Snow watch/will it snow at Christmas? thread

[GloriaSmud]

(I know there are a few ‘snow threads’ already running for today/the next few days but this one perhaps can carry on as we head towards Christmas.)

So an early blast of winter this week. Today, a few of us in the south midlands have woken up to an unexpected fall of snow and are covered by revised metoffice weather warnings. After this morning’s snow for the midlands/middle of the country eases, any remaining snow will be confined to the very north of Scotland today and tomorrow.

For the rest of the week, there’ll be some nighttime frosts (and really deep, penetrating ones for the north/Scotland) and daytime temperatures everywhere will struggle to get above freezing in some places. After today, there’s the chance of snow showers, mostly around the western and eastern coasts but some of these might make their way inland.

Over the weekend (this is a bit far ahead to be certain), it looks like a low pressure system comes in from the west, which could bring sleet and snow across northern England and Scotland, (some places in those areas could see quite a bit of snow), but rain everywhere else.

As for Christmas (and it’s way too early for a serious forecast yet), the GFS goes as far as the 5th December and it’s saying average temperatures and dry at the moment. For a bit of fun, Netweather’s Santa shaker has arrived!

Thanks Gloria!

If anyone actually enjoys snow then please feel free to take my share.

We have snow. Whitley Bay, North East coast ❄️❄️❄️❄️🎶

Oops wrong weather thread. Apologies

Thank you@GloriaSmud for the thread- your wisdom and @ohyoubadbadkitten ‘s has been absolutely invaluable to me navigating carers etc for elderly dm.( now gone)
thank you. ❤️❤️

No snow so far in Edinburgh. Just properly cold and lots of blue sky. Tomorrow looks interesting. Depending on the timing of the warming, we may get a blizzard for a while. Met office warning map is rather busy 😂

My DD up at Durham Uni had a dusting. I grew up with snow every year in Boston US but not last year (😩). It was fabulous when it snowed here in London a couple years ago - enough for people and kids to really enjoy it.

You're welcome, thesandwich. Sorry to hear about your dm.

Perihelion ~ somebody at the metoffice had their work cut out for them doing that map!
(I'm wondering whether wind warnings for Sunday might be extended north to cover the Midlands, sort of in a line from N wales to The Humber Estuary. Sunday's warnings at the moment.)

And Netweather's thoughts on Storm Bert.

Ewwwww to Bert is all I will say

Metoffice has issued an extra weather warning for wind.
(I was wondering whether one would be needed ~ it's really windy here (Leicester) and my greenhouse, which I thought was weighted down enough, has gone over and broken so looks like I'll be asking for a new one for Christmas!)

Thanks @GloriaSmud - sorry about your greenhouse.

I'm beginning to see reports on the scaremongering press of eleventy billion tonnes of snow falling around the 7th December. Do you think there. Is any truth in it ? ( snow, not the eleventy billion tonnes but!)

EducatingArti ~ looking at the gfs around that date, temperatures are about average for the time of year. If there's any snow, it looks at the moment to be a 'mostly over the hills of Scotland and maybe Wales as well, with rain for the rest of the country' type of thing. So nothing that indicates 'widespread disruption, the country is going to grind to a halt' showing for the winter just yet!

Storm Conall is on the way overnight and tomorrow, which will see the south and SE get some strong winds and large rain amounts, so the metoffice have issued some rain warnings.

We've been really lucky in the NW with this the past couple of storms, we're usually battered by them!

Some thoughts from Netweather on past winters, as meteorological winter 2024 starts.

At the moment for the next few weeks, it's looking like there'll be some cold snaps (mostly frosty nights) and any snow will be confined to the north of Scotland (especially the hills.)

I can cope with frosty nights. I can also cope with Scotland getting ALL the snow (sorry Scotland), but I am struggling with the up/down pressures atm. Thanks for posting that link, it looks interesting.

I'm in coastal south west and we've only had one frosty morning this winter. I joke that Christmas weather is 10°C and rain

The Met Office long range forecasts now go out to 18/12 to 1/01, talking about unsettled conditions, lots of rain, which could be wintry (code for snow?) on higher ground

this thread isn’t very busy. Where’s OYBBK? I look forward to her posts.

Talesfromtheriverbank ~ I think OYBBK's busy/having a break from MN. I'm trying to do a bit when it comes to forecasts but OYBBK's 'the boss' when it comes to that sort of thing!

Netweather has issued their Winter Forecast. It looks like they think the weather will 'flip-flop' between mild and chilly for a month or two and then in February, there's the possibility of something colder.

And we have some wind and rain weather warnings for the next few days.

Thanks Gloria

god id give a months wages for snow at christmas

The low pressure crossing the country, Saturday and Sunday looks especially awful. At the moment, it looks like....

Rain ~ at the moment, the worst of it looks like being from the Peak District northwards to mid-ish Scotland (sort of in a line from Dundee to Oban), from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

Wind ~ that starts Friday evening with the welsh coastline/SW getting it first. Midnight into Saturday ~ coasts of Wales, SW and south get the worst of it and then the system moves across the country really slowly during Saturday and Sunday, and the whole of England is affected. The wind should start easing off during Sunday.

Not a great weekend when it comes to Christmas events and putting decorations up outside.