Winter 2021-22 Chat, Moans and ramps thread

[stainesbloke]

Snowing quite heavily here this morning, with a covering of a few cm’s. Second snowfall in the space of a week 

[AderynCoch]

On 08/12/2021 at 22:51, stainesbloke said:

Warnings of a ‘calamitous snow situation’ here in the Czech Republic too tomorrow, up to 25cms expected in some areas with warnings of problems to transport and energy supplies. Quite an exciting start to winter here, though it’s been very cloudy much of the time.

Yeah, I've noticed words like "kalamita" and "katastrófa" get thrown around quite casually when it comes to heavy snowfalls in Slovakia, though their usage doesn't always correspond exactly with their English counterparts.

Could be a memorable event this. I've just seen one article saying this could be Bratislava's biggest snowfall since 2013 (uvidíme!). Currently got about 5cm lying.

[stainesbloke]

15 minutes ago, AderynCoch said:

Yeah, I've noticed words like "kalamita" and "katastrófa" get thrown around quite casually when it comes to heavy snowfalls in Slovakia, though their usage doesn't always correspond exactly with their English counterparts.

Could be a memorable event this. I've just seen one article saying this could be Bratislava's biggest snowfall since 2013 (uvidíme!). Currently got about 5cm lying.

Think there’s about 5cm here currently, certainly no calamity but it’s looking very pretty. Think E Czech Republic and Slovakia will get more snow than here. 25cm in the UK certainly would be a katastrofa, though! 

[Premiere Neige]

11 hours ago, Freeze said:

I rub my own nose in it by scolling through all the snowy photos from the northern threads.

A glutton for punishment?

[Sceptical]

58 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Think there’s about 5cm here currently, certainly no calamity but it’s looking very pretty. Think E Czech Republic and Slovakia will get more snow than here. 25cm in the UK certainly would be a katastrofa, though! 

Back in the 70s and 80s, Aberdeen used to get 30cm of snow overnight. 25cm might have the south of England calling out in army, but not in Scotland.

Photo is from my area back in the 80s when we used to get proper winters.

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Sceptical

[The real Lomond snowstorm]

No snow for me so far though a few of the hills around Loch Lomond have a covering higher up.

The most I have had is what looks like an overnight sleet shower that was still showing on the car but gone on the ground.

Regarding Supercell's Highland trip I've spent a few weeks in Strathcarron on holiday over the years and have done some winter navigation and built a snow hole on the plateau above Bealach na Ba and the snow has been piled up  7 or 8 feet  either side of the road. I believe at one time they kept a snow blower down in Applecross to keep the road. open. The same trip I did a winter traverse of Liathach which was exciting, crossing the pinnacles in full blown winter conditions.

The Cairngorms are not nearly as technically exciting but having experienced blizzards on the high plateaus there they are a wild place at times. You basically get the "Beast from the East" much of the winter up on the tops and occasionally it takes it to a whole different level. Trying to function at only 60mph winds when it is -5C and driving snow and ice  is battering you , is very difficult, and I can only imagine what it must be like when it is gusting 100mph + .

[stainesbloke]

19 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

Back in the 70s and 80s, Aberdeen used to get 30cm of snow overnight. 25cm might have the south of England calling out in army, but not in Scotland.

Photo is from my area back in the 80s when we used to get proper winters.

 

 

We were always a bit soft, down south! Not so in Scotland, obviously. But I remember snowy scenes like you posted from the 80’s in London. Doesn’t happen much anymore. 
Snowing heavily again here, bit on the wet side though. Village pond is frozen now. 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

1 hour ago, stainesbloke said:

We were always a bit soft, down south! Not so in Scotland, obviously. But I remember snowy scenes like you posted from the 80’s in London. Doesn’t happen much anymore. 
Snowing heavily again here, bit on the wet side though. Village pond is frozen now. 

Lovely pictures! 

[damianslaw]

March on average snowier than December and on numerous occasions colder. I always take any snow pre Christmas as a bonus. Most likely time for snow mid Jan to early March on average.

Sustained cold in December is hard to come by margins for it being pushed aside far higher than Jan to April.

Edited December 9, 2021 by damianslaw

[Sunny76]

5 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Lovely pictures! 

January 1987 was very cold across most of the UK, and the London region was hit quite badly. I remember being off school for 2-3 days, because the pipes at my school were frozen. The daytime maxes during that time were probably as low as minus 4 to minus 7. The wind chill was brutal.

This was off the back of a relatively mild autumn, an d mild early December of 1986, but the summer prior was cold. 

The 2009 and 2010 spells also gave a decent covering to the London area, so you don't have to go back to the 80s for regular snow.

