South East & East Anglia Regional Weather Discussion 10/01/14

[Steve C]

Hi John, hopefully I will be seeing skies like this soon in Lapland!! Hubby treated me to a "proper" camera and tripod so I and going to try my damn hardest to capture them!!  Got alot of reading up to do to learn how to use it though!!  Been really lucky in the past and have seen them three times,  just hope they put in an appearance the week I'm there!! I booked this holiday over a year ago, now just five weeks to wait!! So excited!!!!!

Sun has come out here, temp 7.7c (Yes........Santa brought me a weather station....just waiting to see the snowflake symbol magically appear!!)

Hope you all have a good weekend..

I'm definitely a bit jealous. Hopefully you can take some really decent photos and share them with us. A tripod and a reasonable exposure time should enable it.

 

It just needs nature to play ball and provide the spectacle.  

[Steve C]

Think the prospects of snow here at least next week are nil, may be a bit cooler for a few days before a return to more of the same from what I am hearing (not done the models yet).

I think so for us, but wouldn't look more than 5 or 6 days ahead at the moment.

 

I also think snow could be a major issue for upland northern Britain next week as well.

[Jax]

Yes, actually it's not too arduous a drive for people here to get there, if people are desperate to see snow.

 

I always think if people are too stressed about lack of snow, they should go to the Alps, but there will always be lying snow at some point in the winter in the Peak District.

Snow aside, I think many people think of exotic and far away places as beautiful and such, yet here in the UK we have some fantastic places of natural beauty, I would love to make a full trip to the peak district one day (have had the OS maps for years and at times pour over them and ref places and images), would love to go to Northumberland at some point, if anything to see the coast there.  But then again right on my doorstep is one of the UKs best kept secrets outside of the broads when it comes to wetlands, I can walk there in under an hour or be their in 5 mins by car.

[Keraunic]

We should all have a 'meet' up in the Cairngorms next winter. Ooh! Then we can look for 'The Great Grey Man' of Ben MacDui. :O

[Jax]

I think so for us, but wouldn't look more than 5 or 6 days ahead at the moment.

 

I also think snow could be a major issue for upland northern Britain next week as well.

Agreed, I tend to stick FI at +96/+144 anyway and only ever take any serious interest if I am planning a trip away for that period.

[Steve C]

Snow aside, I think many people think of exotic and far away places as beautiful and such, yet here in the UK we have some fantastic places of natural beauty, I would love to make a full trip to the peak district one day (have had the OS maps for years and at times pour over them and ref places and images), would love to go to Northumberland at some point, if anything to see the coast there.  But then again right on my doorstep is one of the UKs best kept secrets outside of the broads when it comes to wetlands, I can walk there in under an hour or be their in 5 mins by car.

Is it (forgets name) Fen? A nature reserve and lowest lying land in Great Britain?

[Steve C]

We should all have a 'meet' up in the Cairngorms next winter. Ooh! Then we can look for 'The Great Grey Man' of Ben MacDui.

Literally in the Cairngorms? Not sure my mountain walking skills are up to it. :lol: I've been to Aviemore, in the Summer, once...

[Jax]

Is it (forgets name) Fen? A nature reserve and lowest lying land in Great Britain?

Sadly not a fen, but the entire Nene Valley and adjacent wetlands are bigger than the great fens of EA, we have now gained a number of protected wetland meadows locally too (brought by various trusts and local investment to save them).

 

In years past the area was used for gravel extraction and this now means we have vast areas of wetlands, this time of year with over wintering waterfowl is just amazing, and even outside of the immediate area we have the Ouse too and this has similar areas of wetlands attached to it.  If (like me) you like to see your nature and more so your waterfowl, then this area is a gold mine.

[Steve C]

Sadly not a fen, but the entire Nene Valley and adjacent wetlands are bigger than the great fens of EA, we have now gained a number of protected wetland meadows locally too (brought by various trusts and local investment to save them).

 

In years past the area was used for gravel extraction and this now means we have vast areas of wetlands, this time of year with over wintering waterfowl is just amazing, and even outside of the immediate area we have the Ouse too and this has similar areas of wetlands attached to it.  If (like me) you like to see your nature and more so your waterfowl, then this area is a gold mine.

What I like about those areas (and to a degree, we have similar near here, but not on the same scale) are the huge skies on all sides.

 

I'm in a good location for waterfowl too, living near an estuary. We get many different species, particularly in winter. Ornithologists living in central England might be a bit envious.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Steve C

[Jax]

What I like about those areas (and to a degree, we have similar near here, but not on the same scale) are the huge skies on all sides.

