Which Type(s) Of Snowfall Event(s) Are Best In Your Location?

[A Winter's Tale]

I'm wanting to start a thread about what type of snowfall event is the best for your location. Also in addition to finding out the type of snowfall event I would also like to know more details about the conditions in order for it to happen (perhaps you may need an Easterly instead of a North Easterly due to hills perhaps shielding the snow) and of course which Geographical aspect would help you to get this snowfall such as Seas, Estuaries, Firths, Lakes, Lochs and valleys. Also give details of what the event would be like (i.e duration, intensity, depths and the affect on the area and what particular transport links and Urban Areas would be hit)

If you have any experiences of these events let me know and also post any pictures, synoptic charts or videos about it if available. Furthermore I'd like to find out what would be the perfect type of snowfall for the following regions:

Orkeny & Shetland

Highlands

Grampian

Strathclyde

Central, Tayside & Fife

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

Northern Ireland

Wales

NW England

NE England

Yorkshire & the Humber

West Midlands

East Midlands

East of England

SW England

London & SE England

I'm going to give an example which is my perfect snowevent.

Type: Streamer (Forth-Clyde)

Region: Strathclyde

Geographical Features Involved: North Sea, Firth of Forth, Firth of Clyde, Forth-Clyde Valley

Suitable Conditions: Convection, Easterly Wind, Warm North Sea, Cold Temperatures (No NEly because of Hills)

Duration: Single event = 3-6 hrs, Could happen over a period of days

Depths: Perfect Event = 10-30cm+

Effects: Major routes between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Central Scotland population being effected

Example: November/December 2010, (Clyde-Forth Streamer: December 2009, Febuary 2009 and snow snowfalls in 2000-2002)

Here's a chart of an event that brought 10cm to my location and more in eastern areas. What's your perfect event and post in the same layout as I've done including: type, your region, geographical details, conditions, details of the event and an exapmple.

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/198/9UtZy0xAIOQ

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/197/sCPmpomoLHM

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/196/QZb70iyF8Ng

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/195/aH_ECKZXK-g

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/194/hXFJ35YpMAE

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/193/eE7O3m1s4zg

http://www.youtube.com/user/terratec365#p/u/192/sQnZB_MF5AM

Edited November 20, 2011 by A Winter's Tale

[Snowmadsam]

My perfect Snow event:

Type: Streamer (Pembrokeshire Dangler)

Region: West Wales

Geographical Features Involved: Irish Sea, Preseli Hills

Suitable Conditions: Convection, Easterly or North Eastly or North Westly Wind, Warm Irish Sea, Cold Temperatures

Duration: Single event = 3-12 hrs, Could happen over a period of days

Depths: Perfect Event = 10-30cm+

Effects: School closures in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire

[A Winter's Tale]

So far we've got:

Strathclyde: Forth-Clyde Streamer (AWT) - Firth of Forth/North Sea and Firth of Clyde

Wales: Pembrokeshire Dangler (Snowmadsam) - Irish Sea & Preseli Hills

Let's see which type of snowfalls are best for members, regions and which Geographical Features are Involved.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

showers on there twice! I went for Easterly best for me, either convective, or easterly via low pressure (feb 07 and feb 09) and convective like many times in 90's, last winter 30th Nov- 02 Dec (avatar chart), 18th Dec and 22nd Dec was still an easterly wind but from a shortwave type setup

Edited November 20, 2011 by snow? norfolk n chance

[A Winter's Tale]

showers on there twice! I went for Easterly best for me, either convective, or easterly via low pressure (feb 07 and feb 09) and convective like many times in 90's, last winter 30th Nov- 02 Dec (avatar chart), 18th Dec and 22nd Dec was still an easterly wind but from a shortwave type setup

So you're going for a convective easterly. I assume that the North Sea would be your main Geographical Feature but are there any valleys or hills or estuaries that could have an influence.

So it looks like a Convective Easterly is the best for the East of England.

So As it Stands:

Strathclyde: Forth-Clyde/Clyde-Forth Streamer

Wales: Pembrokeshire Dangler

East of England: Convective Easterly

And Geographical Features:

Forth-Clyde Streamer: North Sea, Firth of Forth, Firth of Clyde

Pembrokeshire Dangler: Irish Sea, Preseli Hills

Convective Easterly: North Sea

Let's hope for some more areas and their best type of snow and the geographical features involved.

