Winter 2025/2026

[GloriaSmud]

We’re a few weeks from the start of meteorological winter on the 1st December but there are already some musings on websites about what the next season might bring….

So here are the thoughts of:

Netweather ~ (Vegemiteandhoneyontoast posted a link to this one on the Autumn thread).....
https://www.netweather.tv/weather-forecasts/news/13184-winter-202526-outlook-what-four-decades-of-weak-la-nina-winters-tell-us

Two from TheWeatherOutlook…..
https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/weather-news/7632/winter-2025-26-weather-outlook
https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/weather-news/7672/uk-snow-or-cold-snap-in-november---here-is-what-the-model-data-says

And SevereWeatherEurope (a new one that I haven’t come across before, has some well put-together explanations)….
https://www.severe-weather.eu/long-range-2/winter-2025-2026-outlook-colder-season-forecast-for-united-states-canada-europe-fa/

My thoughts (more gut feeling than anything and based on the weather we’ve been having recently!), is that we’re veering towards a fairly quiet but colder than average winter. I don’t think we’ll have many storms but there’ll be rain at times (which will go some way towards upping the reservoir levels.) I think there’ll be some cold snaps (maybe more at the start of winter), plenty of sunny days and nighttime frosts. Hopefully (for those that like it!), we’ll get some snow and the chances of that will increase if the quiet, settled weather stays and systems from the Atlantic try to move in. Any snow will probably last a day or two rather than the ‘so much snow that the country grinds to a halt,’ sort of thing.

So we’ll see if any of these predictions come true!......

EmeraldRoulette ~ that would be a tune by Nik Kershaw! 😆
-3.5C here (Leicester) and we've had a slight covering of snow overnight (but not enough to build a >☃)

This week is looking changeable ~ thoughts from TheWeatherOutlook mentions the possibility of more snow to come...
(My weather station is saying our temperature's down to -5.1C now)

@AngelsWithSilverWings @GloriaSmud yes indeed! Love that song

seems to have snowed in some bits of London today that's a worry

but one forecast showing 12 for next Sunday - what a relief that would be! My poor little mummy is frozen- I mean my mother, I don't have an ancient Egyptian mummy stashed in a cupboard!

@EmeraldRoulette Nik Kershaw was my first ever concert ( Southend Cliffs Pavillion in around '84!)

Woken up this morning to a really hard frost and either grauple or hail sitting on the car. But once again it's gloriously sunny!

@EmeraldRoulette ~ 😀
It does indeed look milder next weekend (it looks at the moment though, like that'll mostly be for the south/Midlands, it's still looking chilly for the North/Scotland.)

Before then, there's this system here (scroll down the page to see what the metoffice thinks will be the likely track of the low pressure system), that might cause some issues, Thursday night into Friday when it comes to snow...

It was -7.8 here in Shropshire at 6 pm according to the Met Office.
It felt really cold walking the dog at 4 pm & it was @ -5 then 🥶

The boiler upstairs tried to start up this afternoon. Lots of noise apparently because of the cold. DH got it going and has now put all the radiators on frost stat. The house didn't get above 14c today the thermostat in the hall said . Thank goodness for the log burner in the sitting room.

The shower isn't very hot because the cold tap is freezing cold

I’m assuming my boiler started up this afternoon. It has done the last couple of days when I haven’t switched it on anyway.

It is now making the sort of noise that I hope it will stop doing because now would be a terrible time to play up.

Please god both our boilers survive 🙏🙏

I had lost you all. We are in full on winter here in the NE lots of lovely fluffy powdery snow ❄️ ☃️

My BBC says nothing but my google phone says loads

Thursday night into Friday is a bit of a concern about this low pressure system that's coming in from the west, as to whether Wales/England get rain or snow. I think there'll be some weather warnings today or tomorrow but what they're for is a bit of a ?? ~ I don't think the metoffice have much confidence themselves at the moment!

About an inch of snow here on the coast of Fife.

Thanks @GloriaSmud it looks like one of those nowcast situations. I guess it’s the difference between one degree as to whether it’s rain or snow.

BBC seems adamant that it will rain for us which is disappointing after all these freezing temperatures. My phone says a mixture of rain and sleet. We’ll see.

Nowcasting is exactly what it is, @Delatron, especially at the moment. Plus the metoffice want to be fairly certain before issuing warnings etc

It’s been randomly snowing here in South Bucks for the last hour! That was not in the forecast. Happy to see some snow.

Must be so tricky to forecast!!

the current forecast for Thursday/Friday here is for rain but for temps to drop down to freezing or just below. If it falls as rain I’d imagine it is going to be incredibly icy. Glad I’ve already booked it off work.

SE London today (Croydon) it’s sleeting very slightly now. Freezing. Am envious of the snow up north as it reminds me of London snows in 70s/80s.

Updated weather warnings ~ so it looks like Wales and the Midlands will be getting snow Thursday night into Friday...

We also had some unexpected snow in Herts this morning although all it has done is add another layer of ice to pavements.

Thanks for the update Gloria. We are on the fringes of those weather warnings. I'm probably one of the few hoping for rain rather than snow! I dont enjoy a mushy dog walk but I dread slippery roads/pavements more.

It was bitter this morning and freezing on the dog walk. We didn’t go far, I worry about her old legs.

Our river has frozen. Geese and ducks look very confused. It was meant to be 4 today but it obviously isn’t.

Our old dog doesn't want to go out at night. The cat doesn't want to go out at all. She 💩 in the bath during the night. DH is 🤬

I grew up in the Peak District and we had crazy snows even into the 90s. I remember one night when I had gone out to meet a friend but there had been a crazy, unexpected blizzard while I was out. My parents had no idea and it was before mobiles so I just had to drive home really carefully. It took me 2 hours to do the 20 minute drive. I woke them up, furious, at 2am that they had been blissfully unaware that I was navigating such horrors!

We just don’t see stuff like that now. I’m scared all the time in rubbish weather. Where did that 18 year old go?

Latest thoughts from the metoffice on the next few days...

Oh no! Our cat spent ages in and out of her litter tray, miaowing sadly and then eventually braved the snow instead, she hates using the tray