Your months of year in order of preference

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

I would be interested in how members would rank the months of the year in order of preference for each month (average conditions I.e reasonably sunny in summer and quite snowy in winter) and their reasoning behind their choice.

Mine would be June,May,July, August,September April,December,January, Feb,March,Oct, Nov.

I love long evenings and the look and smell of new growth so May and June come first.

Summer heat is next up.

September first half can be great and the kids have gone back to school- prices of holiday lets halve!

April is my birth month and is great to know warmth and green trees just round corner. But can still be cold so ranks below Sept.

I love snow and Christmas so the winter months come next.

I find autumn tedious as it is too cool to sit out in the evening but too mild to snow.

Edited February 10, 2014 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[Eugene]

Wow April is one of the best months of the year for interesting weather, beats any summer month easily.

[simshady]

December for the holiday season and when there happens to be seasonal winter weather you can't beat it. Jan and Feb next up just for the snow and cold they could impose. Next would be the Autumn months Sept, Oct and Nov.  The warmer (usually) months would come last for me March (unless cold) April, May, June, July and August. My preference is cold and sunny, after that just cold or chilly. 

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

Wow April is one of the best months of the year for interesting weather, beats any summer month easily.

I do love April too. The clocks have only recently gone forward an hour and by mid month the hawthorn hedges are coming out and there is that lovely smell of freshly cut grass all around and the birds are singing with renewed vigour. The lyrics to the Beatles great song "Here comes the sun" are meaningful after the long cold lonely winter.My perfect next 6 months would be the spring exploding :into life like April 2011 and then continuing into a 1975/76/83 style summer. Would dry out the flooded areas well. Edited February 10, 2014 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[Summer of 95]

I've always rated March highly, it's almost never a westerly washout and can provide warm sun, heavy snow, frost, gales, beautiful clear nights that are great for stargazing (both the winter and summer stars are on view then)- it's only downside is the odd cloudy dry easterly spell. I'd like it even more if the clocks went forward a month earlier.

 

April can be good too, usually seeing the first true warmth and is often sunnier than July or August. Does tend to be unsettled and wet more often than March though.

 

May, June, July, September can have their moments; nothing beats a lengthy warm, dry, sunny spell during the time of longest days. Too many Junes and Julys are spoilt by cloudy cold wet rubbish though, so May which is less prone to that is more reliable, even if it's rarely warm throughout. September can usually be relied upon to provide a decent warm dry spell, but the shorter days spoil it somewhat.

 

Dec, Jan, Feb are way too variable: for every Dec 2010, Jan 1987 or Feb 1991 there are a few Dec 1988s, Jan 2014s and Feb 2011s. 

 

August- way down the list because it has been so consistently poor in the 21st century, particularly in its lack of sunshine. September has been sunnier over the last 7-8 years. 19 years now since a really good one. Also the nights drawing in marks it down.

 

And last are October and November. The months of 10C and rain. Specifically, I loathe the period from about 15 Oct to 15 Nov which is no man's land weatherwise- too late for 25C heat and too early for ice days. Even frost is rare these days. Early Oct and late Nov can have their moments, but those weeks around the Oct/Nov transition is the pits. Clocks going back and Christmas stuff in the shops 2 months early don't help either. I hate having my birthday then, never had a sunny one and I'm 34.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Summer of 95

[Lake District Blizzard]

June, July, May, August, April, October, September, March, February, January, November, December

 

Mine is mainly based on day length / plant growth and how fresh everything looks

[feb1991blizzard]

Jan, Feb, Dec, Nov, March, April, Oct, May, Sept, June, July, August.

[Tony27]

Dec, Jan, Feb, Nov, Apr, May, July, Sep, June, Aug, Mar, Oct 

Edited February 11, 2014 by Tony27

[laserguy]

January x twelve. The other eleven can do one.

[cheese]

July, May, August, April, September, January, February, March, December, October, November.

 

If you had asked me in 2010, I would have said January and December as my favourite months, but this year, I am reminded why winter in the UK is usually crap. I'd prefer cold/cloudy/wet summers like 2008 over mild, snowless winters like this one. Plus, summers like 2008 and 2007 had thunderstorms and downpours to keep things interesting. I remember some really great storms in 2008 in particular.

 

November is the worst month by far IMO. Usually damp, cloudy, but the chance of snow is low. October for the same reason, but October is capable of some early warm weather at least.

Edited February 11, 2014 by cheese

[MP-R]

Very difficult as I normally like all months for different reasons but I'll give it a shot.

