Spring moans, ramps, chat and banter

[ukpaul]

20 minutes ago, knocker said:

Well I'm not privy to what Ian has, or hasn't forgotten, but East Coast officials report at least 17 deaths related to massive snowstorm so I would consider that pretty disruptive to lives. In fact in my book that's a permanent disruption. Each to their own priority of course.

But why the hell does everything have to be a battle on here between peoples own preferences with one in particular taking preference?

I know people affected by the floods, if you want to forget that then go ahead. Usually in these cases people have lost their lives through doing what they were told not to so, yes I have some sympathy but if you don't stay indoors and listen to the authorities then you share a lot of the blame. 

Nothing to do with preference, just personal experience. 

[stainesbloke]

1 hour ago, knocker said:

The winter storm that's creating tragedy and havoc races across the Atlantic to bring severe gales and rain to the UK on Tuesday.

That's some jet

It's so boring and dreary now, we've had more than enough wind and rain here and that's coming from someone who isn't a huge fan of cold/snow. The cold, sunny and frosty weather of last week would do me until March. Sadly, extreme weather will always cost lives, whatever the form it takes. 

[Peter H]

1 hour ago, The Wolf said:

Sick of the pathetic winter weather in this country. Boring dull and rubbish.

Game over now for this winter, in my opinion. Nearly into February and just a load of mild dross for the foreseeable.

Yep, me too.

Yet another mild and largely snowless one at this end. Pretty much predictable from about late November onwards.

Fed up with January and these dark nights too.

Roll on summer. Hope we get a good one this year. Long, long overdue.

[Peter H]

Mild weather pushing well into Europe and Scandinavia for the next couple of weeks according to the models.

That's a really bad sign for February, unfortunately

[Ravendane]

Not looking good for any snow over this side of the Atlantic...copy cat situation from last year  ..the US gets a pasting, we get mild, wet bleuurgh.   We are having an even worse time this year with so much rain and flooding. I thought the strong El Nino was going to bring us a cold winter...

[Mapantz]

3 hours ago, Peter H said:

Along with James Maddan predicting a big freeze and the coldest winter in living memory every October.

One these days he'll get it right, but I'll probably be dead by that stage.

Yep - It's very much likened to his philosophy; Treat every day as if its your last, because one day, you'll be right!

You can't go wrong. lol

[Thundery wintry showers]

I had a theory that the world's nearest thing to my "ideal" climate might be the Munich area- more continental, more prone to extremes than the UK, thunder-prone in summer due to the nearby mountain range, but not generally prone to the highly destructive level of extremes that are common in parts of the USA.

Thus, I've started following Munich's weather via webcams.  They had lying snow throughout the past week with generally dry bright conditions, but the snow is now thawing due to the arrival of milder air from the west.

https://www.webcam-4insiders.com/en/weather-M%C3%BCnchen-Webcam/13966-Webcam-M%C3%BCnchen-weather.php

[knocker]

5 hours ago, cobbett said:

I think you posting that tweet indicated your preference  so presume you were after a reaction ?!

You presume incorrectly, it never even crossed my mind. I may be a lot of things but stooping to use natural disasters to make a point isn't one of them. Some people on here are very quick to assume motives on my part, wrongly, which get's me very annoyed. For some time now I've been wondering whether it's worth the aggro posting in this forum and this nonsense may just have made up my mind.

Edited January 24, 2016 by knocker

[knocker]

5 hours ago, ukpaul said:

I know people affected by the floods, if you want to forget that then go ahead. Usually in these cases people have lost their lives through doing what they were told not to so, yes I have some sympathy but if you don't stay indoors and listen to the authorities then you share a lot of the blame. 

Nothing to do with preference, just personal experience. 

What justification have you got for that statement? I have every sympathy for the hundreds impacted by the floods as many of my recent posts indicate. I also made a point of not ignoring wet weather impacts as indicated by the models in order to look for some spurious route to cold. My above comment also holds good here. And in case anyone has forgotten I didn't make the original tweet.

I assume many posting in the N. America thread will also be castigated for forgetting those severely impacted by the recent floods?

And to reiterate. If you think I would use natural disasters just to make a point about weather preferences then you are barking up many wrong trees. Some of you lot are unbelievable.

Edited January 24, 2016 by knocker

[Weather-history]

8 hours ago, knocker said:

Ian Fergusson ‏@fergieweather 2h2 hours ago

Awful conditions stateside: so many livelihoods & businesses affected. We're lucky our temperate isles rarely see such extreme disruption.

I will say this though, at least States have the capability to cope up to a point with these kind of snow levels and are prepared. 

In this country, forget it. The whole conurbation of Greater Manchester was virtually brought to a standstill by a snowfall, 6 years ago that would have been a bog standard event to a NE American city. 

If you can't cope nor have the capability, the level of extreme has a whole different threshold.

[SNOW CRYSTAL]

Having read all of the above, I can see nothing that suggests or implies that people have forgotten about our fellow country men that have been affected by the terrible floods this winter, I know I haven't, and in Knocker's defence, he regularly shows compassion on the regional thread for anyone who's lives have been disrupted by weather events. 

We are members of this site because we are passionate about weather and it's unpredictable nature but I would like to think that when it comes to people's lives being endangered or severely affected by these events, that we are able to express compassion, no matter where in the world these events occur and without the judgement and blame that sometimes seems to follow. 

