Winter 2014-15 thread

[damianslaw]

Yes it does look like winter 14/15 if you use the 81-10 CET average, will indeed end up a very average one temperature wise.. some winters end up average but with notable cold spells cancelled out by notable mild spells.

 

This winter we have simply yo-yoed between a little above and a little below average, never particularly cold nor particularly mild. Winter 05-06 was very similar in this respect.

 

Winter 11-12 despite the cold 2 week spell tail end of Jan and through early Feb, in the main was predominantly on the mild/very mild side.

 

In terms of ranking cold wise, yes colder more wintry than winter 11/12 but only just, far far better than the likes of 06-07, 07-08 and 13/14, but not quite as wintry/cold feeling as winter 05-06.

 

In terms of the last 20 years it would rank somewhere in the middle, but only because the majority of winters have been on the mild/very non-wintry side cold and snowise as follows (number 1 most snowy/cold etc..). I would only rank the top 5 overall as 'wintry'.

 

1. 09/10

2. 95/96

3. 10/11

4. 08/09

5. 12/13

6. 00/01

7. 96/97

8. 05/06

9. 14/15

10. 03/04

11. 02/03

12. 11/12

13. 98/99

14. 01/02

15. 04/05

15. 99/00

16. 07/08

17. 97/98

19. 06/07

20. 13/14

 

 

I'm hoping next winter can deliver something more extreme cold temperature wise..

Edited February 19, 2015 by damianslaw

[J10]

Yes it does look like winter 14/15 if you use the 81-10 CET average, will indeed end up a very average one temperature wise.. some winters end up average but with notable cold spells cancelled out by notable mild spells.

 

This winter we have simply yo-yoed between a little above and a little below average, never particularly cold nor particularly mild. Winter 05-06 was very similar in this respect.

 

Winter 11-12 despite the cold 2 week spell tail end of Jan and through early Feb, in the main was predominantly on the mild/very mild side.

 

I'm hoping next winter can deliver something more extreme cold temperature wise..

 

05-06 did give 2 very notable snow events, and while this winter had winter many days of failing snow, snow coverings have been very transitory.

[MP-R]

It's interesting how 3 out of the 4 snow events in the 05/06 extended winter season (21st Nov - 21st Mar) happened outside of meteorological winter: Nov 25th, Dec 29th, Mar 01st, Mar 12th. The winter months themselves were pretty dry throughout barring a very start to December and brief Atlantic spell in mid-Feb.

[knocker]

A very sunny winter on the cards

Early figures show that while this winter is on track for fairly average temperatures and rainfall, it could be among the sunniest in our UK record dating back to 1929.

 

https://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/a-very-sunny-winter-on-the-cards/

[Summer Sun]

A very sunny winter on the cards

Early figures show that while this winter is on track for fairly average temperatures and rainfall, it could be among the sunniest in our UK record dating back to 1929.

 

https://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/a-very-sunny-winter-on-the-cards/

 

 

Already posted on the previous page

 

[Weather-history]

Manchester Winter Index

1978-79: 262

2009-10: 197

1985-86: 159

1981-82: 149

1976-77: 141

1984-85: 140

1995-96: 135

1990-91: 126

2010-11: 119

2008-09: 105

2012-13: 102

1986-87: 100

1977-78: 90

1980-81: 90

1982-83: 85

1983-84: 82

2014-15: 80 (up to 21st Feb)

1993-94: 78

2000-01: 77

1996-97: 72

1979-80: 66

2005-06: 59

2001-02: 50

2003-04: 50

1998-99: 47

2004-05: 47

2011-12: 47

1994-95: 45

2002-03: 44

1992-93: 43

1975-76: 41

1991-92: 40

1987-88: 37

2007-08: 37

1973-74: 30

1974-75: 26

1989-90: 26

1997-98: 25

2006-07: 21

1988-89: 20

2013-14: 7

[Snowyowl9]

Upto 85 here now and snowing as I speak.

2011-12 came out as 67 which took an different turn more old fashioned type winter with lots of freezing rain/ice.