Even 2018 was decent. But, like you say, the periods without snowfall have become longer. I do however, remember some years during the 80s where there was no snow at all, even before 1987/88.

[Sunny76]

18 hours ago, MP-R said:

If it were coming with sunshine I might actually be slightly excited... alas it’ll be dull and probably drizzly. In fact, if it’s properly wet then it may even be a tall order getting that high anyway.

Cant think of many mild or warm and sunny days in December or January over the years. Christmas Day 2002 is one (here at least) and I seem to remember a springlike weekend in January 1998 following the early stormy period, but other than that...

Christmas Day 1987 in London was like that. 

[stainesbloke]

12 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

January 1987 was very cold across most of the UK, and the London region was hit quite badly. I remember being off school for 2-3 days, because the pipes at my school were frozen. The daytime maxes during that time were probably as low as minus 4 to minus 7. The wind chill was brutal.

This was off the back of a relatively mild autumn, an d mild early December of 1986, but the summer prior was cold. 

The 2009 and 2010 spells also gave a decent covering to the London area, so you don't have to go back to the 80s for regular snow.

Even 2018 was decent. But, like you say, the periods without snowfall have become longer. I do however, remember some years during the 80s where there was no snow at all, even before 1987/88.

There have been some decent wintry episodes in the last couple of decades, though fewer and further between. The 80’s had a few epic snow and cold spells but some of the winters were virtually snow-less and mild, too. 
I spent a couple of hours on YouTube today, watching the Story of Top of the Pops 1983, 84 and 85. Fabulous, took me right back  

[Sunny76]

20 hours ago, Freeze said:

I rub my own nose in it by scolling through all the snowy photos from the northern threads.

And we had such a poor summer. This year has been crapola.

[Sunny76]

10 hours ago, MattStoke said:

Yeah. That’s another reason I can’t stand this weather. Temperatures close to or even below freezing but with light winds, brightness and even snow cover feels more pleasant than wind and rain with temperatures far higher. It’s horrible being outside in these conditions, and I do a lot of outdoor activities (running, hiking, walking to and from work). Wind and rain makes those outdoor activities that I normally enjoy feel like a chore. Also, the high humidity accompanying mild winter conditions means I end up sweaty, but I can’t take my coat off or I’ll get soaked by the rain and end up freezing. 

It’s amazing how such conditions can be so boring and yet so annoying.

I'll be moving with my partner to latvia in the next 5 years. They have better summers also. I'm fed up with the years of rubbish weather in this country. Since 2019, I've not experienced a decent thunderstorm, and snow has been marginal. Summer heat has been disappointing also, give or take a couple of very hot weeks, but that does make for a classic decent summer. 

2018 was the last half decent year in my region. 2020 had the nice long dry sunny spring. Since then its been a chore living on this island of damp and tediously cloudy nothingness.

[Sunny76]

7 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

There have been some decent wintry episodes in the last couple of decades, though fewer and further between. The 80’s had a few epic snow and cold spells but some of the winters were virtually snow-less and mild, too. 
I spent a couple of hours on YouTube today, watching the Story of Top of the Pops 1983, 84 and 85. Fabulous, took me right back  

82/83 and 83/84 were mild affairs in the london area I think. 80/81 was another let down, plus 79/80 ended on a very mild note. February 80 was quite mild at times and dull.

I like those TOTP reruns, but lost interest once they move past 1987. Something about the pop charts starting to go downhill, but this was evident in early 1985, after the Band Aid song. 1979-84 is my favourite era.

[stainesbloke]

6 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

82/83 and 83/84 were mild affairs in the london area I think. 80/81 was another let down, plus 79/80 ended on a very mild note. February 80 was quite mild at times and dull.

I like those TOTP reruns, but lost interest once they move past 1987. Something about the pop charts starting to go downhill, but this was evident in early 1985, after the Band Aid song. 1979-84 is my favourite era.

Yes, early 80’s was fantastic. So many good bands. Plenty in the late 80’s too, but TOTP’s was starting to downhill 

[Wimbledon88]

On 09/12/2021 at 17:15, Sunny76 said:

January 1987 was very cold across most of the UK, and the London region was hit quite badly. I remember being off school for 2-3 days, because the pipes at my school were frozen. The daytime maxes during that time were probably as low as minus 4 to minus 7. The wind chill was brutal.

This was off the back of a relatively mild autumn, an d mild early December of 1986, but the summer prior was cold. 

The 2009 and 2010 spells also gave a decent covering to the London area, so you don't have to go back to the 80s for regular snow.