[Team Jo]

Easterly/north easterly is always good here. When it blows, my slightly draughty kitchen window makes a particular whistling noise, usually indicative of a 'snow wind'.

Beckenham is one big hill, with a decent dip, so usually you can't get up or down it after a good snowfall. I usually ''evacuate" to my Mum's on the Thames estuary when it starts.

[ForeverPomeroysnow]

For my area a good straight forward Northerly/North westerly. Usually from showers but a polar low is always welcome!

For my comrades in the east and south east of Ireland I would say a easterly with Irish sea streamers suits better but no good for me at all!!

Edited November 20, 2011 by Pomeroysnow

[I remember Atlantic 252]

1 vote for south westerly! cant see south westerly being best anywhere, although perhaps moors of Devon but would need a hell of an elevation

[A Winter's Tale]

Keep these posts coming!

UPDATE:

Strathclyde: Forth-Clyde Streamer [Firth of Forth, Firth of Clyde, North Sea]

Northern Ireland: Nly/NWly Showers/Polar Low [Atlantic, Lough Foyle]*

London & SE England: Convective Easterly/NEly [North Sea, Thames]*

East of England: Convective Easterly [North Sea]

Wales: Pembrokeshire Dangler [irish Sea, Preseli Hills]

1 vote for south westerly! cant see south westerly being best anywhere, although perhaps moors of Devon but would need a hell of an elevation

I suppose a battleground/frontal snowfall could happen from SWlys meeting colder air.

[snowy36]

When we have the cold over my part of the country( south wales) i always keep a look out for a nice low pressure to skirt the english channel. If it gets far enough north then it can bring lots of the lovely white stuff to us in south wales. Not fussed on a straight northerly.

[Isolated Frost]

I will post some wetterzentrale charts when I'm on the mac tomorrow.

Type: Convective showers (North-easterly), low pressure in channel/continental europe.

Region: NE England

Geographical Features Involved: North sea

Suitable Conditions: Lp nearby, 13c difference between 850's and SST's (preferably more). 850's below -6c.

Duration: Single event = Under flows from the N to ESE, continuous snowfall is possible (Nov 24-Dec 3 2010)

Depths: Perfect Event = 15cm in one night (Nov 26 2010).

Effects: School closures, blizzards possible.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

I will post some wetterzentrale charts when I'm on the mac tomorrow.

Type: Convective showers (North-easterly), low pressure in channel/continental europe.

Region: NE England

Geographical Features Involved: North sea

Suitable Conditions: Lp nearby, 13c difference between 850's and SST's (preferably more). 850's below -6c.

Duration: Single event = Under flows from the N to ESE, continuous snowfall is possible (Nov 24-Dec 3 2010)

Depths: Perfect Event = 15cm in one night (Nov 26 2010).

Effects: School closures, blizzards possible.

only time my school ever closed due to snow was 19th Nov 1996! way more school closures now

[A Winter's Tale]

Hmmm, Conflicting Events in Wales and soon to be in Northern Ireland.

Well how about this.

S Wales: Low Pressure [English Channel, Bristol Channel]

Pembrokeshire: Pembrokeshire Dangler [irish Sea, Preseli Hills]

:w00t:

[snowy36]

Winter i perfer a nice tough/stong low rather than some strange dangling thing.

Thats the problem with snow, u might only live down the road from someone and want a totally different set up to them.

Nothing worse than someone who's near u having lots of snow and u end up with nothing.

[toggerob]

Type: Showers

Region: Northwest

Geographical Features Involved: SST temps, Pennines, Additional moisture influence from River Humber & Ladybower Res.

Duration: Could happen over a period of days/weeks

Depths: 100cm-150cm on the higher routes and villages

Effects: Manchester-Sheffield line snow drifts, Pennine routes closed or inaccessible completely, Consistent Ice Days, Pipes bursting due to frozen surfaces.

Example: Winter of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011

[damianslaw]

Overall either one of the two situations below -

Best direction - Northwesterly/westerly/southwesterly under a potent polar outbreak

Events - showers or polar low (very rare these mind!)

