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!......

Well, I can normally get a cab back very easily, there isn't an alternative because the little village bus stops at 7. (To be honest, I probably wouldn't get on it even if it was running)

But what I was thinking was that if it's snowy and icy then it will be very difficult to get a cab and I'd rather not risk that.

Forecasts were changing at speed yesterday - now it feels like most of them are going for "not snow" for my area, phew.

I don't suppose you have any thoughts for next weekend, 17th and 18th? It's far too early to tell isn't it?

@EmeraldRoulette ~ ah I see what you mean [about the cab/bus situation.]

The weekend of the 17th/18th (for Essex) is looking chilly but fairly settled. Might be a chance of rain/a wintry shower overnight Saturday into Sunday but other than that, not looking too bad at the moment.

@GloriaSmud thanks, that is helpful

Still looking like tremendous wind in the channel tomorrow evening. I'd be bricking it if I lived in the Scillies or Channel Islands. There's been so much emphasis on snow no one seems to be talking about the wind, though we've just had an Amber warning for it

London here, just wet and nasty like most years in January. I had my hopes up for some frosty winter weather but it lasted about a day.

Does anyone know if any snow is likely in and around London this winter?

Didn't Hampstead and Barnet get some snow earlier in the week? I saw some pictures on X. I don't know how far across North London it went.

DollyPentreath ~ yes, the wind aspect does seem to have been overlooked. The Scillies/Channel Islands (and I also think the South coast in places) could have some damaging gusts.

metreinch ~ it looks like it warms up for a bit next week but after that (although this is waaaay ahead in terms of forecasting), it looks like the cold comes back so you might still get some snow out of this winter....

We had the lightest sprinkle near Enfield.

Thank you this gives me hope. I just love a bit of properly frosty weather. It doesn't even have to snow but minus degrees make things feel special somehow.

DH popped to Lidl this morning. It was mad busy. All retired people he couldn't understand why. I pointed out that we were in the path of this weather so folks were shopping a day earlier.

Channel Islands is red warning for storm force 11

Here

Objectrelations ~ that doesn't surprise me.

So here comes Storm Goretti ~ today's thoughts from TheWeatherOutlook.

Can always tell when bad weather's on the way for us ~ today is bin day and instead of the usual mid-morning collection, our bins have just been emptied!

I wish ours would be emptied! It's recycling day and the bags are all sitting in the street looking like they're waiting to cause havoc, and enjoying it. Our binmen are late.

Hope they get to you soon, DollyPentreath. It's dull and overcast here (Leicester), very much a case of 'calm before the storm.'

Latest thoughts from the metoffice on Storm Goretti.

A red wind warning has been issued by the metoffice for the SW.

And updated thoughts from Netweather...

And from the metoffice..

I was saying this two days ago. They should listen to me!

We are not forecast to feel the brunt of the storm in this area of the south west, but we are only half a mile from the south coast and the wind is now fierce.
The light at the moment is very strange, a yellowy grey, it is almost sickly looking (that’s the only way I can think of to describe it!)

I have been outside to make sure there is nothing loose in the garden but otherwise we are tucked in for the evening thank goodness.
My sympathies to anyone who has to be out in this.

Well. It's not hit Scilly yet, though the wind has been 64mph SW at Lands End in the last hour. As soon as it goes NW the fireworks should start.

DollyPentreath ~ you did say that. I thought at the time that 110mph wind gusts were unlikely but now they seem very likely.

DameProfessorIDareSay ~ it's going to be a rough night for the SW. The sea is looking rather rough here ~ webcam at the Minack Theatre.

It's just started raining here (Leicester) but don't think it'll be long into the evening before it becomes a bit more wintry.

Netweather's radar for tracking where the storm is and also xcweather for latest weather observations, such as wind gusts.

Oh I wasn't aiming that at you! It was all the Cornish Doubting Thomases round here 😊