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Your worst winters


Nick L

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Posted
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral
  • Weather Preferences: Summer: warm, humid, thundery. Winter: mild, stormy, some snow.
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral

Well, that's why I said *your* worst winter, based on your personal preferences. So for a "mildy", some of the recent cold winters would be amongst their worst ones. Indeed, there are a minority who have enjoyed this winter, but they are very much in the minority.

Well indeed, this winter had its good and bad points... I wasn't affected by the flooded and wind damage so I couldn't dislike the winter based on that, for me the best thing was the stormy periods, and I do like a good storm... The bad thing was how dark and dull it was on consistent basis... I'm sure most of us prefer as much light as possible in winter. This winter had something for most weather fans, except it seems the majority of people on this forum. It was getting monotonous towards the end, but the last few days sunshine are very very welcome.
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Posted
  • Location: South Yorkshire
  • Location: South Yorkshire

'88/'89, hands down - and for more than just the weather. Can remember burying my dad, 20th Jan 1989 and yet being able to notice how wrong (ie dry and very warm) the weather was on that horrendous day.

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

This winter had something for most weather fans, except it seems the majority of people on this forum.

Did it?There was no fog, little frost, snow, thunder, hail, prolonged dry spells and small temperature variations. At least around here.From 12th December, it has been rain, rain and rain basically.The odd gale thrown in but it hasn't been that windy, it's not been a late January- February 1990. Edited by Weather-history
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Posted
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion

This winter here hasn't been good for anyone.

 

It's been excellent if you're into winter snowsports.And live in Scotland .....The big difference between this winter and 88/89 is that this winter England got the weather that the Highlands got in 88/89 - I know, I was out in it,  Every bl**dy day, carrying a useless and increasing rusty set of crampons and ice axe with me .....

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Posted
  • Location: Matlock Derbyshire
  • Location: Matlock Derbyshire

Every winter I've spent in Glasgow and not in Derbyshire. I'm sure this winter in the Peak District hasn't been bad as an average Glaswegian winter...

 

well you will leave one of the best winter resorts in England ( DERBYSHIRE)  Posted Image Posted Image  not much here this winter but still caught some snow action.

Tideswell in February can still deliver the goods, But overall this winter never really happened here.post-2248-0-81155100-1393267640_thumb.jp

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Posted
  • Location: Aberdeen
  • Location: Aberdeen
This winter is the worst by a wide margin not only in my lifetime but in any lifetime. 80 hours of frost, a low of -2.5C and no lying snow with an extreme lack of temperature variation makes it the most boring winter of all time while the unrelenting wind, horrifically wet second half due to constant frontal rain and preponderance of southerlies and south easterlies over westerlies and south westerlies make it the most unpleasant of all time.
 
This mean pressure this month will be 4mb lower than any other month on record and this winter will have pressure at least 3mb lower than any other season on record. Given that records began in 1866 it is incredible that it could be beaten by such a wide margin.
 
Mild snowless winters tend to be dry and sunny not wet, dull and windy like this relentless horror show. The snowy winters of 1993/94 and 2009/10 were the wettest here in the past 25 years.  Previous worst winters would be 1987/88 for the very mild minima in December and very wet January, 1997/98 for the dull wet December and the horrifically mild minima in February and 2005/06 for the wet December then 2 months of mild anticyclonic gloom with very little frost or snow until March. None of them even register on the scale of awful winters compared to this one.
 
As for 1988/89 it was much better than this dross. Not only was it much more pleasant due to being dry and sunny but the numerous extreme temperatures due to foehn effects as well as higher than normal diurnal ranges made it much more interesting. In addition there was also the noteworthy gale of 13th February 1989 which produced the record gust whereas this winter has produced no storms of note just incessant wind and rain.
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Posted
  • Location: suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: deep snow/warm sunshine
  • Location: suffolk

 

This winter is the worst by a wide margin not only in my lifetime but in any lifetime. 80 hours of frost, a low of -2.5C and no lying snow with an extreme lack of temperature variation makes it the most boring winter of all time while the unrelenting wind, horrifically wet second half due to constant frontal rain and preponderance of southerlies and south easterlies over westerlies and south westerlies make it the most unpleasant of all time.
 
This mean pressure this month will be 4mb lower than any other month on record and this winter will have pressure at least 3mb lower than any other season on record. Given that records began in 1866 it is incredible that it could be beaten by such a wide margin.
 
Mild snowless winters tend to be dry and sunny not wet, dull and windy like this relentless horror show. The snowy winters of 1993/94 and 2009/10 were the wettest here in the past 25 years.  Previous worst winters would be 1987/88 for the very mild minima in December and very wet January, 1997/98 for the dull wet December and the horrifically mild minima in February and 2005/06 for the wet December then 2 months of mild anticyclonic gloom with very little frost or snow until March. None of them even register on the scale of awful winters compared to this one.
 