 

I'm in a good location for waterfowl too, living near an estuary. We get many different species, particularly in winter. Ornithologists living in central England might be a bit envious.

Oh yes, over large lakes the skies can seem huge and go on forever (have a few pictures I have taken over the last few years that show this), I am striving to turn my photos into art (still very ongoing at this time mind).

[Keraunic]

Literally in the Cairngorms? Not sure my mountain walking skills are up to it. :lol: I've been to Aviemore, in the Summer, once...

I'm sure you'd be fine, Steve. Just don't go near The Lurchers Crag. :O

[legrandefromage]

No long term lying snow this winter.

 

There, I said it.

 

*for our region anyway.

Edited January 11, 2014 by legrandefromage

[Whereisthesnow?]

I love the model thread. It's descended into a "discussion" about which model performs better then the other. I'm totally unbiased and have no idea. I go by the folks in this region which have done me good since I joined this forum 3 years ago. Keep up the good work people!

[Charltonkerry]

Why did I mention football and the weather this morning. I should have known the game would have been called. Depressed and despondent from dirty Dartford. I written this out about 20 times and this is the politest version.

[SteveCoops]

Went for a walk along the river Crouch and I have a headache from squinting against the low lying but insanely bright sun. Lovely out there though! Ruined a pair of trainers so just bought some big hiking snow boot things from Makro. Definitely no snow this year now I have those!

[Snowangel-MK]

Afternoon all,

 

Hope the weekend is going well for you - what a lovely day it's been today 

 

I came across this article earlier....some familiar names and faces and a mention for NW 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/10/storm-chasing-uk-wild-weather

 

[Jason T]

I was drawn to this pic, Like something out of Wonderland, Its not, Its real taken this week. Amazing.

 

 

Clear satellite image UK and Eire, With flood waters receding into coastlines.

 

Clear satellite image of todays crystal blue clear sky, Rare site thats been lately.

 

[fluid dynamic]

With all of the beautiful sunshine today i hope you havent been glued to your computers all day !

[lottiekent]

Went out for a nice walk along the seafront today with the kids to get them some fresh air while we could. It was lovely, very sunny with a chilly breeze. Besides snow this is my favourite type of winters day 

[geri2k]

Well if any of these things are happening there's still hope!

Old wives tales - signs of snow coming

* woolly worm tell of a bad winter if there are a lot of them crawling about he has a heavy coat, you see him crawling before the first frost, if he’s black in the

front, the bad weather is coming

-hogs gather sticks, straw, to make a bed.

-birds eat up all the berries early

-birds huddle on the ground

-muskrat houses are built big.

-beaver lodges have more logs and the north side of a beaver dam is more covered with sticks.

-squirrels’ tails grow bushier

*fur or hair on animals such as horses, sheep, mules, cows, and dogs is thicker than usual

-squirrels build nest low in trees.

-hornets and yellow jacket nests heavier

-an ant builds its hill high

*crows gather together

I'm still hopeful!

Edited January 11, 2014 by geri2k

[Nick F]

Yep, also outdoors today to enjoy the sunshine's rays after being cooped up indoors for so long during all that nasty wild weather. Went down to the Warren seashore with my little boy below the cliffs between Dover and Folkestone and out the wind it felt very pleasant and warming on the skin in the sun. Rather mild recently by day, but sometimes its nice to sit in the sun on a winters day.

[ZONE 51]

You want snow now?  

[fluid dynamic]

We should all have a 'meet' up in the Cairngorms next winter. Ooh! Then we can look for 'The Great Grey Man' of Ben MacDui.

Good idea

 

Don't think I have done Ben McDui, bagged many munros though in the early 90s when I were a fitter young man. Found my crampons and Ice axe in the loft. I remember the well earned chicken soup in the shelter at the summit of Ben Nevis, taking the Carn Mor Dearg route and the ridge in no more than Dr Martens, camo trousers and a cagoule in hammering rain

Edited January 11, 2014 by fluid dynamic

[john pike]

hi all

 

temps dropping now

 

walked home and the main roads at croydon are being gritted

 

they must be expecting ice tonight

 

back later

 

heres the gfs ensembles for 12z

 

 

dropping back down again especially from the 19th

 

considering the atlantic may become a pest next week these rain spikes still look low

 

there must be higher pressure near the south east if thats the case

 

lets see what the fax charts show later

 

john

 

edit

 

http://www.meteociel.fr/cartes_obs/gens_display.php?x=310&y=149&run=12&runpara=0&type=1&ext=1

 

although looking at the pressure charts the run is still struggling from the 15th

Edited January 11, 2014 by john pike

[Snowangel-MK]

I re-name today 'Sunset Saturday'...