Freeze of the century

[Maxus]

This week is described as the freeze if the century. No parts of the south of UK are going to get some snow. Further north we are still getting temps well above freezing with zero snow and ice all week. How come the UK goes crazy over a bit of snow in the south but further north nothing is mentioned? It's just winter.

About 10 years ago it was minus 13 here, it's currently 3 degrees in Lincolnshire. It's definitely been much colder in the UK than it is now.

Is this meant to be worse than the Beast from the East? Or can't they find a good rhyme for the weather direction, so they're falling back on hyperbole?

The thing is, Britons of a certain age are still scarred by the whole Michael 'ha ha, some idiots are saying there's a hurricane on the way but don't listen to them, nothing to see here!' Fish experience of 1987, so will take any mutterings about Approaching Bad Weather with whatever the opposite of a pinch of salt it, just to be on the safe side.

South Wilts and we've just had snow, quite heavy too, though not settled.

I’m in the south and there is snow now. Maybe the colder places are at their coldest?

See a lot of ridiculous scaremongering headlines about the weather! It's no colder than normal January weather here with no snow (north wales). I just use reliable weather apps like BBC and they're only reliable a couple of days into the future!

Southerners are urged not to travel unless necessary as snow, ice and blizzards approach. Northerners - you'll need your big coat.

I live near Leeds.. went for a meal Sat night.. young women ( 18 to 40) out in skimmy dresses...bare legs.. sandals.. no coats.
Apparently that also happens in Newcastle .. Liverpool and Manchester

It's the middle of winter in the UK. Of course we're going to get cold weather, it is hardly news. We're not going to get -15 and snowdrifts ten feet deep in the Home Counties. We've had snow here today, a few flurries here and there and since it is still 2 degrees, it is melting the instant it hits the ground.

I despair of the idiot press, I really do.

We had snow on the ground for 3 months. I used a pic of the massive icicles outside the boys' bedroom window as an avatar in various places until very recently.

We’ve had some snow where I am today and it’s the first snow we’ve had in years, so it isn’t ‘just winter’ down here.

But snow is part of winter in the UK. It might not happen every year or even settle properly when it does happen, but it is a normal part of our climate in the winter months.

I think the last really horrendous snow in the UK was 1947, wasn't it?

Where I live we get snowed in in bad winters for a few days here and there and the valley is cut off (I think the longest we've been snowed in was about a fortnight) but the stories I've been told by older generations make it look like nothing! My neighbour told me about a bus getting stuck on the hill and completely buried by snow and animals dead in the tops of trees when the snow finally melted because the drifts were literally tree high in places.

We've got ridiculous about weather these days. Naming bloody storms for a start. And everything's an "ageddon" 🙄

@IncompleteSenten See also the winter of 62/3.

Was there?

I remember being told the church where my grandma lived had to be dug out for a wedding. There were apparently steps dug down in the snow. I wonder if that was the 60s.

I have never been sure if that was true or an exaggeration.

I wonder the same about the animals in tree tops now I think about it!

In the village where she lived that should read. She didn't live in the church.

In 1963/1963 it snowed from Boxing Day pretty much until March, the stories my nan has told me were something else.

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

I had a winter in Ottawa, years ago, and loved it. Skating on the Rideau Canal was amazing, huge snow banks all SO pretty!! being 17 & in love didn't hurt either!

ive done several ski seasons, loved loved loved it. Skiing to the bank made me grin like an idiot!!

we had about 3 flakes of snow here this afternoon before I got eleventy million messages saying 'it's snowing!!!'

I join in the excitement while thinking 'snowing?!?! You're having a laugh!!'

i hope it snows significantly because my neighbours DD (4) came running to me tonight to say 'my teacher (her absolute idol at the minute) said it was going to snow LISDS tomorrow. And she's beyond excited. If there's not LOADS of snow her teacher is going to take a hard fall of her pedestal!!

The express rotate their weather headlines:

10" snow to fall
Britain to bit hit by 90mph winds
UK to have month long heatwave
Floods to wash over the entire country

As far as I can tell it's done on the basis that if they say it often enough they might, by the law of averages, occasionally be able to say "we told you so."

Very light snow in London where i am this afternoon at about 15.35.

@GasPanic I remenber December 2010 as my son was born end of November and there was snow on the ground. We were in hospital for nearly 2 weeks and everyone that came to visit came in skiwear and snow boots.

Today felt weirdly cold for how cold the temp was. The snow hasn't settled which is a bit disappointing.

I am also guessing Daily Express. They always think the end of the world is nigh.

South - we got snow here today

East Anglia- had snow today, which settled- briefly.
Hoping it doesn't freeze properly as there is so much water on the roads and if it freezes the potholes will get still worse.

We got snow today in the south..

Nothing to apologise for hun.

I remember this really well because it was the first winter that my OH and I lived together in a flat in the city centre.

At the time we both worked in a call centre only 10 minutes walk from our flat. When it snowed they started letting people go home early if they had to drive or use public transport to get home, but we had to stay! Fuming 😂

😂. Thank you, I don't know how we'll cope.