UK first ground and air frost watch season 2018-2019

[damianslaw]

I've started this thread a bit earlier than usual, namely due to the forecasted chilly nights expected Friday and Saturday with an outside chance of ground frosts in frost prone spots, who knows Highland location could get down to 0 degrees Sat eve, especially if the ridge builds in sufficiently later on under what will be very cool uppers and light winds.

Please use this thread to predict first ground and air frosts of the season - and record your first ground and air frost.

Ground frosts before late September are an exception for many away from sheltered northern valleys and glens. Here we tend to record our first ground frost by last week of September, and out first air frost by middle of October. Some years we have had to wait longer, others earlier. In 2012we got down to -3 degrees on the 23 Sept or thereabouts. Some years we have had to wait until November for our first air frost , 2006 springs to mind.

I'll keep resurrecting this thread whenever the threat of frost is forecast - it often gets lost as we move further through Autumn, but I will certainly keep it alive..

[hillbilly]

I believe there are only a dozen or so days in the year that have never recorded an airfrost but I cannot just place where I saw it ?

[Aleman]

It's conceivable that you've already missed the first UK frost. Aboyne weather station recorded 0.5C on August 8th. My sister lives up that way and said it was a very chilly start and she does not get up early! It's likely there would be iced cars and someone nearby might have seen 0C.

https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=03080&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2018&mes=08&day=09&hora=09

 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Aleman

[damianslaw]

11 hours ago, Aleman said:

It's conceivable that you've already missed the first UK frost. Aboyne weather station recorded 0.5C on August 8th. My sister lives up that way and said it was a very chilly start and she does not get up early! It's likely there would be iced cars and someone nearby might have seen 0C.

https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=03080&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2018&mes=08&day=09&hora=09

 

Yes - I recall noting some very low minimum temperatures early in the month, not unusual mind, I think even August 1976 delivered a min of 0 degrees somewhere..

I tend to use mid August as the cut off period for when the old season ends and the new one starts, namely because it marks the end of the period of year when we tend to record highest average yearly maxims (first week of August).

Anyhow, will be keeping an eye on mins overnight tomorrow and into Saturday as it now looks like it will be Saturday morning most likely a low close to 0 degrees in the Highlands will be recorded. Sunday morning looks much cloudier and wetter than forecast a couple of days back.

 

[SMU]

My home & dry app saying 2c at 10pm in isolated spots of scotland

[Nick L]

10 hours ago, Steve Murr said:

My home & dry app saying 2c at 10pm in isolated spots of scotland

Cairngorm Summit that one, got down to 1.2c last night.

[Aleman]

And still only showing rounded 1C at lunchtime. Will it manage 0C later?

https://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/weather-webcams/mountain-report/

https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=03065&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2018&mes=08&day=24&hora=12

 

I bet it was bracing up there at that temperature -  1C+ and 40mph gusting to 54mph! Welcome back British summer!

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by Aleman

[Norrance]

On 21/08/2018 at 22:17, hillbilly said:

I believe there are only a dozen or so days in the year that have never recorded an airfrost but I cannot just place where I saw it ?

I think that Torro has daily extremes for the UK. It may be only Winter lows and Summer highs though?

[NorthYorksWeather]

Few spots down to 3c this morning across North Yorkshire, coldest looks to be Kielder Forest, Northumberland at 2.1c.

Worth noting an amateur weather station in Carrbridge fell to -0.1c on the 11th August this year.

Potentially some cold nights next week to look out for too. :)

[hillbilly]

5 hours ago, Norrance said:

I think that Torro has daily extremes for the UK. It may be only Winter lows and Summer highs though?

For some strange reason it lists all 365 day highs but only October to May mins?

[Norrance]

1 hour ago, hillbilly said:

For some strange reason it lists all 365 day highs but only October to May mins?

I have seen the Summer mins somewhere but can’t recall where. Will have another look later.

Edited August 25, 2018 by Norrance

[damianslaw]

So 2.1 degrees lowest temp England and Wales this season so far in Kielder, this official, anything lower? Enough I imagine to bring a slight ground frost.

[NorthYorksWeather]

2 hours ago, damianslaw said:

So 2.1 degrees lowest temp England and Wales this season so far in Kielder, this official, anything lower? Enough I imagine to bring a slight ground frost.

Coldest I can find in England & Wales this August is Redesdale Camp, Northumberland, 1.5c on 11th August.

 

 

 

[Snowyowl9]

First ground frost last year here was 0.5c October 30th long wait.

First air frost November 13th at -0.6c. 

[Harry233]

Recorded my coldest August minimum on the 25th where it dropped to 4.3.C not cold enough for a frost but coldest night since I began recording in 1994, 1986 and 1993 probably recorded something lower however.

[damianslaw]

On 26/08/2018 at 14:16, vizzy2004 said:

Coldest I can find in England & Wales this August is Redesdale Camp, Northumberland, 1.5c on 11th August.

 

 

 

Thanks - it certainly went under the radar that one...

[NorthYorksWeather]

http://meophamweather.co.uk/Cold-Summer-Overnight-Minimum-Temperatures-2010-to-Date/

Data kindly gathered for summer minimums by official and amateur weather stations by @MeophamWeather

[NorthYorksWeather]

Quite a few spots dropped to 2c this morning in North Yorkshire, so very likely the first ground frost for this season in my area.

Coldest in Scotland:

Amateur: Corlae (Dumfries & Galloway) 0.3c

Met Office: Eskdalemuir 1.1c

Coldest in England:

Amateur: Malmesbury (Wiltshire) 1.6c

Shap (Cumbria): 1.6c

Coldest In Wales:

Amateur: Rhayader (Powys) 2.0c

Met Office: Sennybridge 2.2c

Looks like same again tonight

 

[NorthYorksWeather]

Just had a late entry, Met Office station St Harmon in Wales smashed everyone out the park with -0.2c minimum this morning.

[damianslaw]

Gosh St Harmon - never heard of the place before. A notable low for August.

Tonight could deliver another temp below freezing somewhere.. but I think less chance overall.

 

 

[NorthYorksWeather]

Yes I only recently found out about St Harmon. I believe it joint holds the July minimum record of -2.5c set back in 1986.

Already a few stations at 6c in the North York Moors this evening.

[Aleman]

-0.3C at Altnaharra (Alt. 81m) last night:

https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=03044&lang=en&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2018&mes=08&day=31&hora=08

 

[Norrance]

Braemar had -1.2C.

[NorthYorksWeather]

Yesterday saw an incredibly early widespread ground frost for rural parts of eastern North Yorkshire.

2 stations hit 0c in the North York Moors with the coldest being 0.1c at Goathland, with many others seeing 1 or 2c.

I had a low of 3.4c, my coldest ever August temp but unfortunately no ground frost but its usually another 4/5 weeks till I see my first anyway.

Countrywide it looks like there were 10 stations that recorded an air frost (meto & amateur), good old St Harmon in there again with -0.2c.

[damianslaw]

How high is St Harmon - looks like it could be quite high in a frost hollow with hills on west and east slope.