OYBBK- chances of a white christmas?

[CherryMonster]

what do you think? will the uk be buried under 6 foot of snow, or will cheltenham be cold, wet and windy?

[MissAnthropy]

Really Katy? I know it snowed a bit yesterday but not a lot. Has it really snowed there today?

DH has been out your way today and didn't see any snow either. We've also driven to Suffolk today and seen no flakes.

[MissAnthropy]

Sorry, not yesterday, Thursday. It snowed a bit on Thursday afternoon.

[KatyMac]

Well we still have 4 inches or so

It snowed yesterday for certain & there was a bit (but only a bit) over night
Our road is an icerink

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

It is definitely an exciting run up to Christmas!

[KatyMac]

Do you think we will decide we have bad winters now & prepare a bit more?

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

I think so, I think people are more clued up about things like winter tyres. So far our council are doing much better too. Local shops were very well prepared today with lots of bread and milk despite the armfuls people were walking out with. I think that we've learned that we can't just wait a day or two for it to melt.
.

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

great thread! We got lots and lots of snow here in Bedford today, It was excellent, as it coincided with going to get christmas tree and decorating it. The boys even broke out into a chorus of Jingle Bells - we were straight out of a boden catalogue....kind of

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Uh-oh. I'm not so great at reading ECMWF charts (it doesnt give any helpful precip charts or surface temps) but I'm a bit worried that it implying there may be snow. I think it is showing a trough and a trough+cold weather=snow I think.

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

no, not a trough stand down everyone!

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Its a ridge! See, this is why I need to go to weather school!

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Ok, I'm sticking to this thread for the up coming week. Remember the further we go through the week the less the confidence in the forecast. Plus I could be completely wrong anyway! Forecasts are a mix of interpreting GFS and UKMO.

Monday:
In general a dry day. The SW could see some snow and may be a bit of rain. GFS shows the snow moving quite far in from the sW to cover the south and southern Wales. Coastal NE scotland remains a snowy place.

Tuesday:
Looking good!!! Dry and cold. Bit of a reversal from what things were showing yesterday.

Wednesday:
Slightly milder. Snow, sleet and rain for the eastern side. Wednesday night shows snow across the southern half.

Thurs:
Widespread light snow GFS shows it as fairly heavy inthe south and central eastern England. A bit marginal in the SE, eA and some coastal areas where it could be rain. This continues into the evening.

Friday:
Widespread snow. Rain for some of the SE and EA

Christmas Day:
less widespread snow. Some rain in the SE/EA Cold everywhere else.

[winterpetunia]

Ah, that's why our metoffice 5 day forecast is showing 'light snow' for Wednesday night/Thursday then.

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

It is a complete change to what GFS was showing yesterday!

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

oh hell. Just looked at the UKMO again for Monday night - Massive snow storm showing for the south. I'm trying to look at too much and missing things out.
dd and I are going to Olympia Monday. If you don't hear from me tuesday thats because we are stuck in London.

[daisydotandgertie]

OYSSK my Dad is going into hospital tomorrow for a major operation and I want to be there to support my Mum. I'd need to drive from Somerset to south Hampshire - what do you think the weather is going to do? Help!

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Can I just do a teeny
aaaaaarghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Thank you. Normal service will now resume!

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

daisy - Can you leave in the morning? If you do, then I think you will be ok. South Hampshire hasn't been too badly hit. Snow moves in across the SW in the morning but you should be able to clear the worst of it quite quickly. Don't plan to travel home that night though unless the forecast changes significantly.

I hope it goes well for your Dad.

[SuePurblybiltbyElves]

More snow next week then? For the SW too?
I've given up on the BBC and Met, I just rely on you now SnowyKitten.No pressure

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Looks like it Sue!
Please do pay attention to the met office warnings though!!!!!!

[GroovyGretel]

OYSSK I bow down to your weather prediction skills!

I have to go and see the MiL in Northern Ireland next week..which route would you recommend as being less potentially snowy - bearing in mind that we'll be starting from Cheshire!

Drive to Stranraer, ferry to Belfast, drive to Antrim or

Drive to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin, drive to Antrim!

I have not yet booked ferry

[daisydotandgertie]

Thank you so much OYSSK - I can leave in the morning - with a shovel, a duvet, food and drink! Oh - and the Christmas ham.

I'd really like to be there with her if I can, but it does look a little dicey. The temperature here last night was -13, with visibility at just 100m. I am an evil 4x4 driver, so that'll help a bit.

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

OYBBK - thank you so much for your threads ove rthe past fortnight (I have lurked loads)

are there better weather sites than BBC weather? It doesn't seem to get updated very often and didn't show the snow here on saturday until about three hours beforehand, despite the weather reports on BBC NEWS showing snow for us.

[mankyscotslass]

I do hope we get some more, I feel cheated.

Although I do feel very sorry for wveryone whose plans are ruined.

[OhYouSnowySnowyKitten]

Gretel - If you don't mind I'll have a look at lunchtime as I'm off out to church quite soon. Which are your preferred days?

Bella I know the met office is much maligned but I think it is sometimes because they are not very good at conveying the uncertainty of a forecast. I think they are a lot better than the bbc.

[GroovyGretel]

OYSSK - lunchtime (or even later!) is fine. Got to drive to Cheshire today (from very snowy Warwickshire) so I may be some time...

We are looking at Tuesday next week for the big trip but Monday or Wednesday are possibilities too.

Thanks very much!