Crap July/ Aug, lovely Spring and Autumn and more snow in Winter - seems to be a pattern, why?

[dragonmother]

Down here in the South there seems to be a new pattern in that we've had three years of rubbish weather in July and August (okay we're not there with August yet but look at it...), snow in winter more than before the last few years (other than going back to when we were kids) and nice weather in Spring.

Any thoughts on why? Is this a short term pattern?

The past couple of years certainly have been unusual in terms of the weather pattern but I'm not sure that you can include the past couple of summers. I think that hot dry summers are more anomalous. At the moment the jet stream is in a prime position for steering all those atlantic lows directly over us.

Yes it's the blocking highs which aren't blocking right?

and other blocking highs in the wrong sodding place I think. There are some theories that the overall weather pattern might be linked to the fact that the sun seems to be in a maunder minimum (extreme lack of activity for a prolonged time)

Yes that does sound feasible. I like the more snow in winter thing but not so keen on rainy unsettled summer holidays!