Snow & Ice coverage in the Northern Hemisphere Winter 2018/19

[summer blizzard]

1 hour ago, Ed Stone said:

In that case, we might even have another correlation to work with: one based on the gradient in the last week of October? The longer the advance is delayed, the steeper its gradient will be (on average) when it does finally get its 'aris in gear?

This is true. Models suggest snow headed south in central and western Russia by months end so a good surge but probably not stellar.

[Katrine Basso]

There have been  steady increases of snow cover in Scandinavia.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Katrine Basso
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[Turnedoutniceagain]

Big sea-ice build up on Siberian coast. Good dumping in Scand' and hopefully, some pixels to come in Scotland/N England soon !!

[Norrance]

Snow on the hills in the Highlands this morning. Here is above Loch Tay in Perthshire.  

 

[Aleman]

The rapid infilling of sea ice at 160E where seas looked cold enough to have ice - but did not on charts - tends to reinforce my suggestion that there could have been significant slush/grease ice/nilas there that satellite models were not picking up.

 

There was a little bit at 120E, too, but all oddly cold bits seem to be have turned into measured ice now, so everything looks back to normal and no likely unmeasured ice left. You might be able to understand what I'm on about better if look at the link below - click anomalies from the paramaters tab, Arctic Ocean from Geographic domain, and press loop. You might notice a similar-looking odd cold bit along the coast of Alaska but there was old ice there that had broken up which satellite images showed but only some charts were still picking up. The ESS at 160E showed no such old ice on either and had been clear for a while after summer melt - but conditions did look overripe for new ice, hence my suspicions there could be some there not being yet picked up.)

http://ocean.dmi.dk/satellite/index.uk.php

 

 

 

[summer blizzard]

A good surge in snowcover including south of 60N.

Eurasian snowcover now above average i believe. 

[Interitus]

4 hours ago, Aleman said:

The rapid infilling of sea ice at 160E where seas looked cold enough to have ice - but did not on charts - tends to reinforce my suggestion that there could have been significant slush/grease ice/nilas there that satellite models were not picking up.

No, because this ice has similar microwave brightness temperature to any other ice but very different from seawater. So while it can be hard to determine optically, it is fairly obvious from passive microwave radiometry.

[summer blizzard]

Fantastic surge south of 60N in Siberia for snow. 

Extent is now around 13 million which means we have a 10m+ gradient increase.

Lowest were 2010 and 2013 so take from that what you will. 

[Aleman]

Interitus - I thought I'd read there were issues with microwave measurement at the melt and freeze margins.  I'll go do some reading. As said previously, I'm approaching this from a sailing angle and learning about the modelling. Thanks.

[Aleman]

I nearly forgot! We had our first snow here. Sloppy wet stuff that tried to settle on colder surfaces. It pulled the temperature down to 1.7C but keeps turning back to rain, though. We're close to sea level so I'd expect plenty of folk in the UK will see snow today at slightly higher altitudes and probably further south than predicted.

Edited October 27, 2018 by Aleman

[blizzard81]

31 minutes ago, summer blizzard said:

Fantastic surge south of 60N in Siberia for snow. 

Extent is now around 13 million which means we have a 10m+ gradient increase.

Lowest were 2010 and 2013 so take from that what you will. 

Thanks for posting this. This year looks very similar to 2009 it must be said. 

[Katrine Basso]

The latest snow and ice chart.

[Despicable Weather]

http://zoz.cbk.waw.pl/snieg/en/

26th October 2018

[Norrance]

Snow inland in the Northern half of Scotland. Just shows as pixels up in the snow cover map if blown up.

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Norrance

[Aleman]

Clean your screen and blow up the image and you'll see one pixel for County durham and the North York Moors.

One lousy pixel for 3 to 6 inches of snow!

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/739012/uk-weather-snow-sleet-durham-north-east-northumbria-yorkshire-darlington-cold-freeze

More seriously, it will probably not have lingered very long so timing might make it reasonable. Looks pretty if you don't have to go out in it, though!

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/snow-falls-and-settles-in-yorkshire-and-arctic-blasts-set-to-bring-more-freezing-weather-1-9416728

Plus decent falls in Spain and Morocco, by the look of it

https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#seaice-snowc-topo

http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2018/10/28/watch-first-snow-of-the-year-in-spains-malaga-as-temperature-drop-continues/

 

 

 

[Aleman]

Radar showing a few showers coming ashore in NE England are starting to turn to sleet and snow on high ground so a few might wake up to a light dusting in the morning.

 

Hail or pellet snow?

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/its-been-snowing-cornwall-today-2154565

https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/28/it-has-so-been-so-cold-it-even-snowed-in-cornwall-8082490/

 

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Aleman

[Katrine Basso]

Some increases in the snow cover.

[Walsall Wood Snow]

4 hours ago, Katrine Basso said:

Some increases in the snow cover.

You can even see a bit of white in the Scottish Highlands now, without having to zoom in even.

[Katrine Basso]

 

Yes, I can see the snow, hopefully when the Scandinavia becomes more widespread, that the snow will spread through the rest of Europe as well as to the UK and Ireland in the next month or so.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Katrine Basso
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[karyo]

2 hours ago, Katrine Basso said:

 

Yes, I can see the snow, hopefully when the Scandinavia becomes more widespread, that the snow will spread through the rest of Europe as well as to the UK and Ireland in the next month or so.

Sadly, I can't see the snow in Scandinavia and western Russia lasting due to the stubborn high pressure over Eastern Europe. It looks like warm southerlies will develop in that area over the coming days and last for quite some time.

[summer blizzard]

Very good expansion on that chart.

[throwoff]

Year on year is bizarre at this moment.

 

2017 seemed much more productive for both ice and snow to this year so far.

 

I am not feeling confident looking at this year, and considering last few years I have been hyped on the ice and snow that probably means we will have blizzards. 

[summer blizzard]

7 hours ago, throwoff said:

Year on year is bizarre at this moment.

 

2017 seemed much more productive for both ice and snow to this year so far.

 

I am not feeling confident looking at this year, and considering last few years I have been hyped on the ice and snow that probably means we will have blizzards. 

2017 had an extra million square kilometers to about now but actually lost some in the final days. It also had a head start of 3 million square kilometers. 

If we simply avoid losing any before months end, then only 2009, 2014 and 2016 will beat us. Our gradient is fantastic though. 

[Katrine Basso]

 

The latest snow chart.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Katrine Basso
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[Interitus]

17 hours ago, summer blizzard said:

Our gradient is fantastic though. 

 

That is what matters - if following the SAI of course (and predominantly <60°N)