Scotland/Alba Regional Weather Discussion 23/04/17 onwards

[Hairy Celt]

Hmm that was a grey drizzly day to forget.... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

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[Northernlights]

15 minutes ago, Hairy Celt said:

Hmm that was a grey drizzly day to forget.... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Bit better than that here with occasional glimpses of sun but after yesterdays snow/rain the fields are just bogs. Still got cows and  older calves out  as sudden temperature changes like yesterday inside can lead to pneumonia in the calves. Will probably take them in  soon after the pneumonia vaccine for the calves arrives which should be Friday. Currently 6c

[West Highland Storm]

Reporting for duty been lurking but here for winter 2017/18 got a feeling in my water it's going to be 2010/11/12 style winter lots of snow.

Going into it with last year's Nokian Weatherproofs switched rears on the front and vice versa, daughter's on a new set of Goodyear 4 Seasons 2's. 

[BleakMidwinter]

11 hours ago, West Highland Storm said:

Reporting for duty been lurking but here for winter 2017/18 got a feeling in my water it's going to be 2010/11/12 style winter lots of snow.

 

Very best wishes for all of you to have a stonkingly good winter...

I'm happy living down here in Englandshire (and I cleverly chose a bit with some nearby good snowy hills (Wrekin, Long Mynd, S.Shrops Hills) and decent frosts most years albit only a sprinkling of snow at our level thus far over three mild winters) , but I do miss the Kilted thread at this time of year, have to say. They don't have anything like you lot down here  

Tons of snowy regards to everyone! 

 

BMW

[Hairy Celt]

The weather was again grey and a bit drizzly after a slightly frosty start, this time down by Lochs Oich and Lochy, but I should have had a camera for pictures of late autumn colours of the beech reflected in flat calm lochs, with wisps of low cloud drifting down the glen. Still drizzly at home but black rather than grey now... Hopefully a bit brighter tomorrow? Is winter over yet? Possibly not, I was certainly glad of hat, gloves and a few layers today including the infamous longjohns. 

[Guest]

just a quick question for those that use winter tyres in here. is there specific cars you can or cannot have winters on??

[Hairy Celt]

20 minutes ago, More Snow said:

just a quick question for those that use winter tyres in here. is there specific cars you can or cannot have winters on??

No... but...

I spose you should usually put the car manufacturer's recommended tyre size on, although some folk go for a slightly higher profile tyre in winter tyres (a tad more ground clearance, a bit more flexibility on rutted snow perhaps). But really it's like, do you want carpets or planks on your floor, it's horses for courses, so winter tyres in winter and summer tyres in summer. Although you can now get Nokian tyres which claim to be true 'all season' tyres. I have these on my Golf, although they're not as good as Michelin Pilots in summer by any stretch... (aargh, tyres are a difficult subject!!)

Best thing is to do some googling - winter vs summer tyres, etc.  I think the thing of having two sets of wheels and tyres (like some folk on here) is till quite uncommon unless you do a lot of miles in winter. I do maybe 25k to 30k miles a year, spread evenly over the year (and some of the winter miles are on untreated roads), so I can justify having a set of wheels always sat in the garage. If your mileage is a lot less, or if you only drive on treated roads, it would be harder to justify the expense.

I can't think of any car you can't put winter tyres on, no. 

@scottish skiermay offer some advice too - it was him who put me onto this...

Edited November 15, 2017 by Hairy Celt

[edo]

Get the tyres on pronto 

 

Pub run off on one 

[Hairy Celt]

37 minutes ago, edo said:

Get the tyres on pronto 

 

Pub run off on one 

alternatively get the beers in...

[edo]

agreed and some search lights seen as they have installed those LED streetlight s here that don't actually give any light.....gonna be squinting on lampost duty

[mardatha]

More Snow now that you're up here with us, I think you should change that username to Mair Snaw

Horrible rain here this morning woke me up, but doesn't feel cold.

[snowidea]

53 minutes ago, mardatha said:

More Snow now that you're up here with us, I think you should change that username to Mair Snaw

Horrible rain here this morning woke me up, but doesn't feel cold.

Yes we were woken at 5.00 by what sounded like a small monsoon. Just a bit windy and grey now. 

[Scottish-Irish Skier]

10 hours ago, Hairy Celt said:

No... but...

I spose you should usually put the car manufacturer's recommended tyre size on....

@scottish skiermay offer some advice too - it was him who put me onto this...

@More Snow

I put winter tyres on for 10/11 and haven't look back. Amazing things.

If you live in the sticks a bit and get icy / frosty / snowy / wet and cold roads a lot then definitely worth it. In milder city by the sea / low down it may not be worth it, particularly if you think come the snow, you'll just stay home and warm, avoiding the brief periods of associated chaos in land.

With regard to options..

I'm now of the opinion you don't need full winters unless you really have to deal with a lot of snow.

Instead, the latest generation 'all seasons' which come with the snow symbol do the job fine and are better 'all round' tyres for our winter weather. After all, Scotland in winter is more all season than winter. Can be mild and sunny one day, snaw the next. Same in summer. 

So if you have winter driving trouble, go for these and keep them on all year. They are fine in the summer, unless...