[damianslaw]

Looking at weather history rankings, a respectable winter then, without ever being particularly cold. Plenty of polar maritime air has helped, a favourable airstream for the NW quarter of the country in terms of snow and generally cold weather, alas I suspect those in the far east/ and south/south west and south east will be ranking the winter not quite so high, thanks to a lack of any easterlies or notable snow events.

 

Here yes a fairly respectable winter, but disappointing because max total snowfall from a single event only an inch... a very very poor statistic. Respectable more in terms of temperatures with a number of cold frosty nights and chilly days especially mid Jan to early Feb. Had a number of days with snowfall but often very light stuff under very marginal conditions.

 

Still time for a decent frontal snowfall - March can produce the goods here, even though classed as Spring. A 12 March 96 or 12 March 06 would be good.

[TEITS]

What has disappointed me so far this winter is the fact that my lowest min temp is a pathetic -4.7C. The number of times when my min temps dropped at or below freezing is 20.days.

 

I have known colder min temps in October.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

my coldest min -5.0C, early on 2 Feb, the snowless 'cold' spell

[reef]

It has been even worse here, the min temp of the winter so far was -2.4C on the 30th January.

 

We've had 23 air frosts so far in Dec-Feb which is actually above average, but only 8 of them were with temps below -1C.

 

The reason is the lack of cold spells with any real potency, every cold snap/spell has been on the marginal side for low ground areas. There have been very few calm nights here too which doesn't help things.

Edited February 23, 2015 by reef

[Thundery wintry showers]

I will associate this winter mainly with two things:

 

1.  The return of "cold zonality".  January, in particular, had three separate widespread snow events that were delivered via westerly winds.  December and January had an exceptionally high frequency of thunder in the north and west of Scotland thanks to the incidence of cold polar maritime air flowing over the warm sea.

 

2.  The absence of "deep cold".  Our cold weather has been delivered mainly by a combination of cold west to north-west winds, and short-draw northerlies which had a lot of modification from old depression cores.  There has been nothing of note from the east, or from well within the Arctic Circle.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Thundery wintry showers

[summer blizzard]

I agree with many posts above. While this winter has been cool and westerly with prolonged anticyclonic spells it has also been rather toothless. While lacking anything extremely mild (i think we breached 10C back in early January but probably not before or since during winter) the cold spells have not produced any significant minimum temperatures here.

[reef]

I agree with many posts above. While this winter has been cool and westerly with prolonged anticyclonic spells it has also been rather toothless. While lacking anything extremely mild (i think we breached 10C back in early January but probably not before or since during winter) the cold spells have not produced any significant minimum temperatures here.

There have been some very mild spells. On 9th/10th January many places broke their record January maxima (we hit 14.8C, beating the previous record by 0.5C) and the week before Christmas saw temps in the low teens and minima in double-figures over a wide area.

[Mapantz]

4cm of snow fell on February 3rd, here. It melted by mid-morning, but the fact it came from a North to Northeasterly wind flow made it a successful Winter in this location.

I remember saying at the beginning, I'd hope for a "bit of everything" that's exactly what I've had.

[Snowyowl9]

This winter has been almost double for the number of days with sleet or snow falling to some years in the late 90`s

1996-97 at 23.

1997-98 gave 13.

1998-99 with 14.

1999-00 with 18.

2000-01 at 20.

2014-15 at 27 so far.

Late edit.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Snowyowl9

[Thundery wintry showers]

I've been based in Exeter this winter, where it's been fairly sunny but not exceptionally so, but if I'd still been living in Tyneside or North Yorkshire then the exceptionally high sunshine totals would have also stuck out.

 

Despite only three days with sleet falling in Exeter, I have seen lying snow this winter because I timed two trips up to North Yorkshire pretty well- one over Christmas/New Year and one on 31 January/1 February, and on both occasions I saw falling and lying snow.  It never amounted to much on the ground though.

[Peter H]

Still time for a decent frontal snowfall - March can produce the goods here, even though classed as Spring. A 12 March 96 or 12 March 06 would be good.

The charts over the next couple of weeks look interesting, with even the hint of a Scandinavian high and an easterly at the end of the latest runs, but it's really a bit late in the season now.

Snow at this time of year doesn't really hang around for long due to the longer hours of daylight. February really is just a transitional month between winter and spring, especially the latter stages of the month.