As for 1988/89 it was much better than this dross. Not only was it much more pleasant due to being dry and sunny but the numerous extreme temperatures due to foehn effects as well as higher than normal diurnal ranges made it much more interesting. In addition there was also the noteworthy gale of 13th February 1989 which produced the record gust whereas this winter has produced no storms of note just incessant wind and rain.

 

No Storms of note?  MMMMMmmmmmmm

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Posted
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion

What I can say is that this winter has, in Evesham, been the least snowy of all time ......Well, okay, probably the joint least snowy......  But not in 4.6 billion years has there been a less snowy winter :D So I guess that makes it quite remarkable? :D

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire

I have lived through some very poor Winters indeed, but although 2013/14 hasn't been the mildest I've experienced I would say it's been the worst.  The only other Winter I think was this snowless was 1989/90, but at least that had some variation. Winter 1988/89 provided a very small amount of snow at the end of February.  This Winter has just been rain, gales, rain, gales, rarely exceptionally mild but just plain miserable!  I'm very grateful that I wasn't affected by the horrendous floods.  I've never known a Winter with so few frosts either.

 

Winter 2006/07 had two short lived snow events in January and February, the later being a reasonable event.

 

Although I think it's very unlikely that next Winter will be this bad, I do fear that our run of colder than average Winters are now done with us.  However, I hope the next few Winter's will be on the dry side.

Edited by Don
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Posted
  • Location: Coventry
  • Weather Preferences: anticyclonic unless a snow storm
  • Location: Coventry

This winter has been the worst - devoid of any lengthy periods of high pressure.

It beats 88/89 and 2006/07 for monotony alone!

I disagree though that we have seen the last of cold winters or that we are unlikely to see a winter as wet as this again in our lifetimes. I think we are equally likely to see months such as Dec 09/10/13, Jan 10/13/14, Feb 13/14 and March 12/13 repeatedly.

Of the last 5 winters the UK has seen extremes each time:

2009/2010 Very cold esp Scotland

2010/11 Super cold Dec then very mild Feb

2011/12 the least extreme for the UK but very cold Feb across Europe

2012/13 snowy and then epic March

2013/14 Record breakingly wet and windy.

2014/15 Just pick your extreme: drought, very wet, snowy, cold, very mild, windy.

Edited by BlueSkies_do_I_see
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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

I hope this winter is an oddity and not replicated for some time yet..

 

The last 5 winters delivered lengthy dry spells where blocking was able to kill off the atlantic at least for some time (we had 12 days in late Jan-early Feb 12), with much wintry fayre. Conversely at the same time we had 6 wet atlantic dominated summers in the main with little in the way of lengthy dry sunny warm weather, but this run was broken last summer and now this winter...

 

Is it a coincidence this change has come at the same time the current solar cycle has peaked? Incidentally the peak of the last solar cycle coincided with the wettest season on record Autumn 2000....

 

I wouldn't be surprised if last summer and this winter do end up oddities, perhaps similar to the winter 05/06 summer 06 combo which returned a very blocked colder winter with the atlantic asleep and a very warm blocked summer sandwiched in a period where winters were normally wet mild atlantic dominated since 1997 and summers a real mixed bag since 1997 bar the odd decent warm dry summer such as 2003 or spell such as occurred in 2005 and on occasion in 1999.

 

I'm a believer in cycles broken by odd years which presage a change to a different cycle of weather - we may just be experiencing that year marking the change to a different cycle of weather - probability would favour a much drier cycle of weather.

Edited by damianslaw
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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

I hope this winter is an oddity and not replicated for some time yet..

 

The last 5 winters delivered lengthy dry spells where blocking was able to kill off the atlantic at least for some time (we had 12 days in late Jan-early Feb 12), with much wintry fayre. Conversely at the same time we had 6 wet atlantic dominated summers in the main with little in the way of lengthy dry sunny warm weather, but this run was broken last summer and now this winter...

 

Is it a coincidence this change has come at the same time the current solar cycle has peaked? Incidentally the peak of the last solar cycle coincided with the wettest season on record Autumn 2000....

 

I wouldn't be surprised if last summer and this winter do end up oddities, perhaps similar to the winter 05/06 summer 06 combo which returned a very blocked colder winter with the atlantic asleep and a very warm blocked summer sandwiched in a period where winters were normally wet mild atlantic

Winter 05/06 was completely opposite to this as one of the driest on records,we`ve seen it all lately.

