Spring moans, ramps, chat and banter

[Thundery wintry showers]

Northerly types have always been common during spring and early summer.  The Atlantic westerlies are traditionally at their weakest at this time of year and so we can end up with frequent blocked patterns.  Here are a few from the 1990s:

Plus, we've just had a very strong El Nino, and strong El Ninos have often been associated with very mild winters, followed by frequent cold changeable weather in the spring.  It traditionally hasn't even been that rare to get widespread snowfall in late-April or even into May.  Even the warm, sunny Mays of 1989 and 1992 both had a brief cold snap in the second week with sleet/snow locally to near sea level.  Rather, the near-absence of late-April or May snowfall since 1997 (when we had a widespread fall on May 6th/7th) has been somewhat unusual.

Difficulty getting such blocked cyclonic/northerly types in the winter months is a well-known characteristic of the British climate- our westerlies are traditionally at their strongest in late autumn and early to mid winter, which makes it harder to sustain winds from the north and east then, although of course far from impossible.  This year we also had ridiculous warm anomalies in the Arctic in January and February, which have receded somewhat recently.

I had thought we'd see a switch to a warm dry sunny-ish May, but the chances of this are receding judging by the latest model outputs.  

Edited April 24, 2016 by Thundery wintry showers

[Cloudwatcher]

Another day of cold, cloudy, unrelenting dross. Getting me down.

 

[snow freak]

Typical and I just knew something like this would happen.  we get nothing all winter and then come the late spring we get a potent northerly arctic blast which is no good to anyone so late in the season.  why can't the UK get its seasons sorted out properly?

[MP-R]

19 hours ago, Thundery wintry showers said:

 

Needless to say, a couple of those charts you posted relate to quite exceptional events. I think I can count the number of potent northerlies after mid-April in my lifetime on one hand.

[Buzz]

2 hours ago, snow freak said:

Typical and I just knew something like this would happen.  we get nothing all winter and then come the late spring we get a potent northerly arctic blast which is no good to anyone so late in the season.  why can't the UK get its seasons sorted out properly?

Tell me about it - seems to me that of late the weather patterns have generally "shifted" for the UK, so the pattern for milder/warmer weather arrives in autumn and winter, then colder patterns establish for Spring/Summer. I think I'll emigrate to the south of France .......

[snow freak]

On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2016 at 3:13 PM, Eugene said:

Really looking forward to the lovely Arctic air next week, good weather to be out and about in, even though this week has been fresh and not warm, colder weather is always welcome.

A real lack of any warmth this Spring, sorry but 13C/14C max's 4C mins widely isn't warm when the days are as long as August, this would be a cold spell then.

I agree, the UK weather seems to be perpetual Autumn throughout the year these past few years.  Horrible.

 

On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2016 at 3:13 PM, Eugene said:

 

 

[Cheshire Freeze]

16 minutes ago, snow freak said:

I agree, the UK weather seems to be perpetual Autumn throughout the year these past few years.  Horrible.

 

 

The trouble is because the anomalies are all coming at the 'wrong time of year' i.e warmth in winter, cool in summer etc, we're actually seeing a lack of weather diversity. For example warmth in winter normally comes with dull & wet weather and cool in summer usually comes with (yep you guessed it) dull and wet weather. Cold anomalies in winter and warm anomalies in summer would create much more diversity of weather for us to enjoy.......sigh!

[Weather-history]

Perpetual Autumn, that term is becoming as annoying as m@dern winter for me.

Will someone define what Autumn weather is? I have asked this and no one has answered it.

As for anomalies, 2014, every month was above average except August. Last year was more or less average temperature wise barring the last two.

 

[Cheshire Freeze]

40 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Perpetual Autumn, that term is becoming as annoying as m@dern winter for me.

Will someone define what Autumn weather is? I have asked this and no one has answered it.

As for anomalies, 2014, every month was above average except August. Last year was more or less average temperature wise barring the last two.

 

Oooops sorry Kev, think I started that phrase. 

To be honest, the weather has been rather arduous for some time now!

I guess by perpetual autumn I'm referring to weather that is rather late Sept/early Oct like. Not a lot happens, temperatures aren't particularly high or low, rather homogenous with the Atlantic not fully kicked into gear but with an average w'ly flow bringing rather sedate conditions-bit of rain, bit of drier partly cloudy conditions but all quite meh on the whole.

Either that scenario or we're being drenched in rain ala late autumn.

Edited April 25, 2016 by CreweCold

[Milhouse]

Blimey!! Is the Azores high actually going to win for once and build NE?

[Buzz]

I'll keep everything crossed.