[Weather-history]

Manchester Winter Index

1978-79: 262

2009-10: 197

1985-86: 159

1981-82: 149

1976-77: 141

1984-85: 140

1995-96: 135

1990-91: 126

2010-11: 119

2008-09: 105

2012-13: 102

1986-87: 100

1977-78: 90

1980-81: 90

1982-83: 85

2014-15: 83 (up to 26th Feb)

1983-84: 82

1993-94: 78

2000-01: 77

1996-97: 72

1979-80: 66

2005-06: 59

2001-02: 50

2003-04: 50

1998-99: 47

2004-05: 47

2011-12: 47

1994-95: 45

2002-03: 44

1992-93: 43

1975-76: 41

1991-92: 40

1987-88: 37

2007-08: 37

1973-74: 30

1974-75: 26

1989-90: 26

1997-98: 25

2006-07: 21

1988-89: 20

2013-14: 7

[reef]

A much poorer winter here in the east, but pretty much mid-table compared to those post 1987:

 

2009/10: 161
2010/11: 123
1995/96: 108
2012/13: 97
1990/91: 85
2000/01: 70
2008/09: 62
1993/94: 61
2005/06: 54
2003/04: 50
2002/03: 49
1996/97: 48
1998/99: 46
1992/93: 45
2014/15: 44
2011/12: 43
2001/02: 41
2004/05: 41
1991/92: 39
1994/95: 31
1999/00: 31
1987/88: 28
2007/08: 21
2006/07: 18
1997/98: 16
1989/90: 9
1988/89: 8
2013/14: 6

 

Its the number of air frosts (23) that have brought the number up, despite no temperature below -2.4C and just one morning of lying snow.

[Summer Sun]

UK sees sunniest winter on record

 

 

The UK weather has served up the sunniest winter on record – a drastic change from last winter’s washout, which was the wettest on paper.

 

The Met Office’s provisional stats show that by 25 February, the UK already equalled the 2001 record of 189 hours of sunshine. So that means with a day to go before the meteorological season finishes, this winter will be the sunniest since records began in 1929. With three days to go, the Met Office predicts the end of this year’s meteorological winter is likely to beat the record by about 7 hours.

 

Last winter, sunshine was around average at 160 hours. The figures for temperature and rainfall are fairly average for the season. Temperatures expected to be 3.8C, just above the 3.7C average, while rainfall is expected to be 375mm, 8% above average. It’s a stark change from last winter, which was the wettest on record with 544mm of rainfall, 65% above average.

 

February weather

 

Early figures (1-25 Feb) show February will be drier than average with only 73% of the average rainfall seen, and it’s also on course to be cooler than average.

 

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/uk/news/articles/uk-weather/uk-weather-sees-sunniest-winter-on-record-/46274/

 

Edited February 27, 2015 by Summer Sun

[reef]

UK sees sunniest winter on record

 

 

Yes its been a very sunny winter for quite a few places. We're on 288 hours for the winter so far, which is already 30hrs above the previous record and actually more than we recorded in Autumn 2014 (260hrs)!

 

It has been persistently sunny aswell. December and January were both the sunniest on record here and February is the 2nd sunniest.

 

Its mainly as a result of the frequent polar maritime airmasses we've had, which are often clear and dry this far east.

[Costa Del Fal]

Looks like the Midlands has faired very well.

 

I must say it has been pretty sunny here in Cornwall too. Not too many all day cloudy and wet days. Not as much as you would expect down here anyway. Lots of times there have been very clear skies.

 

I believe the last couple of years on the whole have been sunnier than the 2007-12 period where it often felt very cloudy especially in summer. Perhaps we are again back into a period of more average winters but average and good summers.

[March Blizzard]

I'm in that little grey blob in the Manchester area, confirming my suspicion that here at least it hasn't been all that sunny. In fact going off those maps it's been less sunny than last winter!

The difference between here and just to the east is incredible.

[AderynCoch]

I'm in that little grey blob in the Manchester area, confirming my suspicion that here at least it hasn't been all that sunny. In fact going off those maps it's been less sunny than last winter!

The difference between here and just to the east is incredible.

Haven't noticed it being that sunny here either. The beginning of this month started off sunny but was then followed by at least a week of no sun whatsoever.