Aspects - Warm Irish Sea, fells aiding strong deep convection

Anytime in Dec, Jan or Feb

Examples - don't have the charts but the most recent case was the 20th/21st Dec 2009 when we saw nearly a foot of snow from thundersnow on a southwesterly airstream - small disturbances run in from the Irish Sea around a complex low pressure feature embedded within very cold polar/arctic air.

Direction - south/southeasterly

Event - Battleground snowfall

Anytime in Dec, Jan, Feb or March - these tend to produce the goods after a very cold continental spell.

Examples - best one 5/6 Feb 2006 18 inches of snow, all roads closed, school closed for 5 days. Other examples 12 March 96.

Northerlies rarely deliver in the Lake District unless there is a trough embedded in the flow when we can get hefty falls. Easterlies are very poor for these parts unless associated with southerly tracking low pressure - hard to achieve these days, but northeasterlies can deliver some decent snow showers as we saw last Nov/Dec.

[ZONE 51]

I find that a ne/e is best for these areas, usually a Thames snow streamer set up delivers large falls depending on the allignment, the best being Feb2009 as far as i can remember from that set up,these types of snowfalls are difficult to forecast and especially the amount predicted to fall, a more east then northeast is best, although some good troughs/occluded fronts have moved in from the ne over the decades, cold fronts from the north usually give the lower amounts here as far as i know, with warm frontal systems pushing up from the south into cold air can give large falls if they are prolonged, but usually turns to sleet, all depends on how far north it progress and wether or not it moves across with mild air. many of the biggest snowfalls come off the north sea into East Anglia and Kent, i quite often watch those areas getting all the snowfall while i have sunny skies with a freezing wind from the n/ne, so a more easterly flow brings those snow showers through!.

Edited November 20, 2011 by ElectricSnowStorm

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Overall either one of the two situations below -

Best direction - Northwesterly/westerly/southwesterly under a potent polar outbreak

Events - showers or polar low (very rare these mind!)

Aspects - Warm Irish Sea, fells aiding strong deep convection

Anytime in Dec, Jan or Feb

Examples - don't have the charts but the most recent case was the 20th/21st Dec 2009 when we saw nearly a foot of snow from thundersnow on a southwesterly airstream - small disturbances run in from the Irish Sea around a complex low pressure feature embedded within very cold polar/arctic air.

Direction - south/southeasterly

Event - Battleground snowfall

Anytime in Dec, Jan, Feb or March - these tend to produce the goods after a very cold continental spell.

Examples - best one 5/6 Feb 2006 18 inches of snow, all roads closed, school closed for 5 days. Other examples 12 March 96.

Northerlies rarely deliver in the Lake District unless there is a trough embedded in the flow when we can get hefty falls. Easterlies are very poor for these parts unless associated with southerly tracking low pressure - hard to achieve these days, but northeasterlies can deliver some decent snow showers as we saw last Nov/Dec.

5-6 Feb 2006 look mild on archive charts? 12 mar remember that due to missing the snow, 20 Dec 09, also missed it as winds were too westerly

[sundog]

An easterly or north easterly is the best direction for me to get snow,last yr was a great example with that cold wind blowing over a warm irish sea delivering plenty of snow. Although sometimes in a northeasterly my location can be under the isle of man shadow with showers running either side of me.

With northerlies for my location more often then not it results in little snow just frost unless something develops in the flow.

[A Winter's Tale]

I'm going to change some of the Areas and I've divided areas under the original area where there is a square bracket so here's the full list:

Orkney & Shetland

Inverness, Strathspey and N/NE Highlands

W Highland, Argyll and Eilean Siar

Grampian

Central Belt, Stirling, Fife and Borders

Perthshire & Angus

SW Scotland and Ayrshire

County Derry

County Antrim

County Down

County Armagh

County Tyrone

County Fermanagh

SW Wales (Pembrokeshire, Carmathernshire, Ceredigion)

Powys

N Wales

S Wales

NW England

NE England

Yorkshire & Humber

West Midlands

East Midlands

East of England

SW England

London & SE England

[A Winter's Tale]

UPDATED:

Central Belt, Borders, Fife, Stirling: Forth-Clyde Streamer [Firth of Forth, Firth of Clyde, North Sea]

