To be completely freaked out that we've not had a winter

[LaurieFairyCake]

Seriously, I'm weirded out.

2 very light frosts the whole winter. Not cold enough to put the heating on hardly.

I don't remember a winter like this in 40 years.

Yes, the news stories are all about the terrible floods but I've heard nothing to explain why there's been no wintry weather.

The frost will wait for my Magnolia tree to flower. We have a cherry tree in full blossom atm.

We've had the heating & woodburner lit as though it's freezing, but we've been sitting in t-shirts since November.

I want some snow!

Thanks OhYou I'm hoping we don't have snow but dd will be very disappointed if there's none.

It's been strange not spending 6 weeks of this winter under a foot of snow, as we've had in 3 of the past 4, but my poor knees have enjoyed the break. We had snow in bloody May, last year!

And we got an inch, last week. DS2 even got excited about it and played out in if, for the first time ever. Stark contrast to 3 years ago when I opened the back door and he screamed because the back yard looked wrong.

You've all been spoilt by proper, snowy winters since 2009!!

Does noone remember pre-2009? They were wet and mild, just like this one.

A few years ago we had snow on Easter Sunday....( I think it was March , early Easter that year)

I was thinking the very same thing earlier when i turned down the thermostat!

Re stats go post in the weather topic or find OhYouBadBadKitten who is the MN weather guru ans knows everything there is to know.

Don't forget however we had a late winter last year, when we brought our baby home mid June last year we had to put the heating on as we were so cold. I'm not complaining however about the lack of frosts and bitter winds, last year was absolutely awful, I lost several weeks of work because I couldn't drive there due to bad weather!

We've got bumblebees meandering round the garden already. I hope we don't get a sudden cold snap now or they will really suffer.

Ok. So when I started writing there was no reply from OYBBK!

We're in the east. Really hoping we don't get any now, everything's budding up for spring and there's daffs and snowdrops and crocuses everywhere and tulips coming up. Any really cold weather now will spoil everything and nothing will flower come the spring.

We didn't have a summer for about 5 years, so it's balancing up a bit

it's weird, isn't it Laurie... I've barely had my heating on AND had the windows open at times cos I'm too warm indoors!

and the leaves around here look like it's autumn, not winter!

Now I haven't seen a bumblebee yet but we have buds on the hawthorn and daffs are coming up :-)

I'll pass on the winter for a summer like last year. We had a heavenly time!
I haven't sought my gloves out once this 'winter' More of a an extended autumn!

In Essex not even reached below freezing !!!!!!

Last year on Mothers day in March we had my dts's party and it was snow blizzard conditions... so plenty of time yet.

We've had quite a few chilly days in the East Midlands. It has not been frosty I grant you, but the wind has been biting.

We haven't had to have the heating on continuous like we have the last three or four Winters.

It would be great if it'd stay dry for a while, now.

YANBU, I am in North Lincolnshire, DH has lived here for 12 years and not had a year without one or two decent snowfalls until this year.

Also, it's not just the lack of snow,but the lack of really cold temperatures, I've only had thin fleece gloves so far this winter and not bothered with a hat yet.

Doesn't the sky have to be clear for a frost?

It's been too cloudy/rainy for many clear nights.

YANBU
Because it's really bad - insect larvaes rot, then birds don't get fed in the summer, blossoms that come out early get killed by late frosts and snow in March, and the floods!!!

The coldest I remember it being over the winter was 4 degrees. Let's hope it changes next year.

Totally agree - pre 2009 we had a run of winters like this in London. One year, I never got out of my unlined corduroy jacket!

It's to do with the way the jet stream is. The polar air coming from the north is milder and that makes the jet stream get blocked. Normally it would be sitting under the UK or moving up and down so we'd get cold spells mixed with wet milder spells. But the warmer polar air makes the jet stream get move slower and get blocked - which means it can sit over an area bringing a long spell of the same type of weather. Scientists think the jet stream will be like this from now on because of climate change.

BUT this winter was unusual because the jet stream is blocked YET stronger. This is due to a polar vortex hitting it from canada and extra warm weather coming from the pacific. This has given it a force and thus the stormy windy conditions that have plagued us, and plagued us for so many weeks.
(I had to do this for work a few days ago. Last week I had NO clue)

Don't panic! We've got snow banks that won't melt until June. Your winter must have got lost somewhere over the Atlantic and landed here as we are definitely getting a double dose.