are we on for another really snowy winter then?

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

Bah humbug

First snow and ice warning from the met office

I do live in a hilly northern area. I am not impressed

(quiz. tomorrow )

oooh prospects..........sounds interesting! Care to enlighten us OYBBK?

Thanks Indith :o can I text you after seeing what dh thinks? I've barely seen him this week and he might not be impressed if I'm out again. Otoh hell probably just be glad of the chance to watch his awful action films that I don't like :o afraid leaving them with grandparents not an option this time, they're away most of next week.

this site jama plus taking into account that arctic sea ice has been at its record lowest this summer and sea surface temperatures in the northwest Atlantic are higher than normal, both of which could favour a colder than average winter for NW Europe, I do think our prospects are interesting.

However (and its a big however) I don't pretend to be able to forecast what will happen over a season. Even the met office with its millions of pounds and super computers cant do that with any accuracy and I'm only an amateur There are so many factors involved, so all I can do is look at things with interest and guess!

Rather a change outside this evening! Feels like we stepped from autumn to winter in just a few hours even though its not that cold yet.

I noticed yesterday, that trees were losing their leaves already. It has been mild and wet, so I felt it was ominous - trees know more than we do, I believe.

We used to have an Autumn Colours open day at our local Manor House grounds, and was always on 29th October, which meant leaves still fully on trees. Can't remember during the last few years though. Perhaps it was all the rain that knocked the leaves off, not sure.

All will be revealed when it happens. Weather forecast not always right, but said Sunday will be much colder. Also the clocks going back too on Saturday/Sunday, making the evenings dark sooner which I don't like. At least for a short while it will be light at 7am!!!!!!!!

I did notice a big step change in the rate at which the leaves were falling yesterday. All of a sudden our garden is covered. Must do some reading up on what prompts the fall!

Gritters out tonight in Edinburgh , lovely big moon. Going to be cold

I am so glad you said that OYBBK. I swear the lawn was clear on Tuesday. Yesterday it was covered in leaves which I swept up and this morning covered again and the tree is nearly bare. It's like they all dropped off over 2 days.

Kitten if it helps, my dad (before he retired) was a director at the Met Office, and has been a forecaster for 40 years. He reckons the same as you.

Blimey Ladyflumpalot, at least if I'm utterly off kilter on this then at least I have highly esteemed company!

Play.com have send me an email with these wintery offerings today. It's a sign.

I'm keeping a bit of an eye. On next thurs/fri weather. Might start a thread on it this evening. GFS is showing quite a deep low which might bring stormy conditions to northern England and southern Scotland. More later....

Met office have updated their 3 month outlooks
precipitation
temperature

Make of them what you will!

I would say that's a very inconclusive and non-committal show from the Met Office. Quelle surprise

Um I would say they don't really know.

Well you can certainly feel the chill in the air tonight.

snow in lanchester earlier

Be grateful you don't live here. Regularly down to -30 for most of winter, even lower with the wind chill. It's very dry though, so static is a nightmare. Most cars change to winter wheels and have auto start. Some have plug-in sump heaters. Bus shelters are heated too. I don't miss the damp chilly cold of the UK.

We get a couple of feet of snow but it's the wrong type for snowmen or snowballs :(

The worst sensation is your snot freezing ...

Oh I am, very grateful :o

My friend tells me it was snowing in Gateshead this afternoon.

glad i have snowboots etc all sorted now!

Canada your winters are tough but at least you have the set up for it. here it takes us by surprise every time . Damp uk cold is horrible, i spent a winter in russia and a dry -30 was so much nicer that our damp, horrible -5 or so.

dh racing on the tyne tomorrow so it will definitely snow

Oooooh gritter just went past. Hope it doesn't snow til after I get back from dd's friend's party tomorrow, last time I did the bends into the village in the snow I ended up down the road to the football club after skidding.

yes I saw the gritter :o
Hoping it doesn't snow at all!!
Good luck tonight. I defintely won't be able to make it, DH has only just set off.