Scotland/Alba Regional Weather Discussion - 16/01/2018 Onwards

[BurntFishTrousers]

Hope the Transport minister got his act together. Just sayin' 

[Spindrift2017]

19 minutes ago, Rickoza said:

That bottom amber line falls about 10 miles south of here, just hoping it's an exact science on that one!

I’ve just had a look at that!  I don’t think it’s even as much as 10 miles south, Larkhall barely squeezes in.  

I’ve stocked up on extra food, equipped the car with snow shovel and extra clothes/food and filled up with petrol (not that I’ll be going anywhere if the forecast comes to fruition), so it’ll either end up being about 2cm or it’ll be a total whiteout.

[Serac]

I’m going to try and buy a house in “Locally”. It is always mentioned in the met office warnings and always gets the highest forecast amounts

[Cheggers]

8 minutes ago, BurntFishTrousers said:

Hope the Transport minister got his act together. Just sayin' 

Thinking he is in for it ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43142839

Edited February 26, 2018 by Cheggers

[Sunny Leith]

1 minute ago, BurntFishTrousers said:

Hope the Transport minister got his act together. Just sayin' 

Aye, Humza better be ready. Anyway, he's much more of an action figure than Stewart Stevenson was in 2010. I remember him being interviewed on BBC Scotland News late at night on the day when folk were stranded on the M8. Political suicide for a transport minister to be sat in a warm TV studio saying everything was being taken care of, and his resignation was inevitable. Humza wouldn't repeat that kind of gaffe, he'd be out there in the snowplough drivers cabin with thermos flasks of soup 

[mountain shadow]

7 minutes ago, Cheggers said:

Thinking he is in for it ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43142839

The ultimate problem is that Scotrail is run by a private company and not the Scottish government.

The train operator should be getting the blame.

[edo]

I actually laughed out loud at the latest amber update, have never seen them be so bullish.......cut off for days is surprising even if the usual caveats are in the statement.  I think it is the wind factor that is increasing the warning language as drifting could cause chaos.....I cant remember the last proper blizzard here....even in 2010 none of the falls were proper blizzards.

[Sawel]

Just now, edo said:

I actually laughed out loud at the latest amber update, have never seen them be so bullish.......cut off for days is surprising even if the usual caveats are in the statement.  I think it is the wind factor that is increasing the warning language as drifting could cause chaos.....I cant remember the last proper blizzard here....even in 2010 none of the falls were proper blizzards.

"Blizzard" - perhaps the most common overused description from someone when it snows. Most people have no idea what a real blizzard actually is like. A bit of wind and heavy snow is not a blizzard! However, some of us may see proper blizzard conditions over the coming week!

[Sunny Leith]

Joking aside, there's a reasonable chance that individually or collectively the Scottish Govt, the Police, local authorities/gritters, the MetOffice etc will all get "blamed" if there's any repeat of the 2010 M8 gridlock. But hee-haw they can do if the forces of nature overwhelm that road with multiple inches of snow per hour in whiteout conditions. Fundamental problem is of course that folk will travel when they shouldn't, can't adapt to the conditions, and won't even have a Mars Bar in the glove compartment. Fingers crossed we do avoid that scenario as my wife commutes to North Lanarkshire every day (NHS) and in 2010 it took 3 separate failed attempts to get from Edinburgh to her work during the M8 crisis, and days before she could even retrieve the car.

[Big Innes Madori]

31 minutes ago, Serac said:

I’m going to try and buy a house in “Locally”. It is always mentioned in the met office warnings and always gets the highest forecast amounts

They must huv a speech impediment, they meant Lochgelly where Blitzy lives

 

Big Innes

Edited February 26, 2018 by Big Innes Madori

[blitzen]

4 minutes ago, Big Innes Madori said:

Must huv a speech impediment, they meant Lochgelly where Blitzy lives

 

Big Innes

Oh God!, will he be disappointed!

[howham]

How's that Polar Bear/Polar Low/Big pile of snow getting on crossing the North Sea?

[Scottish-Irish Skier]

13 minutes ago, Paul Martin said:

Joking aside, there's a reasonable chance that individually or collectively the Scottish Govt, the Police, local authorities/gritters, the MetOffice etc will all get "blamed" if there's any repeat of the 2010 M8 gridlock. But hee-haw they can do if the forces of nature overwhelm that road with multiple inches of snow per hour in whiteout conditions. Fundamental problem is of course that folk will travel when they shouldn't, can't adapt to the conditions, and won't even have a Mars Bar in the glove compartment. Fingers crossed we do avoid that scenario as my wife commutes to North Lanarkshire every day (NHS) and in 2010 it took 3 separate failed attempts to get from Edinburgh to her work during the M8 crisis, and days before she could even retrieve the car.

I've already given instructions to the team to set up what they can today in the lab, take laptops home etc. We'll just play it by ear from there.

There's just no point in travelling into work unless you really need to in such conditions.

Best leave the roads and what public transport is struggling through to those that really need to get where they are going.

[Cannonfoda]

1 hour ago, Seraphim said:

Wee question folks.  If you stay in a town on the south banks of the Forth but elevated up a hill, is that good positioning for a Forth streamer? Bo'ness can be a bit of a hit or a mis when it's coming from the West (big shout out to the Grangemouth snow shield ?) We were absolutely buried in 2010 and I am wondering if that was the cause.

 

 

I remember sledging down Carriden Brae in 2010 - It was fun.  Need to look out the photos and post on here (or even better take new ones - hopefully).  Kids are meant to be heading from the local school (the grange) to the riverside museum in Glasgow tomorrow - what's the chances of that happening?

