spring 2014 Spring 2014 Discussion

[simshady]

Hopefully we wont have a repeat of the spring we had last year.

 

Speak for yourself. I hope we do.

[Bottesford]

March would have been fine if it warmed up afterwards which (at least in Nottingham & the east) it didn't until the end of June. The good July came too late for the plants to catch up so much lower yields were the result.

[Summer Sun]

So here is my first look at spring 2014 from the NASA seasonal models

 

Firstly lets look at the temperatures for the 3 months individually

 

March is shown to be average to marginally above average for the UK (no signs of a big freeze at this stage like last year thankfully )

 

 

Next we have April and current suggestions are marginally above average UK wide

 

 

And finally May again suggestions are average to marginally above

 

 

So when we look at spring as a whole we finish marginally above average with the exception of northern Ireland and the western isles of Scotland where its shown to be average

 

 

Now onto the all important precipitation

 

March is shown to be above normal for Scotland (especially the west) and marginally above normal for Northern Ireland but for England and wales the current suggestion is average

 

 

Onto April and its shown to be marginally above normal for some north western parts or England and Scotland and most of northern Ireland again for England and wales the current suggestion is average

 

 

Onto May and all parts are shown to be average with the exception of a small part of western Scotland which is marginally below normal

 

 

 

So when we look at spring as a whole we finish average with the exception of north west Scotland and the western isles where its marginally above average

 

 

[Weather-history]

Indeed March was an awful month it came at the worst time as well for farmers and gardeners especially

It wasn't good for hill farmers and lambing but it could have been a hell of a lot worse if nature wasn't in suspended animation thanks to the chilly January and February. If it had been a pretty mild January and February then that March struck.... Edited January 17, 2014 by Weather-history

[cheese]

Indeed March was an awful month it came at the worst time as well for farmers and gardeners especially

Of which, I am neither.

[tadpole]

Thank you Summer Sun, average is fine with me and my potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, peas, etc etc

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

Id settle for a repeat of April 2007 or April 2011 - the 2 warmest Aprils of the past 350 years!

Most of our recent springs have been mild/very mild. Only 2013 broke that pattern.

Have we ever gone from Oct to Apr with parts of the UK having barely had a ground frost?

Edited January 17, 2014 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[Summer Sun]

Id settle for a repeat of April 2007 or April 2011 - the 2 warmest Aprils of the past 350 years!

 

I would as well but the summers which followed were pretty poor.......

[I remember Atlantic 252]

I would like an April like 2013, or 2008, or so i have heard on here '81

[damianslaw]

Spring always the most difficult season to predict. Last March caught most out, I don't recall anyone forecasting such a wintry cold March.

 

Recent springs have seen marked contrasts from year to year, we have had record warmth in April 2007 and 2011, near record warmth in March 2012 followed by one of the coldest Marches of the last 100 years in 2013. Also one of the driest April's on record in 2011 followed by one of the wettest. May's have seen contrasting fayre, with one of the warmest and driest first halves to May ever in 2008.

 

I haven't a clue about this spring, and won't for a good month yet. Personally I always hope for a warm dry sunny May, my favourite month of the year, however, recent May's have been very changeable and very inconsistent but not without some decent weather such as occurred in late May 2012 and I forget whether it was 2009 or 2010 which in these parts delivered the warmest conditions of the year albeit a shortlived spell.

[Summer Sun]

I'd take another March 2012

[I remember Atlantic 252]

I'd take another March 2012

 

was it a washout? cannot remember it

[Summer Sun]

was it a washout? cannot remember it

 

3rd warmest on record

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17595024

 

Thats probably why you can't remember it

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

3rd warmest on record

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17595024

 

Thats probably why you can't remember it

 

 

yeah, remember it now, last week was 24C, much prefer that to low pressure and rain by a mile

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

During that warm March 2012 spell Aboyne in Aberdeenshire beat a 55 year old high temperature record 3 days in succession! That must be unprecedented?

[Gaz1985]

April 16th 2003 I believe Manchester hit 25c! .....highest April temp here ever? less than 12 weeks from now.... if only it happened again.