Surely it is not a competition to see who's lives are most affected or who has the least disruption from the biggest storm. Yes we have no control of the weather and yes some people could perhaps make different choices when it comes to how they deal with these weather events,  but without knowing the detail surrounding each life lost, I for one, would not feel comfortable implying that any of these poor souls have themselves to blame and I sure as hell wouldn't have the guts to intimate such thoughts to their loved ones, would you? 

 

[markyo]

What a truely horrible start to a sunday compared to last weekend. This weather will be having a big effect on our wild life,it will suffer no doubt when the next cold spell comes. As for our farmers they must tearing their hair out,they need frost and to be honest nothing seems to be on the horizon. It will certainly hit them hard.

[knocker]

Winter storm Jonas still looks set to scurry across the Atlantic to bring yet more wet and windy weather to the UK.

 

[iand61]

26 minutes ago, markyo said:

What a truely horrible start to a sunday compared to last weekend. This weather will be having a big effect on our wild life,it will suffer no doubt when the next cold spell comes. As for our farmers they must tearing their hair out,they need frost and to be honest nothing seems to be on the horizon. It will certainly hit them hard.

Agreed, even when it's not causing flooding and ruining people's lives, the almost non stop rain and fluctuating temperatures is having an effect on wildlife and our food production.

forget snow, is it really to much to ask for a few weeks of dry weather.

whether it be dry and cold or dry and mild is probably of little consequence to those who earn a living outside.

[JoeShmoe]

Is it Spring yet ?

[cornish snow]

57 minutes ago, JoeShmoe said:

Is it Spring yet ?

Must be,certainly aint Winter

[cobbett]

4 hours ago, knocker said:

You presume incorrectly, it never even crossed my mind. I may be a lot of things but stooping to use natural disasters to make a point isn't one of them. Some people on here are very quick to assume motives on my part, wrongly, which get's me very annoyed. For some time now I've been wondering whether it's worth the aggro posting in this forum and this nonsense may just have made up my mind.

The tweet was referring to snow disruption so to not expect a reaction is naive at best

[markyo]

28 minutes ago, cornish snow said:

Must be,certainly aint Winter

So very true,fingers tightly crossed that this pattern changes very soon but not holding out any hope to be honest. Without a winter of any proper description would be a situation that would cost both the economy and wildlife one heck of a lot. Mother nature has seemingly lost the plot on this one!

[ANYWEATHER]

2 hours ago, markyo said:

What a truely horrible start to a sunday compared to last weekend. This weather will be having a big effect on our wild life,it will suffer no doubt when the next cold spell comes. As for our farmers they must tearing their hair out,they need frost and to be honest nothing seems to be on the horizon. It will certainly hit them hard.

To be honest ,I think this statement is a little bit over the top! This mild weather is much kinder to the wildlife than harsh cold. Just look at the record breaking cold March 2013 with freezing cold and cattle and sheep buried in deep snow with the loss of thousands of animals. I would imagine cattle farmers at least prefer mild to cold, although I do prefer the more seasonal cold than this very mild weather

[cornish snow]

15 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

To be honest ,I think this statement is a little bit over the top! This mild weather is much kinder to the wildlife than harsh cold. Just look at the record breaking cold March 2013 with freezing cold and cattle and sheep buried in deep snow with the loss of thousands of animals. I would imagine cattle farmers at least prefer mild to cold, although I do prefer the more seasonal cold than this very mild weather

The issue with mild weather at this time of year, is that it lures wildlife into action when it should still be dormant. 

Just this last week,i've seen several ladybirds a small tort butterfly and 2 or 3 bumble bees,a cold spell now would leave these vulnerable.

 

[markyo]

19 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

To be honest ,I think this statement is a little bit over the top! This mild weather is much kinder to the wildlife than harsh cold. Just look at the record breaking cold March 2013 with freezing cold and cattle and sheep buried in deep snow with the loss of thousands of animals. I would imagine cattle farmers at least prefer mild to cold, although I do prefer the more seasonal cold than this very mild weather

Disagree,arable farmers need the frost to breakup the ground,forced grows certainly need the cold and frost. Loss of those animals in 2013 was heart braking,but we do need the cold,your statement is imo so very wrong,Mild weather can be devastating to the one shot wildlife in their annual cycle. Lot more complicated then you think.

[Deep Snow please]

Anyone who thinks unseasonable weather is good for wildlife doesn't understand nature.

[Iceni]

52 minutes ago, markyo said:

Disagree,arable farmers need the frost to breakup the ground,forced grows certainly need the cold and frost. Loss of those animals in 2013 was heart braking,but we do need the cold,your statement is imo so very wrong,Mild weather can be devastating to the one shot wildlife in their annual cycle. Lot more complicated then you think.

The farmers break up the ground (plough it) in September. And in 2010, badgers got so hungry they attacked cjickens because they could forage for worms. Orchards need deep cold in order to have acdormancy period, but seemed the apple crop was better than ever last year and that was relatively mild.

Birds are fine, voles are fine, they can still find insects.

The only problem is the muddy fields, but cattle are usually over-wintered under cover these days. Sheep don't care. 

[cyclonic happiness]

I can't believe are yet again watching America being buried by snow, and yet we struggle to get an inch.  

3 years it'll be soon, 3 years without snow staying on the ground for more than 24 hours. Fair enough last week we had an inch, but it was slushy and was melting even as it fell.

I really do hope the winter will get its finger out, according to the Met office, we should have between 5-10 days of lying snow per year!

[TROY]

The Atlantic storms have more power then the artic winds, they have won the battle between cold dry air yet again this winter.

Daffs out in the first week of January, sun feels warm already, could we be in for the earliest Spring? and hopefully a long hot summer with barmy evenings?