This winter was relentlessly wet but somehow I`m not too bothered by it as it seems to of bought all weather types here from thunder/lightning hailstorms to snow on Christmas eve and settling so not the worst for that and 8 other days of snow cover,its felt cold and horrid as nothing overly mild as been mentioned,mildest day was back in December at 11.1c

A few severe gales one of which was the most severe since January 2007.

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Posted
  • Location: Stoke Gifford, nr Bristol, SGlos
  • Location: Stoke Gifford, nr Bristol, SGlos

This winter ranks as one of the worst; no snow here. But....

i've experienced milder ones, during daytime anyway.

For those thinking it could signal the "end of the run of cold" i'd beg to differ.

I always think back to 78 to 87 - a good few cold, snowy winters in that period but mixed with mild wet ones as well.

If you go back to 09/10 Feb 09 when, arguably, the mild noughties winters finished, although winter 10/11 was cold, winter 11/12 wasnt cold or snowy. Winter 12/13 wasnt brilliant down here, bar mid-January. March 2013 didnt deliver for these parts.

So there's no reason why next Winter couldnt turn up something colder and with snow for the UK.

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Winter 05/06 was completely opposite to this as one of the driest on records,we`ve seen it all lately.

This winter was relentlessly wet but somehow I`m not too bothered by it as it seems to of bought all weather types here from thunder/lightning hailstorms to snow on Christmas eve and settling so not the worst for that and 8 other days of snow cover,its felt cold and horrid as nothing overly mild as been mentioned,mildest day was back in December at 11.1c

A few severe gales one of which was the most severe since January 2007.

 

Yes Winter 05/06 was apposite to this one - but like this one saw one pattern dominate but on that occasion a locked in mid atlantic high and thus an exceptionally quiet atlantic - an equally abnormal winter.

 

Apart from the incessant rain and wind, the most notable feature of this winter has been the complete absence of even temporary ridge development, other zonal atlantic winters have at least delivered a few days of quiet settled conditions courtesy of weak ridge development across the country - it has been a highly unusual winter in this respect. We haven't had a 24 hour window of dry weather all winter! A shocking statistic, no wonder we've managed so few frosts..

Edited by damianslaw
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Posted
  • Location: Jordanstown, Co. Antrim
  • Weather Preferences: Cold winters, warm sunny summers.
  • Location: Jordanstown, Co. Antrim

The winter of 1974/75 was a pretty bad winter snow wise.

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Re. high pressure, there was a spell with high pressure over central, eastern and southern parts of Britain between the 6th and 12th December, but with south-westerly winds on its north-western flank the weather was mostly mild, dry and cloudy (it was the very unsettled second half of the month that brought the high sunshine totals to eastern Britain, while the west remained generally dull).  There has certainly been a near-absence of high pressure during January and February though, and a complete absence of bright and frosty or mild and sunny type anticyclonic weather in all three months.

Edited by Thundery wintry showers
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Posted
  • Location: Berlin, Germany
  • Weather Preferences: Ample sunshine; Hot weather; Mixed winters with cold and mild spells
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

Many talk about this being your worst winter and I can totally believe that. But for me this is the *best* winter I've ever gone through!

2 solid weeks of sub-zero temps and snow with it hitting -13c one night. Then since then an early spring - sunshine, dry and mild days, cool nights. Just how I like my winters - short & very sharp! 

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Posted
  • Location: Lucan Co Dublin
  • Location: Lucan Co Dublin

It is the worst winter I have ever experienced more like an extension of the autumn, the destructive nature  of the winds and the persistent rain. I hope this wont be repeated next winter. hopefully our spring will be a little better 

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

Re. high pressure, there was a spell with high pressure over central, eastern and southern parts of Britain between the 6th and 12th December, but with south-westerly winds on its north-western flank the weather was mostly mild, dry and cloudy (it was the very unsettled second half of the month that brought the high sunshine totals to eastern Britain, while the west remained generally dull).  There has certainly been a near-absence of high pressure during January and February though, and a complete absence of bright and frosty or mild and sunny type anticyclonic weather in all three months.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/archive/ra/2013/Rrea00120131203.gifSeems along time ago it was this dry.
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Posted
  • Location: Sandown, Isle of Wight
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms and snow
  • Location: Sandown, Isle of Wight

As an All round Weather Enthusiast, this has been one of the most interesting and fun winters, but at the tsame time my favourites are Thunderstorms and Snow. As for this has been the worse I have ever seen! We had a bit of sleet mixed with hail the other day but that was it!

 

However as for Thunder, Lightning and hail this winter has been the best ever! Theres been loads and loads of the stuff, especially.

 I have found the winds fun  but Scary, 110mph the other week, not bad going but caused a fair bit of damage.

 

As for Rain, whilst yeah its been fun, its been horrendous for the rivers and floods, its been the worst I ever seen, just so so much of it, its unreal!