SW Wales [Pembrokeshire]: Pembrokeshire Dangler [Irish Sea, Preseli Hills]

East of England: Convective Easterly [North Sea]

London and SE England: Convective Easterly; Thames Streamer [North Sea; Thames]

County Tyrone: Nly/NWly Showers [Lough Foyle, Atlantic]

S Wales: Low Pressure [Bristol Channel, English Channel]

NE England: Convective Ely/NEly [North Sea]

NW England: Showers [Pennines, River Humber, Ladybower Res; Irish Sea, Fells]

Republic of Ireland: Ely/NEly Showers [irish Sea]

[summer blizzard]

Very complicated here as while we may not match some of the depths of other guys (29cm, Jan 2010), Leeds can pretty much get snow from any direction.

In terms of showers, we get snow from the following.. W, NW, NE, E.. Basically as long as there is not too much of a northerly element and the flow is strong enough then we get snow... Best direction for showers is NE... Maximum depth is 14cm from this in Feb 09.

In terms of fronts we really hit the sweet spot here... We get snow from Channel lows that push fronts north, Battlegrounds between the E and W, systems moving E to W during easterly spells and fronts moving from the north.. The best is when a front from the north moves south and stalls due to a wave developing on it... Maximum depth from such an event was 21cm in 10 hours on Jan 6th 2010 adding to 8cm of snow already.

[A Winter's Tale]

Very complicated here as while we may not match some of the depths of other guys (29cm, Jan 2010), Leeds can pretty much get snow from any direction.

In terms of showers, we get snow from the following.. W, NW, NE, E.. Basically as long as there is not too much of a northerly element and the flow is strong enough then we get snow... Best direction for showers is NE... Maximum depth is 14cm from this in Feb 09.

In terms of fronts we really hit the sweet spot here... We get snow from Channel lows that push fronts north, Battlegrounds between the E and W, systems moving E to W during easterly spells and fronts moving from the north.. The best is when a front from the north moves south and stalls due to a wave developing on it... Maximum depth from such an event was 21cm in 10 hours on Jan 6th 2010 adding to 8cm of snow already.

Would there be a particular geographical feature over than the North Sea for showers. Also does the Humber, Mersey, the Wash, Solway, Lough Foyle, Lough Neagh, NI Loughs, Bristol Channel, Tay have any major influence on snowfalls in these areas and have any local name.

Also, how narrow can estuary be to produce snow.

I'm quite keen to find out the influence that these coastal features have on the local area with snowfall and I'm particulary interested on how influential the Tay is with snowfall.

I understand that in the areas I've listed, there could be more than one type of snow that can be the best, for example The Wash instead of just Convective Easterlies and the Tay instead of Easterlies.

[The watcher]

Location: Co Down, Northern Ireland (East Coast, next to the Irish Sea)

Wind Direction: Northerly

Type of Weather: Well, a Polar Low would of course deliver, but Showers/Convective activity due to SST's, Colder Uppers and my proximity to Belfast hills.

Time of year: January would be ideal, but these events can happen at anytime throughout winter and even early spring/late autumn.

A Northerly works best because to my East I have the Sea and so SE/E/NE winds usually make snowfall marginal. To my West is alot of land, showers usually do not penetrate this far East during a NW/W/SW wind. A Southerly would generally be too warm for snowfall in my location unless a battleground event was occurring.

Examples to follow.

[ForeverPomeroysnow]

Would there be a particular geographical feature over than the North Sea for showers. Also does the Humber, Mersey, the Wash, Solway, Lough Foyle, Lough Neagh, NI Loughs, Bristol Channel, Tay have any major influence on snowfalls in these areas and have any local name.

Also, how narrow can estuary be to produce snow.

I'm quite keen to find out the influence that these coastal features have on the local area with snowfall and I'm particulary interested on how influential the Tay is with snowfall.

I understand that in the areas I've listed, there could be more than one type of snow that can be the best, for example The Wash instead of just Convective Easterlies and the Tay instead of Easterlies.

Don't think so but I could be wrong

How about the Republic of Ireland as well Winters Tale?

I would be interested to see what best suits areas like Cork/Kerry.

Thanks

Edited November 21, 2011 by Pomeroysnow