[NorthernRab]

14 minutes ago, howham said:

How's that Polar Bear/Polar Low/Big pile of snow getting on crossing the North Sea?

Currently just west of Stavanger - will be a few hours yet until we get an idea of how it's going to pan out. 

[Polar Gael]

10 minutes ago, scottish skier said:

I've already given instructions to the team to set up what they can today in the lab, take laptops home etc. We'll just play it by ear from there.

There's just no point in travelling into work unless you really need to in such conditions.

Best leave the roads and what public transport is struggling through to those that really need to get where they are going.

Spot on. This spell has been well forecast in advance - and it's going to be potent. Folk need to take some personal responsibility if the conditions get as bad as are forecast and only travel if it is strictly necessary - i.e. an emergency - and they're well prepared. 

[Norrance]

9 minutes ago, NorthernRab said:

Currently just west of Stavanger - will be a few hours yet until we get an idea of how it's going to pan out. 

Looking like it's got its sights on N E England. Not set in stone though and plenty more to come.

[mistyqueen]

4 hours ago, Hawesy said:

Decided just to bite the bullet and get it out there.....here are your snowfall totals through until the end of Wednesday only. Again apologies to newer or returning members not on the list, nothing personal, these are just the folk/locations I’m most familiar with. Particularly nervous about the Moray Firth and hope I have badly underestimated. All just for fun, of course and good luck, I hope we all see plentiful snow! 

@aggy Trace/dusting (sorry pal, heart says yes, head says no)

@edo 18cm

@Stormeh 15cm

@Ravelin 22cm

@Blitzen 22cm

@Norrance 20cm

@Ruzzi 25cm

@snowidea 17cm

@101_North 20cm

@CatchMyDrift 23cm

@Hairy Celt 3cm (very nervous about this, hope I’m way out)

@scottish skier 26cm

@GraemeB 13cm

@moffatross 10cm

@snowy owl 16cm

@mardatha 30cm

@mistyqueen None (sorry, compadre)

@grifter 10cm

@Northernlights 5cm (as with HC, may be way out)

@Northern Strath 25cm

@NorthernRab 6cm (again, hope I’m wrong in the right way)

@Benvironment 32cm (good luck measuring it)

@Polar Gael 15cm

@shuggee 25cm

@Cheggers 24cm

@NUT 22cm

@Kayemill 6cm

@Big Innes Madori 25cm

@DR(S)NO 2 cm

@ghoneym 15cm

@Mr Frost 5-20cm (not exactly sure where you live mate, so hedging my bets!)

@ciel 20cm

@howham 17cm

@igloo 7cm

@Spindrift2017 14cm

@Mandy Langlands 10cm

@Paul Martin 14cm

@LomondSnowstorm (Freuchie) 20cm

and

@Hawesy (after careful consideration)....8cm

 

Yep, I knew that already, so don't apologise! Hope everyone else gets snawed in and cannae get tae work! ❄❄⛄⛄

Edited February 26, 2018 by mistyqueen

[Norrance]

44 minutes ago, Sawel said:

"Blizzard" - perhaps the most common overused description from someone when it snows. Most people have no idea what a real blizzard actually is like. A bit of wind and heavy snow is not a blizzard! However, some of us may see proper blizzard conditions over the coming week!

Yes often misused. Sustained winds of 35mph+ with heavy and blowing snow for three hours at least is the definition I have heard. Also visibility has to be under under a quarter of a mile.

[Sawel]

1 minute ago, Norrance said:

Yes often misused. Sustained winds of 35mph+ with heavy and blowing snow for three hours at least is the definition I have heard. Also visibility has to be under under a quarter of a mile.

I'm off work this week (self-employed) due to the severity of the weather forecast as I work outside. I haven't experienced a proper easterly blast up here in the extreme NW of Dundee. I wasn't living here during 2010 - I lived closer to town. I'm looking forward to see how many cms I can get.

[Hawesy]

9 minutes ago, Sawel said:

I'm off work this week (self-employed) due to the severity of the weather forecast as I work outside. I haven't experienced a proper easterly blast up here in the extreme NW of Dundee. I wasn't living here during 2010 - I lived closer to town. I'm looking forward to see how many cms I can get.

I think you would be good for a few extra cms on top of @Norrance.....let’s call it 23! 

[Sawel]

1 minute ago, Hawesy said:

I think you would be good for a few extra cms on top of @Norrance.....let’s call it 23! 

I'd gladly settle for that come the end of Wednesday!

Thursday and Friday both looking interesting too.

[Hawesy]

30 minutes ago, Polar Gael said:

Spot on. This spell has been well forecast in advance - and it's going to be potent. Folk need to take some personal responsibility if the conditions get as bad as are forecast and only travel if it is strictly necessary - i.e. an emergency - and they're well prepared. 

What and forego that urgent flatpack wardrobe from IKEA? What world are you living in? 

[Hawesy]

Temperature has been hovering around 3c here most of the day, with ~523 dam and -10c 850s in an easterly breeze. If things weren’t due to get notably colder I wouldn’t expect any significant accumulation from showers here at the coast. I only say this as a reference point for future, less severe easterlies....nothing like thinking ahead. 

As it is I think even I could see snow accumulating from tomorrow morning sometime (provided we get the precipitation, of course) as the cold digs in and thicknesses go down to around 515dam with -12c 850s.

From there it’s a steady decline to an incredible 502dam and -16c 850s on Wednesday afternoon (all figures given are for Leuchars). GFS has been remarkably consistent with these numbers over the last several runs! 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Hawesy

[mardatha]

So is this still on course and as bad as we thought? Or has it suddenly veered off into outer space or something? I don't want to get excited for nothing...