Even 2018 was decent. But, like you say, the periods without snowfall have become longer. I do however, remember some years during the 80s where there was no snow at all, even before 1987/88.

Folk often forget January 2013 in London for snow. Friday to Tuesday I think. Good fall. Mid month. Can't remember the date. Older folk say and met records back it up, the 70s were virtually snowless in London and southeast so a run of snowless years not unusual in these parts. 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

1 hour ago, Sunny76 said:

And we had such a poor summer. This year has been crapola.

Spring this year was poor too and really struggled to get going.

2021 overall has been a bit of a topsy turvy year for weather and seasons. 

[Sunny76]

1 minute ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Spring this year was poor too and really struggled to get going.

2021 overall has been a bit of a topsy turvy year for weather and seasons. 

A sign of a cooling phase for our shores I feel, and can’t see much improvement for 2022. 
 

2023 might be the next shift to a hot summer and very mild winter period. 

[Sunny76]

40 minutes ago, Wimbledon88 said:

Folk often forget January 2013 in London for snow. Friday to Tuesday I think. Good fall. Mid month. Can't remember the date. Older folk say and met records back it up, the 70s were virtually snowless in London and southeast so a run of snowless years not unusual in these parts. 

Yes 2013 was very cold, at least during the first half. Even up to June, it was still cold in the south. Then we had the switch to hot in July of that year.

This was the tail end of that golden period of colder winters, between 2008/09, until 2012/13, but the summers back then were mostly poor.

My uncle said after Christmas 1970, there was no more snow in the south until 1977/78, or somewhere around that period. 71-76 was very mild and this included some very poor summer years of cloud and damp periods. Horrid!

 

[Summer8906]

Surprisingly calm couple of days here in the wake of the storm.

Was expecting it to be pretty windy through the end of Wednesday, but following an hour of dramatic rain and wind between 2-3pm on Tuesday afternoon it turned mostly benign and bright through much of Wednesday. There was sign of convective activity but far, far out in the channel, further than normal in these sort of situations.

Since then there have been two bands of rain, one last night and one ongoing but still pretty calm.

[IceDaysAndBalticNights]

11 hours ago, Sceptical said:

25cm might have the south of England calling out in army, but not in Scotland.

 

 

More like 5cms these days

[Summer8906]

3 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

82/83 and 83/84 were mild affairs in the london area I think. 80/81 was another let down, plus 79/80 ended on a very mild note. February 80 was quite mild at times and dull.

Where I was in northwestern Sussex, there was at least one lying snow event each winter from 1980/81 through to 1986/87, with the exception of 1983/84, which was mild in Dec, fairly mild and very wet in Jan, colder but snowless (anticyclonic/frosty) in Feb.

Most of these are famous of course, but for the not-so-famous ones we had:

1980/81 - Sunday 22nd February, quite heavy lying snow in the morning. Thawed by afternoon though. February 1981 was mostly dry, cold, sunny and frosty - though not spectacularly cold, if I remember right. So a brief affair, but at least we had one lying snow event. (!)

1982/83 - mostly very mild, yes, but February wasn't. Quite a prolonged cold spell, according to Monthly Weather Report lasted until the 24th. Can't remember the exact day but it was a weekday when there was a heavy snow event during the morning rush hour. Probably the week of the 7th-11th; definitely not the half-term (we got a really stingy half term that year, it was the week of the 21st but was only 2 or 3 days. Same happened in both 1984 and 1988, for some reason, but we had the full half term in the other years of the 80s). Not as big an event as 85/86/87, but some lying snow for a while afterwards.

A strange pattern in the 80s, up to 1988 (in fact let's say the decade 1979-88) was that the leap years (calendar years) produced no significant snow - but all the other calendar years had at least one good fall.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

2 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Spring this year was poor too and really struggled to get going.

To be fair, here, April was nice - colder than average but very sunny indeed for perhaps 10 days and dry until about the 28th. May was rubbish though, as was half of June, most of July, and perhaps 20 days of August. Autumn was drier but seemed to be distinctly dull.

2 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

2021 overall has been a bit of a topsy turvy year for weather and seasons.

Dull, certainly - wouldn't surprise me if we're heading for one of the dullest years on record. A long run of wet months which started back in 2019 with only a few exceptions, though has been trending drier since September.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

3 hours ago, Wimbledon88 said:

Folk often forget January 2013 in London for snow. Friday to Tuesday I think. Good fall. Mid month. Can't remember the date. Older folk say and met records back it up, the 70s were virtually snowless in London and southeast so a run of snowless years not unusual in these parts. 

Besides 2010, the only January to produce meaningful snow after 1987, so yes a memorable one.