Like HC says you do a lot of driving and particularly high speed motorway. Then they'll wear down. Also feel soft at high speeds; if people like to corner hard they'll be a bit disconcerting. In the winter they're perfect as they are not overly soft like full winters so firm up perfectly below 7 C and don't wear out quick.

That describes me (15-17k per year) and like to 'drive' the car at times. So, full on summers for the summer and 'all seasons snowflake' for the winter.

Mrs SS has on all seasons all year as she does only 4k per year. 

I would really recommend swapping wheels rather than tyres, i.e. a set of wheels for each. Steel wheels for e.g. winter are dirt cheap. Getting tyres swapped all round will easily be £80 and will mess up nice alloys with all the weights coming on and off etc. Garage will swap your wheels for 1/4 of that or less. You can even do it yourself with a jack and a proper wheel wrench. 

Obviously need somewhere to store the ones not in use; many places will do this now and for them a wheel or a tyre is the same space so no difference. Mine just go in the shed.

Thanks HC for letting me waffle on this. Feels like winter has really begun. 

 

--

EDIT I can give thumbs up to these 'all seasons' with winter treads:

Maxxis AP2 all seasons (mid range)

Nokian Weatherproof (cream of the crop)

(I'll never, ever recommend any form of budget tyre. Don't cut corners on what keeps you stuck to the road).

 

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by scottish skier

[Northern Strath]

Working north of Inverness and the showers this morn have been like being slapped in the face with a wet, cold sock. 2c here. Brutal wind. Just off the blower to my partner and she says it's got very dark and started snowing up at the house 

[mardatha]

Bright sun. blue sky, temp currently 6C.

[NUT]

7 hours ago, snowidea said:

Yes we were woken at 5.00 by what sounded like a small monsoon. Just a bit windy and grey now. 

Same. Woke me up at about same time. Didn't last long tho but as it was a cold front it's done as it says on the tin. Not a very warm day at all

[mistyqueen]

Wee bit fresh up here last night, but nothing to get excited about. Absolutely Baltic here today, out for a walk this morning. Jack Frost nipping at ears, nose and anywhere else available! That wind would cut ye in three!

[Hairy Celt]

Cold and bright this morning.... inner firth banana belt* effect this morning. Wrong direction for lake effect snow. Ha bloody ha, as if that ever happens in Scotland. The showers were all stolen by the hills today.

* as in, we have a cupboard full of bananas, not quite growing them yet although I might be soon if Brexit....  YES I AM STILL SEETHING.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Hairy Celt

[frogesque]

4 hours ago, mistyqueen said:

Wee bit fresh up here last night, but nothing to get excited about. Absolutely Baltic here today, out for a walk this morning. Jack Frost nipping at ears, nose and anywhere else available! That wind would cut ye in three!

Off to your part of the world on Saturday for a week. Hoping for clear skies with maybe an outside chance of aurora

[Hairy Celt]

6 minutes ago, frogesque said:

Off to your part of the world on Saturday for a week. Hoping for clear skies with maybe an outside chance of aurora

Hope you get something like this...   

I've yet to have Skye fail to please.  Except when there are so many people you can't move, as @mistyqueen will no doubt confirm. Perhaps a week of horizontal rain would be a bit of a bummer too...

[Polar Maritime]

The N/W coast/Islands has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, lived close to Strontion during my childhood and still visit 3/4 times a year. 

Plenty of snow to come for the mountains over the next few weeks at least ☺

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by Polar Maritime

[Northernlights]

Second day this week when the wind  and rain has sliced right through you turning me into a real grumpy old farmer.Dry frosty weather would be much more appreciated as all this mud is not pleasant to work in. Even the cabinet secretary for agriculture in Scotland Mr Ewing is setting up a  farming expert weather group after all this years wet weather has lead to animals housed in late summer, straw tripling in price, and  grass not conserved because fields too wet to travel. All this has happened mostly in more western and northern areas in the summer but autumn weather has been more difficult further east and south as well.

Currently 3c with no sign of a frost because of the breeze.

[Scottish-Irish Skier]

Another frost. Melting away now. Grey / overcast.

Did the gutters yesterday as the trees have pretty much dumped the bulk of their leaves now.

Also tidied up the woodshed ready for a log load soon. General winter prep basically.

As for the weird weather this year; I still have some roses flowering in the garden. 

At least the frosts have finally put the brakes on the lawn.

Edited November 17, 2017 by scottish skier

[Hairy Celt]

4 hours ago, scottish skier said:

Another frost. Melting away now. Grey / overcast.

Did the gutters yesterday as the trees have pretty much dumped the bulk of their leaves now.

Also tidied up the woodshed ready for a log load soon. General winter prep basically.

As for the weird weather this year; I still have some roses flowering in the garden. 

At least the frosts have finally put the brakes on the lawn.

Just checked and we have masterwort, poppies and a cranesbill still flowering happily. (and a couple of weeds I don't know the names of.)  Isn't this a familiar theme though - every year we pretend to be surprised at plants flowering in winter?

Nice and sunny here, although can't see that lasting long seeing as it'll be setting soon. 

[NorthernRab]

I have a calla lily which just produced a really sad looking flower out of the blue.