 

1) July: my month of birth, warmest month of the year, has only rained once on my birthday in my lifetime (incidentally last year)

2) June: often the driest month of the year, reliably sunny and the sun is strong, still 2 months of summer to go

3) May: again, normally get a warm/hot sunny spell at some point, often good for thundery showers/storms too

4) August: another warm month, hot spells are more humid and thunderstorms more frequent, though summer on its way out

5) April: the convective season kicks in, can expect just about anything from this month, though sometimes still cold hence 5th

6) January: the coldest month, the best month for lasting snowfall with sufficient cold but sufficiently short days

7) February: good chance of snow in most years but also days a little longer so sometimes an early taste of spring

8 ) December: festive feel to this month whatever the weather, zonality more tolerable due to xmas but great when it's actually cold

9) September: a bit like March only with dying embers of warmth not cold, nice fresh mornings followed by golden days (or not)

10) March: great when there's surprise snow but mostly a rather boring month, either Atlantic-dominated or anticyclonic

11) October: a 'nothing' month unless something notable e.g. 2011 or 2008. Often too wet and (I hate this word) mild

12) November: my least favourite month as it's dark but often wet/very wet and when it's cold, it's not cold enough so just raw

 

There we go. I think I prefer summer just a bit more than winter only because we get warm/hot spells every year (at least here in the south) but winter can go either way, occasionally with nothing at all (such as this winter so far).

Edited February 11, 2014 by MP-R

[Bobd29]

Difficult question, probably change my mind depending upon when I answer but for now:

1) December, always, Can't beat Christmas and the anticipation, plus possibility of snow

2) June, live in hope for a long hot summer

3) April, true spring after a long, usually frustrating, winter

4) October, autumn colours with the prospects of a real winter on the horizon

5) May, spring with a hint of summer

6) November, anticipation of Christmas and winter snow

7) February, an if only month...but you never know

September, perhaps an Indian summer

9) July, summer again

10) August, hopefully summer again

11) March, end of winter but usually not quite spring

12) January, the big anticlimax month unless it really snows, but usually not.

Very subjective, and would probably change the order in a months time, but for now that' s it...

[SE Blizzards]

Dec, Jan, Feb, Nov, Mar, Oct, Sept, Apr, May, Aug, July, June.

[cheeky_monkey]

Living in Alberta Canada mine would be as follows:

1. October - Sunny, crisp and still

2. September - Sunny warm full of autumn colours

3. December - Snowy and Xmas

4. November - My birthday often cold and snowy

5. August - Often stormy first half warm and settled later on

6. February - Days are getting longer. Tends to be dry bit of a nothing month really.

7. May - Can be nice finally starts getting light before i get up for work

8. March - Spring can arrive but often very late in the month

9. June - Long days can be cool and very wet big storms last part of month..Mosquitoes!! urgh

10. July - Often stormy can be a little too hot at times.... Mosquitoes again

11. January - Dark start of the year can be depressing often dry and slushy

12. April - Always seems to be cold and wet with mix between snow and rain..bit like January in England...me no like

[Thundery wintry showers]

My list runs as follows:

1.  May - one of the three sunniest/lightest months of the year, can produce a wider variety of weather types than June or July

2.  June - as May, but more prone to flat westerly patterns in the second half of the month

3.  July - as late June

4.  April - lengthening daylight, increasing potential for daytime homegrown convection

5.  August - as May./June/July but the decrease in daylight becomes more notable in the 2nd half, also more likely to be cloudy and windy

6.  March - as April, but less daylight/convection

7.  December - a dark month but this can work to its advantage around the Christmas period, many "interesting" Decembers in recent years

8.  October - redeemed by the spectacular autumn colours

9.  February - it starts to get lighter

10.  September - feels like the descent out of summer

11.  November - the dark month of the year when it rarely snows

12.  January - the darkness drags on after the excitement of Christmas/New Year

Edited February 11, 2014 by Thundery wintry showers

[Methuselah]

May, June, July, August and September...Heat and storms.

 

January, February, March and April...Chances of snow.

 

October, November and December...Horrible, dark, damp and dreary...

[NeilN]

1 - August - Warm, and not as intense as July with heat. Start of football season too

2 - July - Often hot and sunny.

3 - October - Autumn settles in, sometimes warm and sometimes cool.

4 - December - Christmas, and the beginning of winter

5 - May - A usually pleasent month and things start to warming.