 

I'm more a fan of April and May than March, considering March can still be very cold even right to the end (last year proved that). Also even in a very mild March the sun doesn't have that effect of getting a tan like it can in April and especially May, so it's rather pointless when sitting outside in it. The UV is still not strong enough. You have to be about Madrid southwards to get a tan in March.

 

Also if you have a mild calm sunny day in March then it's still likely to be cold/frosty at night - a reminder that Winter has only just departed. This risk minimises as we go further into the year.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Gaz1985

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

March 2012 was good, but if it meant going through another summer 2012, I think I'll pass!

[March Blizzard]

During that warm March 2012 spell Aboyne in Aberdeenshire beat a 55 year old high temperature record 3 days in succession! That must be unprecedented?

That was a remarkable spell and actually very pleasant. It was warm during the day but quite cold at night. Some huge diurnal ranges and rapid temperature rises/drops at sunrise and sunset, respectively. I think it was on the 15th we had a max of about 4C under fog here yet in parts of the south east it hit around 19C. If I remember right I think Bedford even recorded some snowfall earlier in the morning!One thing that stood out to me was that in the shade there was still a distinct chill, despite the relatively warm temperatures. You simply wouldn't get that in the warmer months even with the same temperatures.A huge contrast to March 2013. A lot of people think of March as a boring month but it's one of my favourites. You can get some huge contrasts in conditions across small distances and over short periods of time. Indeed, March has the largest temperature range of any other month with a record high of 25C and a record low of -22.8C. Edited January 17, 2014 by March Blizzard

[Gaz1985]

March 2012 was good, but if it meant going through another summer 2012, I think I'll pass!

 

Yeah that was a good spell with 3 days of 20c, I remember walking outside with a tshirt/shorts on, no leaves on the trees and the birds chirping like mad as if it was late Spring, insects hatching. It was a bizarre but welcome early warm spell. A complete contrast to the year later! just shows how different March can be.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Gaz1985

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

Yeah that was a good spell with 3 days of 20c, I remember walking outside with a tshirt/shorts on, no leaves on the trees and the birds chirping like mad as if it was late Spring, insects hatching. It was a bizarre but welcome early warm spell. A complete contrast to the year later! just shows how different March can be.

Absolutely. I remember being on old Hunstanton beach in shorts and shades! Not a breathe of wind and blazing sunshine. Even saw the fire brigade hosing down a forest fire in the sandringham/snettisham area as it was the peak of the drought too. Remarkable month it really was. Then as you say, it all went to pot later on!

[March Blizzard]

Yeah that was a good spell with 3 days of 20c, I remember walking outside with a tshirt/shorts on, no leaves on the trees and the birds chirping like mad as if it was late Spring, insects hatching. It was a bizarre but welcome early warm spell. A complete contrast to the year later! just shows how different March can be.

That's the appeal of the month to me, it can go either way. That spell felt the most "continental" I've ever experienced in the UK. It felt like I was in North Dakota in May or something! Walking the dog in the park wearing shorts and T-shirt with all the trees completely bare was quite bizarre.

[SnowObsessor90]

March 2012 was good, but if it meant going through another summer 2012, I think I'll pass!

If the worst scenario unfolds for the reminder of this Winter then it wouldn't surprise me if something like that March occurs at some point in the Spring with Northern Blocking taking hold thereafter which would only serve to further rub the salt in the wounds for us coldies.

[summer blizzard]

March 2012 was an incredible month, honestly one of the nicest and most livable months one could want. Being inland in Leeds the most notable thing was the stupid amount of sun we got, it's hard to imagine another month that could have got close to it in terms of day after day of sunshine. Couple that with temperatures in the low 20's and no humidity and it was perfection.

[Weather-history]

April 16th 2003 I believe Manchester hit 25c! .....highest April temp here ever? less than 12 weeks from now.... if only it happened again. .

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

And to think what summer occurred later on that year too! 

Really hope we pull off something like 2003 again. Hope we have another March 2012 and a summer even like last year. Colder than normal sea temperatures were to blame for not getting even hotter IMO. If we'd have seen above normal sea temps, then 35-36c could've easily been achieved last summer.