Spring 2021: Moans, Groans, Ramps and Banter.

[Andy Bown]

40 minutes ago, Evening thunder said:

I find it slightly interesting how it drops from 15.1C to reach -1.7C, yet it never would drop that far in a cold spell, e.g. after the 8C maxima earlier in the month it would never have dropped by 16.8C to reach -8.8C here, let alone in winter. Maybe ground temps act as a buffer.

The bone dry ground is helping too, both with maxima higher than uppers might suggest and then temperatures falling quickly after sunset right until sunrise. The lowest on a clear night is usually just before sunrise.

[bomdabass]

I love sunshine and heat more than most. Despite lacking much heat April has been pretty good as far as I'm concerned, sunshine way above average, rainfall way below average. Long may it continue. would much rather have this than the odd warm and sunny day, makes planning outdoor activities so much easier. Plus an average of 8hrs of sunshine a day is great for my tomato plants, just means bringing them in every night!

 

[Sunny76]

On 19/04/2021 at 16:52, Bradowl said:

It can stay like this all summer for me, temps 17 to 20'C is nicer than 30'C with conditions like today. 

Clear blue sky with hardly a breath of wind. 

It's nice now, but this temp in the June-august period will be disappointing, and even May it would be disappointing. Too cold to relax on the beach, especially if there's a breeze.

[Fourty Point Three Degrees]

6 hours ago, Weather-history said:

 

 

Well there were 16 days of lying snow at my location, 9 miles to SW of Manchester and I'm almost at sea level, so not sure what 38.7C is on about. It was the "wintriest" winter since 2009-10 according to the winter index and I reckon the period from Christmas to late January 2021 was the snowiest since 2009-10

Feb turned very cold but only after weeks of chasing cold like that. Models since Mid November were always showing cold and snowiest patterns out at Day 10 or beyond.   I recall a few people saying in December "we were on the cusp of something special this Winter".  

[qwertyK]

Wow. We're nearly at the end of April and we still haven't had 20C this month. Had it not been for the warm spell at the end of March we'd still be waiting for our first 20C day. This april feels very cold, especially compared to last year. 

[mb018538]

1 hour ago, qwertyK said:

Wow. We're nearly at the end of April and we still haven't had 20C this month. Had it not been for the warm spell at the end of March we'd still be waiting for our first 20C day. This april feels very cold, especially compared to last year. 

At least it’s been pretty sunny to go with it. If we’d had cool and grey weather all month it would have been truly dire.

[Andy Bown]

I can guarantee you rain if you live in the S/SW. It will be on Saturday 1st May which is the one day we as a family need to be dry! 
 

Every chance we will get to that day with it having not rained (hail/snow showers apart) for just over 5 weeks and GFS has been throwing various suggestions for it to be a wet day!

[markyo]

3 hours ago, 38.7°C said:

Feb turned very cold 

It was normal then!

[Guest]

Ugh gfs 12z, another cold northerly outbreak and this one ruining the early May bank holiday week. It’s really a pattern we need to get out of. 

[Arctic Hare]

47 minutes ago, Alderc said:

Ugh gfs 12z, another cold northerly outbreak and this one ruining the early May bank holiday week. It’s really a pattern we need to get out of. 

I think wet and windy would be worse for the BH this year than northerly mainly dry cold. Bit of a disaster for pubs etc if the weather's too bad to sit outdoors, and I at least would rather sit outside wrapped up against dry cold than in the rain.

Would certainly like to see some warmth again, preferably lasting more than 48 hours. But here in Worcs we're not yet desperate for rain so I think I'd prefer it held off a little longer.

[Azazel]

Most disappointing spring I can remember. Looking at the charts it looks like we are stuck in this pattern forever.

Hasn’t been warm enough for me to sit out in the garden yet and I’m still wearing my parka.

You know the westerlies will return for summer big time with wind and rain. Could be the foulest year imaginable this.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Just now, Azazel said:

Most disappointing spring I can remember. Looking at the charts it looks like we are stuck in this pattern forever.

Hasn’t been warm enough for me to sit out in the garden yet and I’m still wearing my parka.

You know the westerlies will return for summer big time with wind and rain. Could be the foulest year imaginable this.

Agree on westerlies returning as normal around late June, but your location one of best, especially August where Atlantic lows dominate the north west, while S UK is more like Summer

[Azazel]

2 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Agree on westerlies returning as normal around late June, but your location one of best, especially August where Atlantic lows dominate the north west, while S UK is more like Summer

I have to say I moan so much because my favourite time of year is April - early June (basically before the solstice) because once we stop gaining daylight, mentally I get a bit down about it.

I love this time of year because we are still gaining daylight, the evenings are very light now and it’s usually pretty warm - however this year it’s just been non stop cold. It looks like my favourite period is going to be wasted this year right after the toughest year I’ve ever faced mentally. So I’m pretty downbeat about it all. 

