Candelmas

[damianslaw]

Its Candelmas Day - mid point between winter solstice and spring equinox. Always post about it, as it coincides with one of my favourite weather folklore sayings. I might have the exact words wrong but the sentiment right it goes -

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright winter will have another bite

If Candlemas Day be grey with rain - winter has been and won't come again

Today was rather indifferent so I'm unsure which line should be applied. The sentiment itself is that if we have clement conditions expect winter to have another go, perhaps indicative of the fact this is generally an atlantic dominated period of the year, so settled weather by signify the likelihood of more less atlantic dominated spells through the rest of the winter, conversely a wet day usually means the atlantic in full roost.

Typically winters back tends to break mid Feb, but this is also when the atlantic traditionally quietens down and the likelihood of northerly, easterly and anticylonic conditions increases.

Today is also Groundhog Day in N America where they use a groundhog to predict the weather for the rest of the winter - something to do with shadows ... not sure on that one.

Another saying in farming folklore is keep half your hay available on 2 Feb - suggesting a long way still to go until the winter season ends, this is especially true for the northern half of the country where winter in the hills often lasts well into March and in many a year April..

[MP-R]

What about if we're in raging zonality with sunshine all day, or a weak Channel low brings rain all day to the south? (I'm just being difficult!) 

I would have thought the anticyclonic conditions in early February with another bite of winter is more normal considering February is the driest month of the year (here anyway) and March is possibly the most fickle month of the year.

[March]

But what's the day between Winter Solstice and Candelmas? 

[Weather-history]

The actual midway point between the winter solstice and the Spring Equinox is infact tomorrow, Imbolc.

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Well it was ace in 2009! not as good as the SE, but still very snowy

[damianslaw]

13 hours ago, Weather-history said:

The actual midway point between the winter solstice and the Spring Equinox is infact tomorrow, Imbolc.

 

Thanks - yes I wasn't correct in my statement, should have said roughly mid way point.