Coldest minima winter 2020-2021 season

[moffat]

Does altnaharra  hold the record    for the lowest temp or was it braemar ?

[damianslaw]

24 minutes ago, summer blizzard said:

Also the coldest for 9 years.

Very good going. 

[Relativistic]

50 minutes ago, moffat said:

Does altnaharra  hold the record    for the lowest temp or was it braemar ?

Both hold it. Braemar recorded -27.2C on both the 11th February 1895 and the 10th January 1982. Altnaharra recorded -27.2C on the 30th December 1995.

[Norrance]

52 minutes ago, moffat said:

Does altnaharra  hold the record    for the lowest temp or was it braemar ?

Equal. -27.2 at Altnaharra in December 1995 and at Braemar in January 1982 and also much earlier at a date I cannot remember. 

[moffat]

Ok Thanks for that .  That is quite remarkable can't ever see that temp being eclipsed again.

[damianslaw]

Oh dear this thread is dead it seems... any reports of low minima tonight, where is currently coldest.

BBC suggesting tomorrow night will be the coldest of the season so far, widespread lows of -8 degrees even in London which would make it the coldest temp recorded since 2010

Let's keep this thread alive, recent winters have been woeful on the low temp front!

[Norrance]

Ref that report on the local news of -18C last night. Just saw the same report and it was a transport Scotland person reporting on windchill. Sorry? Altnaharra was not that far away though and perhaps tomorrow night somewhere may get down to the magic -20! Currently -11C at Altnaharrah.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Norrance

[damianslaw]

35 minutes ago, Norrance said:

Ref that report on the local news of -18C last night. Just saw the same report and it was a transport Scotland person reporting on windchill. Sorry? Altnaharra was not that far away though and perhaps tomorrow night somewhere may get down to the magic -20! Currently -11C at Altnaharrah.

Thanks for posting - keeping the thread alive! I think Altnaharra may see same temp as this morning, yes Thursday morning is the cold one!

Edited February 9, 2021 by damianslaw

[Relativistic]

Was -15.8C in Altnaharra at 3am, and clear skies are set to persist. Could be a very cold one.

[damianslaw]

Altnaharra a world in itself, no where coming close to it. Any explanation why it can achieve such low temps compared to other spots. I suspect reason now is due to light winds and lack of cloud cover compared to likes of Braemar and Aboyne. 

[summer blizzard]

Why are they not counting 2012.

[Mr Frost]

27 minutes ago, summer blizzard said:

Why are they not counting 2012.

The official (Met Office) lowest temperature of Winter 2011/12 was -15.6C at Holbeach, Lincolnshire on 11/02/2012.

 

Met Office tweet from December 2012:

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Mr Frost

[matty40s]

10 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Altnaharra a world in itself, no where coming close to it. Any explanation why it can achieve such low temps compared to other spots.

The hamlet lies in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, snow cover once complete, clear skies, and little or no wind allow a cold sink to form. Cold air is denser than warm, so the cold descends from the hills and the valley just gets colder and colder over the snow fields as the days progress.

[Spindrift2017]

10 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Altnaharra a world in itself, no where coming close to it. Any explanation why it can achieve such low temps compared to other spots. I suspect reason now is due to light winds and lack of cloud cover compared to likes of Braemar and Aboyne. 

I think there’s quite a detailed explanation of the topographical reasons why it can record temperatures several degrees lower than places just a few miles away in this article (or possibly another one). Basically due to being in a frost hollow, but a bit more complicated than that, IIRC. Unfortunately, you can only access the article if you have access or a subscription, but maybe someone on here has.

 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997.tb06294.x

 

 

[jacobdavies]

Already -17C at Kinbrace, -16C at a couple of sites in the eastern Highlands. 

https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap

Deep snow, light winds and clear skies, with cold pools built up over several days, mean perfect conditions for extreme minima tonight across the north and east Highlands. However, uppers are already getting milder from the north, so the glens of the eastern Highlands may benefit from a higher rate of cooling than Sutherland.

Altnaharra paper attached.

Altnaharra min temp.pdf

[hillbilly]

9 hours ago, Mr Frost said:

Keep an eye on Braemar tonight into Thursday morning! Big chance of -20C or below! 

Between 1977 and 1987 inclusive only 1983 failed to make -17 deg.Six of those winters recorded colder than -22 deg!

[damianslaw]

Good to see a few posts in here tonight, would be good if people could post there observations. Kinbrace already giving yesterday's figure a run for it's money.

Will read the article above soon.

What is the current min for England so far this season, chance will break it in the early hours?

[Relativistic]

At 8pm, Altnaharra was at -15.2C, while Loch Glascarnoch was -13.4C. The coldest outside of Scotland was Shap at -9C.

[Nick L]

Currently -17.2C at Kinbrace. Would be very disappointed if we don't manage -20C up there tonight.

For reference, 0F is -17.8C.

[Eskimo]

1 minute ago, Nick L said:

Currently -17.2C at Kinbrace. Would be very disappointed if we don't manage -20C up there tonight.

For reference, 0F is -17.8C.

Do you have the website that shows this, please?

[Nick L]

28 minutes ago, Eskimo said:

Do you have the website that shows this, please?

Our website, www.weatherobs.com draws in the synop data across the world.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Nick L

[ML1996]

On the Weathercloud observations map there is a -18.3°C in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire. 

I'm currently at a much less impressive -3.0°C, with -5.5°C to beat.

 

[damianslaw]

1 hour ago, Relativistic said:

At 8pm, Altnaharra was at -15.2C, while Loch Glascarnoch was -13.4C. The coldest outside of Scotland was Shap at -9C.

Good old Shap my nearest main weather station but a world away from current temp here -2 degrees! I think our cold weather payments are based on temps in Shap, when I put in my postcode anyway.. must be lots of payments made here then!

Edited February 10, 2021 by damianslaw

[damianslaw]

3 hours ago, Spindrift2017 said:

I think there’s quite a detailed explanation of the topographical reasons why it can record temperatures several degrees lower than places just a few miles away in this article (or possibly another one). Basically due to being in a frost hollow, but a bit more complicated than that, IIRC. Unfortunately, you can only access the article if you have access or a subscription, but maybe someone on here has.

 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997.tb06294.x

 

 

Thanks for the paper reference, yes appears local topography is a key factor. Makes sense based in a low point in a valley with a large catchment from high ground, cold air pools in the spot where the hamlet is located and has no where to escape it seems. Same reason Braemar recorded equal record low, in a bowl, but it is much higher.

[Relativistic]

According to wunderground Kinbrace has hit the -20C mark:

Kinbrace, United Kingdom Weather Conditions | Weather Underground

WWW.WUNDERGROUND.COM

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Kinbrace Weather Forecasts. Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weatherreports, maps & tropical weather conditions for the Kinbrace area.