[B87]

2 hours ago, Azazel said:

Most disappointing spring I can remember. Looking at the charts it looks like we are stuck in this pattern forever.

Hasn’t been warm enough for me to sit out in the garden yet and I’m still wearing my parka.

You know the westerlies will return for summer big time with wind and rain. Could be the foulest year imaginable this.

I think spring 2013 was worse. At least this year March had average temperatures. In 2013 it was the coldest on record! April was cold and cloudy, and May was also very cold and cloudy!

[ChannelThunder]

15 hours ago, Alderc said:

Ugh gfs 12z, another cold northerly outbreak and this one ruining the early May bank holiday week. It’s really a pattern we need to get out of. 

If only we got as many southerly outbreaks as we do northerly ones. Sod's law that it's the one that leads to nothing-weather that we get probably 5 times more often.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Lance M

[AderynCoch]

It's going to be the coldest April here since at least 1997 and possibly further back. 1938 looks like the most recent April which is definitely unbeatable. The rest of the month is set to remain below average, with a highest temperature of 16C on the 30th (and even that's still in the unreliable term).

To think that it was 25C at the very start of the month. There can't be many Aprils where the 1st has given the highest temperature. April has certainly fooled me this year! 

[summer blizzard]

To be honest the problem for most this month is probably not the weather per se (quite sunny in Leeds), it’s more that the temperature is a month behind. 
 

Not a bad thing personally.

[al78]

23 hours ago, qwertyK said:

Wow. We're nearly at the end of April and we still haven't had 20C this month. Had it not been for the warm spell at the end of March we'd still be waiting for our first 20C day. This april feels very cold, especially compared to last year. 

It has felt cold because it has been cold. Here in W Sussex the first half of the month was little more than a slightly milder version of January or February in terms of temperature. It has warmed up nicely by day over the last week but the ridiculous number of frosts is a nuisance for growing veg on my allotment. I sowed carrot seeds a couple of weeks ago, not one single seedling showed, the repeated near freezing overnight temperatures means the soil is STILL too cold for germination, in southern England in mid spring . An additional challenge is that like last year, the UK has stolen someone elses semi-arid climate and we are trying to find out who it belongs too so we can return it, preferably before I start planting stuff out. The one good thing is the sunshine totals are way up after the miserable damp autumn and winter. Walking on footpaths is wonderful compared to a couple of months ago, the churned up bog-fests are now rock hard.

[TheOgre]

Nice sunny day today. Not a cloud in the sky . Shame it’s not that warm but tomorrow should be a bit warmer.

[Scorcher]

4 hours ago, summer blizzard said:

To be honest the problem for most this month is probably not the weather per se (quite sunny in Leeds), it’s more that the temperature is a month behind. 
 

Not a bad thing personally.

I would have agreed with you earlier in the month but this last week would have been very mild for these parts in March.

The last 10 days have been very good here- not only sunny but generally quite warm in the afternoons after cold starts.

[Wold Topper]

Glorious day here today, t-shirt from 10am onwards, got footings in for new garden wall, nice enough to knock the froth of a couple of cold one's before tea in the local pub beer garden, no complaints....

[Fourty Point Three Degrees]

I'd like to know where this big warm up is coming from that is supposed to be occurring in May? 
I've read so many newspaper articles on it lately yet I can't see any hint of it within the models. Am i missing something? 

[Scorcher]

12 minutes ago, mb018538 said:

Not even sure it really constitutes a proper warm up....just a return to normal from this ridiculous run of cold weather. No signs of anything properly warm in the outlook either.

I find this is a bit puzzling as I sat in the garden in a t-shirt yesterday afternoon.

Maybe we've been blessed here but it hasn't been cold by day for some time now- most days have been close to average and a few above in the last 10 days or so.

I don't think Joe Public will be thinking of this month as a cold month around these parts- it's been exceptionally sunny and with light winds mostly. The nights have been cold but a lot will overlook that because of the sunshine.

[ChannelThunder]

What on earth has happened to the jet stream of late? Something seems off

[DR(S)NO]

25 minutes ago, Scorcher said:

I find this is a bit puzzling as I sat in the garden in a t-shirt yesterday afternoon.

Maybe we've been blessed here but it hasn't been cold by day for some time now- most days have been close to average and a few above in the last 10 days or so.

I don't think Joe Public will be thinking of this month as a cold month around these parts- it's been exceptionally sunny and with light winds mostly. The nights have been cold but a lot will overlook that because of the sunshine.

I wonder if it’s down to the source of the air? For me, although it’s been a lovely month, the air has been cold and therefore out the sun has been bloomin chilly! A nice, usable month though Scorcher.