6 - February - This is usually the best winter month, plus the light nights start kicking in.

7 - September - End of summer, but still some heat.

8 - June - This to me is usually the weakest summer month.

9 - March - Usually indifferent month - either very hot or very cold. Rarely you see an inbetween option

10 - April - Like March, you don't know what to expect. Rather wet too (2012 springs to mind)

11 - November - I know it's my birthday in that month, but it soooo dreary.

12 - January - Cold, dark and boring,

Edited February 11, 2014 by nn2013

[damianslaw]

Based purely on the weather and the general feel of the month I would go with the following -

 

1. Has to be May, full of promise and often brings at least one spell of proper warmth and glorious sunshine. Indeed sunshine levels are often on a par with June and the atlantic is traditionally at its quietest. Nothing beats a warm sunny blue sky day in the second half of May. Second May bank holiday always one of the best feeling weekends of the year.

 

2. June - a close second, full of light and long summer evenings with the promise of good summer fayre still to come. Never particularly hot with the associated haze and thunder such heat can produce in July and August. Everything still fresh and green.

 

3. July - can be stunning but also a damp squib. Its the month most likely to deliver the warmest conditions of the year and unlike June, there is always more of a feeling of 'wind down' with still a full month of summer still left.

 

4. April - simply for its variety. Can bring snow, freezing temps, summer warmth and often sees marked changes in short space of time. Always keeps you guessing and usually brings our most unusual synoptics of the year. I love how a potent northerly can turn into a summer southerly.

 

5. January - often flatters to deceive on the snow and cold front, but it can be brutal and its always fun watching to see if dream winter synoptics develop.

 

6. Struggling now as I think the remaining months of the year can be very frustrating. I will go November. Many rank it as the worst month of the year, but like May it marks the start of the new season and is a month of rapid change in terms of feel. Always hope for a foggy spell and the first snows of the season. That first proper winter chill is unmistakeable and the hopes and promises of a winter ahead full of snow and cold. Often like Jan it can be a miserable month.

 

7. March - like April a very varied month that can throw up the worst that winter can deliver still and also hints of early warmth. Its an interesting month.

 

8. February -  coming to the end of winter, but spring often feels a long way away. Can be a great month for snow and cold.

 

9. December - dark cold nights and frost by day, but often a miserable wet windy mild month.

 

10. September - lovely hazy mellow days but often the least interesting month weatherwise with few extremes and benign conditions. Can still bring a heatwave, but often far too late. Not a fan of September.

 

11. August - not a fan of August for some reason, yes can bring stifling heat, but the magic of May-July isn't there. Often a westerly month with associated dank grey drizzle and low cloud in these parts. Can and often is a washout holiday month.

 

12. October - A most frustrating month.

 

Seasons in rank order

 

1. Summer

2. Spring

3. Winter

4. Autumn

Edited February 12, 2014 by damianslaw

[Bottesford]

Agree 100% with TWS's ranking and reasoning.

The best time of year has to be mid spring to mid summer - increasing light and the freedom that brings, plenty to do in the garden and a feeling of 'clean' and 'improving' to the weather.

 

Could divide the year into chunks:

Aug-Oct - the decaying season.

Nov-Jan - the dead season.

Feb-Apr - the waking up season.

May-Jul - the living season.

 

Waking up & living have gotta be the best right?!

[TonyH]

Love each and every one with a passion

[ARTDEMOLE]

All the months with  R in are great  if clear  at night for the stars.. The Other four for warmth.... simple.

[Isolated Frost]

This winter has taught me...

July

June

May

AugustApril

September

December

November

March

January

October

February

[Richard2901]

Generally prefer March to September over October to February but it would vary from year to year.

 

For 2013 I would say:

 

July

September

June

August

May

April

November

January

February

October

March

December

 

Whereas in 2012 July was the worst month and the order would be:

 

March

September

May

November

October

January

February

August

December

April

June

July

 

January pretty much guaranteed to end up bottom for 2014. 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Generally prefer March to September over October to February but it would vary from year to year.

 

For 2013 I would say:

 

July

September

June

August

May

April

November

January

February

October

March

December

 

Whereas in 2012 July was the worst month and the order would be:

 

March

September

May

November

October

January

February

August

December

April

June

July

 

January pretty much guaranteed to end up bottom for 2014. 

 

for 2013

 

March

January

April

February

0ctober

May

June

August

September

November

July

December

[Harve]

March

April

May

June

February

January

July

December

August

November

October

September