Winter 2012/13 coldest minima watch

[damianslaw]

Hard to say, with the deep snow cover some places could get down close to -15 degrees, provided winds stay light. Norfolk managed -13 degrees last Tuesday night under similiar conditions.

[Isolated Frost]

Friday morning with much of the UK under high pressure and high snow depths.

[Snowyowl9]

Lowest min was december at -2.8c,this cold spell has been too cloudy for low mins only -1.5c and that was friday with the snow and drifting.

2010 its along way off.

[hillbilly]

met office have predicted -8 for me thurs night so braemar or altnaharra -18?

[March Blizzard]

So much for low minima, temperatures way off what was predicted a few days ago. Despite the prolonged duration of this cold spell and the amount of snow minima have been disappointing. There's been no real widespread hard frost which seems very unusual.

[Mark Neal.]

Agree with 'March Blizzard'. The lowest temperature through this spell of wintery weather here was -2.5c last friday night. The last 5 nights it has been around 0-1c. Though last night we got down to -1.8c, though far off the forecast of -6c for our area from the Met Office.

[Ben_Cambs]

Fell down to -10C on Tuesday morning, though it's a shame that nights like last night couldn't produce any notably low minima as looked possible a couple of days ago.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Ben_Cambs

[Radiating Dendrite]

We got down to -8.6c a few nights ago.

[reef]

Minima for the last 8 days here:

18th: -0.8C

19th: 0.8C

20th: 1.3C

21st: 0.1C

22nd: -0.3C

23rd: 1.4C

24th: 1.0C

25th: -0.3C

Far too much cloud for anything interesting. That has been the biggest disappointment during this cold spell.

[damianslaw]

Despite cold maxima in the last few weeks, we havent Aden v cold minima much this winter, lowest figure is -13 i think which if ends up the lowest of the winter will rank quite lowly against most other winters. There has in the main been an abesence of clear skies. Indeed bar the odd night, few places have experienced anything Lower than - 2 degrees, despite numerous forecasts of clear skies. Apart from the start of dec and period 10-13 dec, there have been hardly Abu blue sky days with Frost persisting, as we move into late feb it becomes much harder to retain Frost all day. In this context this winter has been v dissapointing so far.

[March Blizzard]

Despite cold maxima in the last few weeks, we havent Aden v cold minima much this winter, lowest figure is -13 i think which if ends up the lowest of the winter will rank quite lowly against most other winters. There has in the main been an abesence of clear skies. Indeed bar the odd night, few places have experienced anything Lower than - 2 degrees, despite numerous forecasts of clear skies. Apart from the start of dec and period 10-13 dec, there have been hardly Abu blue sky days with Frost persisting, as we move into late feb it becomes much harder to retain Frost all day. In this context this winter has been v dissapointing so far.

Couldn't agree more with this. A truly awful winter for low minima. I can remember more cold nights in even the most mildest winters of my life, and aged 23 I grew up with them! I wouldn't be surprised If March gives us something lower than Dec, Jan or Feb. The irony is that this winter has been quite decent for snow but generally poor for low minima, both of which normally go hand in hand. Not this time. Far to much cloud which has been far too persistent.

Most people on NW want snow or ice days, it would appear. I, on the other hand, much prefer low minima and sunny crisp days. Snow does assist low minima, but it's a double edged sword as it also brings with it baggage in the form of cloud and wind, and that cloud has for the most part not budged.

To a person like me, and perhaps you, this winter has been a huge let down so far.

[LomondSnowstorm]

Even 2007/08 managed more in the way of notable low minima than this winter. For the highlands, and the usual low temperature spots like Braemar, Altnaharra, Aboyne, Loch Glascarnoch etc. this winter has really been lacking, due to frequent cloud cover, a lack of Arctic sourced cold (as opposed to tonnes of continental stuff) along with generally low heights throughout. This coming spell may redress the balance somewhat provided the high either sits over or to the north of northern Scotland, but I agree that nothing particularly frosty, or sunny for that matter, has been the main failure of the winter.

[Summer of 95]

Still nothing below -4 here despite it being a snowy winter for this area; we had maxima lower than that in Dec 2010. As with others even many of the mildest winters produced lower temperatures; even the atrocious 1997-8, with a -5 at the end of October 1997! However there's March still to come, which can easily beat -4 with a clear sky or two.