[Thundery wintry showers]

7 hours ago, MP-R said:

Needless to say, a couple of those charts you posted relate to quite exceptional events. I think I can count the number of potent northerlies after mid-April in my lifetime on one hand.

I could show a few more from further back:

 

I see little evidence that potent northerlies in mid to late April, or early to mid May, with fairly widespread sleet and snow from the north Midlands northwards, were particularly unusual until around 1997, though in the south it was always rare after mid-April.  However, I can certainly see that people aged under 30, in particular, won't be able to recall many such events, as they have become somewhat more rare since then- indeed, other than a fairly localised event on 11 May 2010, the last time we had widespread snowfall after 15 April was in 2001.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Thundery wintry showers

[stainesbloke]

1 hour ago, Milhouse said:

Blimey!! Is the Azores high actually going to win for once and build NE?

One can dream!!

[Summer Sun]

1 hour ago, Milhouse said:

Blimey!! Is the Azores high actually going to win for once and build NE?

This chilly weather won't last forever, hopefully things will change for the better as we move into May its only a matter of time now

[Nouska]

2 hours ago, Thundery wintry showers said:

I see little evidence that potent northerlies in mid to late April, or early to mid May, with fairly widespread sleet and snow from the north Midlands northwards, were particularly unusual until around 1997, though in the south it was always rare after mid-April. 

Indeed. One of the singularities noted on the UK.Sci.  weather FAQs pages.

29th April - 16th May

  NORTHERLY WEATHER - SOME ANTICYCLONIC INTERVALS

  Northerly type very common, but often anticyclonic in west. Easterly type common; and Westerly type less common than at any time of the year.

http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/node/179

 

[MP-R]

3 hours ago, Thundery wintry showers said:

 

Must be a change of the last 20-30 years then. May has also been a westerly month in my lifetime, hence why it's one of the wetter months of the year for me e.g. 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2014.

A similar thing seems to have happened with August and September. My grandparents keep banging on about how August has become more autumnal over the years compared to years ago when it was summery. Likewise, this commonality of late summer when the schools go back seems to have become more common in recent years.

[markyo]

Just had the most fantastic drive up from London to Sheffield,every possible weather you could imagine,cloud formations were breath taking at some points,45min drive through driving snow at the end of april did feel a bit strange i must admit. Hugely enjoyable,really showed what proper weather can be like,sadly so often missing in the uk.

[rain_shadow]

Rubbish Bank Holiday weekend weather is forming as usual, "guaranteed" wind and rain on Sunday and Monday.

[reef]

Its just after solar noon four days from the start of May and its 4.7C with a soft hail laying on the ground which fell nearly two hours ago.

It has been quite unusual to see such potent cold weather so late in the season in recent years. Ironically it beats the majority of the cold spells we've had here in the last three winters!

[snow freak]

20 hours ago, markyo said:

Just had the most fantastic drive up from London to Sheffield,every possible weather you could imagine,cloud formations were breath taking at some points,45min drive through driving snow at the end of april did feel a bit strange i must admit. Hugely enjoyable,really showed what proper weather can be like,sadly so often missing in the uk.

just a pity we don't get this cold set up when we want it (ie. winter).  such rubbishy weather at the wrong times of the year in this country.

[stodge]

Has been an interesting couple of days this week.

Probably fair to say the intra-day temperature variations have been dramatic. I would guesstimate 10-12c in lowland East London in the sunshine between showers but in the showers probably falling to 3-5c in the heaviest squalls allowing soft hail and I fully expect those with some altitude have had snow falling if not settling.

We've had a couple of cold nights as well with only the breeze holding the mercury above freezing.

Temperatures which wouldn't be out of place in January at the end of April but we all knew it was likely after a strong El Nino winter.

[Snowyowl9]

Superb late april day of years of old well reminds me of may 1997.

Heavy snow and soft hail showers leaving a covering, with superb clouds and light winds except when the showers come 4.7c currently.

[mountain shadow]

Had snow falling early this afternoon at sea level in the heat island of Belfast City Centre. .mental.

[markyo]

2 hours ago, snow freak said:

just a pity we don't get this cold set up when we want it (ie. winter).  such rubbishy weather at the wrong times of the year in this country.

So very true,was out today in north yorkshire,second day of fantastic weather,why why not in in the winter months. To be honest never seen anything like it at this time of year,0c showing on the car,nearly 2 inches of snow over the road,coupled with pure clear skies and cloud formations straight out of a movie! Just so wished people knew how to drive in these conditions,i was driving a toyota landcrusier and slowed down but was still over taken!! so many accidents. Just hoping nobody got hurt. 

[simshady]

Certainly enjoying this Spring. I had snow this morning! Let's hope this pattern continues into Summer.