1989 instead I would certainly agree!

[J10]

However those bemoaning lack of snow this past Jan should spare a thought for the abysmal January of 1990 when not even Aviemore recorded any lying snow at 9am - quite astonishing really..

That is astonishing.

[reef]

With the outcome confirmed at 3.7c, this has had a really topsy effect on the leader board.

Kentish Man and reef got it spot on while fozfoster, The watcher, davehsug were only 0.1c out.

Each of these have made huge strides up the leader board.

 
           Now  Was  
fozfoster    2 	 17 
Kentish Man  5 	 53 
reef         7 	 65 
The watcher 10 	 64 
davehsug    14 	 73 

Overall Snowyowl9 is 1st with mike Meehan in 3rd.

While in the seasonal comp the 1-2-3 is fozfoster, Kentish Man and Mr Data.

Thanks again for doing this! I cant believe I finally got a month right! :lol:

Interesting to note that the average temperature of November, December and January comes out at 2.7C, which is the 2nd coldest since 1891 - with 1962/63 the only combination of the months being colder.

A February of 4.4C or below would guarantee a winter colder than last years aswell.

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

Amazingly Craig Evans was only 0.2C out, and that was 0.2C too low!

[Thundery wintry showers]

However those bemoaning lack of snow this past Jan should spare a thought for the abysmal January of 1990 when not even Aviemore recorded any lying snow at 9am - quite astonishing really..

I checked Weather Log and it was indeed January 1989 which astonishingly managed 0 days of snow lying at Aviemore. January 1990 had 9 days due to the colder zonality in the last third of the month.

[damianslaw]

I checked Weather Log and it was indeed January 1989 which astonishingly managed 0 days of snow lying at Aviemore. January 1990 had 9 days due to the colder zonality in the last third of the month.

Thanks for correcting me. Yes the latter part of January saw some polar maritime air brought in after the infamous storm of the 25th Jan.

Jan 89 is your worse nightmare if you are wanting snow and cold. It came after an exceptionally mild Dec and the mild lasted through Feb and March. Ironically April brought the most 'wintry' synoptics with damaging frosts and somw low lvel snow early in the month. A lesson to those who think winter finishes at the end of February.

[Weather-history]

Months below the 1971-2000 average since the end of that exceptional warm period May 2006-June 2007

Jan 2011: 3.7 (-0.5)

Dec 2010: -0.7 (-5.8]

Nov 2010: 5.2 (-1.7)

Oct 2010: 10.3 (-0.1)

Aug 2010: 15.3 (-0.9)

May 2010: 10.7 (-0.6)

Mar 2010: 6.1 (-0.2)

Feb 2010: 2.8 (-1.4)

Jan 2010: 1.4 (-2.8]

Dec 2009: 3.1 (-2.0)

Jul 2009: 16.1 (-0.4)

Feb 2009: 4.1 [-0.1]

Jan 2009: 3.0 [-1.2]

Dec 2008: 3.5 (-1.6)

Oct 2008: 9.7 (-0.7)

Sep 2008: 13.5 (-0.2)

Jul 2008: 16.2 (-0.3)

Jun 2008: 13.9 (-0.2)

Apr 2008: 7.9 (-0.2)

Mar 2008: 6.1 (-0.2)

Dec 2007: 4.9 (-0.2)

Aug 2007: 15.4 (-0.8]

Jul 2007: 15.2 (-1.3)

Interestingly, there were more below the 1971-2000 average months in the period Jan 2001-Dec 2010 than there were 1961-90 average months in the period Jan 1991-Dec 2000