[hillbilly]

surprising with the wintery month there has been only managed -7,am sure we have always managed -6 even in a snowless winter

[Evening thunder]

Yeah it's been a very poor winter for minima at home in East Devon. The Min for January and so far February is the mildest absolute min I've recorded in any winter month or March since my records began in October 2007.

2007/8: -4.7C (24th Nov)

2008/9: -9.0C (7th Jan)

2009/10: -12.2C (8th Jan)

2010/11: -14.0C (25th December)

2011/12: -7.6C (4th Feb)

2012/13 -4.4C (11th Dec) since then only had -2.4C in January and -2.2C in February.

If this was ordered by year rather than winter season 2013 would so far be at -2.4C when the next highest is -5.4C. Still a long way to go of course, but looking at the models I can't see any especially low minima in the outlook as it looks too windy and/or cloudy, so that -2.2C could be the lowest for February.

The cold spells have just been no good clear frosty nights, even last Feb managed -5.1C on the 20th after a max of 8.4C on the 19th, so it seems silly that this winter hasn't been able to get below -2.4C in any cold spells after mid December.

Here in Surrey it may have been a little lower at times, though I did miss most of the snow in January the one week I was abroad.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Stormmad26

[hillbilly]

the latest date for coldest day of year is 20th march!!!!! -16 in gwent wales 1930....i think.........so there is time yet

[March Blizzard]

It's not just the lack of any notable minima, it's the lack of a hard nationwide frost, too. The lowest temperature so far occurred in a small area of cold in East Anglia, most of the rest of the country was far milder.

[sundog]

disappointing winter for low temps here. lowest temp ive recorded so far this winter -2.8c. air frosts have been few and far between,lack of clear nights and decent cold. poor winter here although who knows what might happen next week.

[March Blizzard]

the latest date for coldest day of year is 20th march!!!!! -16 in gwent wales 1930....i think.........so there is time yet

Of course there is still plenty of time. Don't forget that temperatures as low as -15C have also been recorded in April (a month where minima rival November in a typical year) and -10C has been within touching distance even in the depths of May on a few occasions. With the right set up -20C or below can happen well into March and actually occured as recently as 2001.

Theoretically, i dont see why even -25C couldn't be acheived in early March when you consider the latest it's occured is 23rd February and the March record low of -22.8C occured on the 14th of the month. Admittedly this would take an exceptional set up but the same has to be said about the official winter months aswel when talking about such low temperatures.

The recent trend of cold in early winter (Nov/Dec) has certainly altered people's expectations and faith of it occuring in late winter (Feb/Mar). You only have to look on this site to see people panic about strong February sun and expect to wear shorts and t-shirts as soon as March arrives when history shows us the capacity for cold can last well into Spring.

[be cause]

get the thermometers at the ready .. coldest nights could be yet to come ..in March ..

[hillbilly]

get the thermometers at the ready .. coldest nights could be yet to come ..in March ..

it really could this year

[Evening thunder]

They will be likely to come in March for me unless this cold spell manages to provide a clear, calm enough night in East Devon. All 5 Marches I've recorded so far have had a min lower than both Jan and Feb this year, as have all previous winter months I've recorded.

I think there's a chance on Saturday night, some cloud breaks in the forecast and the wind looks like it might drop low enough. Unlike here in the SE where not a single cloud break is forecast in the next 5 days Although I guess I may get to see the odd light flurry here if I'm lucky.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Stormmad26

[LomondSnowstorm]

Tonight could be quite impressive for minima (relative to the rest of the winter at least):

-8C at Loch Glascarnoch at 11pm

-9C at Cairngorm

-7.4C at Altnaharra

Still some cloud cover around and will be for the next few nights, more especially for the eastern highlands, but if we can get a bit of snow out of the trough on Saturday and skies clear to the north Saturday night could well see the season record -12.7C challenged.

[March Blizzard]

I thought the low for this winter so far was -13.1C somewhere in Norfolk? Could be wrong, mind.

Just out of interest, if that figure is correct then where does this low rank against other winters ie what recent winters have had a warmer overall low?

Edited February 22, 2013 by March Blizzard

[hillbilly]

I thought the low for this winter so far was -13.1C somewhere in Norfolk? Could be wrong, mind.

Just out of interest, if that figure is correct then where does this low rank against other winters ie what recent winters have had a warmer overall low?

2011...-13 altnaharra

2008...-12.9 aviemore

2007...-13 aboyne

1990...-8.4 grantown