 The storm surges well they have been really fun but again scary.

 

Im crossed between this winter, Ive actually really enjoyed it :L though I would love snow :(

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Posted
  • Location: Coventry
  • Weather Preferences: anticyclonic unless a snow storm
  • Location: Coventry

I guess it depends on your perspective on what makes a bad winter. My aunt in Canada is complaining about it constantly snowing and daytime highs of -11C.

Here I have been glad for once of mild temps as our family had a baby born back in Jan and it saves having to bundle her up every time we step out to the shops.

In terms of the rain though I think I'd rather have taken colder and drier!

I personally think this winter is a blip though and we will be back to frigid next winter as it seems the northern latitudes are getting hit hard by cold air from the Arctic sweeping down more these days as other parts of the world have been affected by snow this winter such as Japan and even the Middle East for a short while late last year!

Edited by BlueSkies_do_I_see
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Posted
  • Location: South Yorkshire
  • Location: South Yorkshire

I guess it depends on your perspective on what makes a bad winter.

 

Even tho' we've escaped the 'worst' of the storms and stuff up here, it can't by any stretch of the imagination be called boring.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Even tho' we've escaped the 'worst' of the storms and stuff up here, it can't by any stretch of the imagination be called boring.

 

In the sense that temperatures have remained remarkably average and the general weather conditions barely changed for 2 months, I would call it boring. Especially as, for me, it was constant weather that I don't enjoy. Added to that the lack of sunshine as well.

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Posted
  • Location: Leeds
  • Weather Preferences: snow, heat, thunderstorms
  • Location: Leeds

Even tho' we've escaped the 'worst' of the storms and stuff up here, it can't by any stretch of the imagination be called boring.

It was entertaining at first, but it got old quickly.

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Posted
  • Location: East Devon
  • Location: East Devon

Did it?There was no fog, little frost, snow, thunder, hail, prolonged dry spells and small temperature variations. At least around here.From 12th December, it has been rain, rain and rain basically.The odd gale thrown in but it hasn't been that windy, it's not been a late January- February 1990.

 

There has been for me at least, and more especially home in Devon, I've seen fog, frost (relatively limited admittedly, but so was last winter at home actually..), there was even wet snow falling any laying for the night in some relatively low parts of east Devon, which is more than can be said up here a uni (haven't even seen sleet here!).

 

I have had 6 days of seeing lightning or hearing thunder, more than in the whole of 2010 or 2011.

I remember a day in January with large hail in places from a thunderstorm tracking all the way from Lands End to Norfolk if I recall correctly, as well as another with an electrically active squall line tracking from NW Wales down to East Anglia and the SE. I got caught out in the end of it here with torrential rain/hail and wind bringing a few trees down, and a small tornado was reported not far from here in Chobham. All pretty unusual for January?

 

There have been numerous lows and strong winds, breaking my stations highest wind gust recorded so far a few times, and the rainfall totals have been interesting of course. Despite all this weather (most other types apart from cold/snow) It hasn't been dull here, with the Met Office anomaly maps showing much of central/southern areas having above average sunshine in December and January.

There has been less of this up here at uni but it hasn't been absent, and admittedly looking at the stats if I lived in some places further north/east, I may have found less interest and the persistent average/mild temps and more 'normally' wet weather more tedious.

 

I have also had a couple mornings walking in sparkling frost with clear blue sky above and shallow mist draped over the fields when I have been at home from uni i.e over the Christmas Holidays.

 

This aint anywhere near a perfect winter for me.. the lack of snow/frost between limited weather systems and the limited temperature variance have both been negative points, though the changeable weather has partly made up for it with many other weather types thrown at us. 

 

Today was another nice sunny start (actually feeling springlike with warmth in the sun, then followed by nice cumulonimbus cloud forms with sharp showers around here. Seems to have been several days with CB's bubbling up inland recently even though it's only February.

 

 

In the sense that temperatures have remained remarkably average and the general weather conditions barely changed for 2 months, I would call it boring. Especially as, for me, it was constant weather that I don't enjoy. Added to that the lack of sunshine as well.

 

 

 

There hasn't been a lack of sun around here though: December anomaly map: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2013/12/2013_12_Sunshine_Anomaly_1981-2010.gif I suppose it was locally slightly below average around the Reading area.

January anomaly map: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/anomacts/2014/1/2014_1_Sunshine_Anomaly_1981-2010.gif

February also looking above average for the SE: http://www.climate-uk.com/page2.html

 

More north/western parts of the country don't look to have fared so well though. 

Last winter/March was duller down here and I'd suggest it was more boring with more continuous cold cloudy weather. Admittedly missing the main snowy week on a field trip doesn't help my perception.

Edited by Evening thunder
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