Author Topic: British winter? (Read 13004 times)

vtsteam · « **on:** February 19, 2015, 01:58:16 PM »

This is really the worst winter I've experienced here. The sub zero (F) temps just won't quit. That's not normal for even here. It's been nearly two months of it, and no end in sight.

Except Sunday when temps will rise slightly above freezing -- enough to dump snow and rain, apparently which is even worse, this time of year!!!. The temps will drop back down to extreme cold the day after with wind. And this on top of 36" of snow already on roofs and piled in drifts and banks. So ice everywhere on top of too much snow and weeks of unrelenting severe cold.

So my question is -- is this just happening here, or are you guys across the sea getting an unusual winter, too?

chipenter · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2015, 02:09:19 PM »

We have had 1\2" of snow that melted by 10am but it has been wet .

shipto · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2015, 02:18:35 PM »

Same here but has been really cold on occasions.

awemawson · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2015, 02:22:16 PM »

Bad stuff this global warming isn't it

Eugene · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2015, 03:20:19 PM »

February has been a bit chilly with a lot of frosty mornings, but no snow worth the mention and not much rain. This time last year we were swimming. Tuesday of this week was beautiful, really Spring like; the snowdrops are in full cry and the small wild daffs are starting to bud up, as per pic below.

Nae bother,

Eug

crazypj · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2015, 03:27:39 PM »

That sounds bad, British winters were never that severe when I was a kid and even up until the time I moved to Florida things never stayed bad for more than 10~12 days.
I remember reading many years ago that the Gulf Stream was slowing and could even stop completely due to melting of ice in Greenland. Pretty sure it will be relatively easy to find with a basic Google search.
Florida was getting maybe 1~2 days where temps were below zero (F) early in the mornings (probably around 4~7:00am)
Last few years it's been getting colder for longer.
Not expected to get much over 50F today and below zero overnight which is real unusual for February but not totally unheard of in weather records for las 100+ yrs
Personally I find this weather great, bit like the 'nice' days you get sometimes in November in Britain (when it's not raining or overcast)
Good luck with the weather, hope it improves soon (my bother is living in my house in South Wales, hopefully he'll keep it warm)

vtsteam · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2015, 04:16:49 PM »

Yes Andrew I was kinda looking forward to global warming, from a selfish perspective, here in Vermont. But since it's changed to "global climate change" I'm not sure I like the sound of that!

They used to say we have 9 months of winter and 3 months of damn poor sledding here as a joke. I'm wondering if it will come true this year? In 1816 there really was no summer. Apparently low temps and heavy rain that year in GB, too.

awemawson · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2015, 04:26:29 PM »

These things have gone in cycles as long as records have been kept, and indeed longer where climatic variations can be deduced from other evidence. Sea levels have gone up and down like a yo-yo - in Roman times the end of our field was a harbour from which they exported locally produced iron pigs, but the nearest river isn't now navigable nearer than 10 miles away.

After all the White Cliffs of Dover are shell deposits left on the seabed many millenia ago !

Bigbadbugga · « **Reply #8 on:** February 19, 2015, 06:40:30 PM »

Since November I think it's been below freezing around 5 times here near Liverpool. It snowed twice, once was a few inches and lasted around 12 hours, the other was 1/2 inch nd lasted an hour.

Very very mild in my opinion.

DavidA · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2015, 07:21:54 PM »

Very mild here in West Yorkshire. Maybe a dozen mornings where I have had to scrape the screen so far. A couple of inch of snow on two occasions.

I'm more concerned that we may get another very wet spring.

Dave.

Will_D · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2015, 07:23:02 PM »

Well in Dublin.ie we have had a few frosty days! No snow yet!!

crazypj · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2015, 07:24:39 PM »

Quote from: DavidA on February 19, 2015, 07:21:54 PM

Maybe a dozen mornings where I have had to scrape the screen so far.
Dave.

That is something I really don't miss ;)

vtsteam · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2015, 11:42:21 PM »

CrazyPJ I can't believe Florida was going below zero (F) -- I think you mean below freezing (32F).

32F would feel like a heatwave here at this point.

British temps seem wonderful! I guess an unusually cold winter here doesn't translate to any difference there, and possibly may be even the opposite. And I read that the US Pacific Northwest is also getting an unusually warm February.

Arbalist · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2015, 05:03:53 AM »

We've only had one lot of snowfall so far this winter, maybe 8-10mm which melted in a couple of hours. We've had a few frosty mornings though and it went down to minus 3 once.

awemawson · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2015, 05:31:51 AM »

We are in a 'frost hollow' - cold air rolls down the valley and wraps us up.

Lowest I've seen so far this winter is -6 deg C first thing in the morning as the sun comes up. We had a light smattering of snow that amounted to maybe 5 mm, and went as soon as the sun fell on it, but persisted in areas of shade for a couple of days.

We are 6 miles north of the south coast for reference.

joshagrady · « **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2015, 07:08:50 AM »

Maybe it isn't fair for me to weigh in on this subject, but it has been an unusually warm winter in the northeastern corner of Spain. We've had a handful of nights where the temperature has gone down to 6ºC (~42ºF), but so far this season we haven't even bothered to turn the central heating on.

That said the north central part of the country has had one of the worst snow seasons in recent memory.

Hope your Spring comes sooner rather than later.

vtsteam · « **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2015, 09:30:35 AM »

Oh it's fine Josh. And interesting about the snow. I'm afraid to hear what our Australians have to say about temps, though!!

And sympathy to Canadian friends central and east if it seems like we have it easy here!

We need an icon for jealousy.

Manxmodder · « **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2015, 10:33:22 AM »

Steve,I didn't know, until reading, that Vermont is the leading Maple syrup producer in the USA.

It also says that the time for tapping the sap is cold weather dependent,and that the harvesting season can be as short as one week.

Will this recent extreme cold spell have any beneficial or detrimental effect on this years harvest?.....OZ.

vtsteam · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2015, 01:41:03 PM »

Oz it takes warm days and cold nights to make the sap flow. Usually we do have tapping and sap collection and maple syrup boiling in the sugar houses this time of year, but it's way too cold in the days. According to the weather service temps here and in the midwest are 20 to 40 degrees F below normal for this time of year.

The local Grange holds an annual fundraising "Sugar on Snow" dinner on March 7. That's a ham, cole slaw, and bean feast (literally, Andrew) and for dessert: donuts and big paperboard bowls of snow and hot maple syrup drizzled on top (you do the drizzling, and there are different styles of that!). They also serve dill pickles with dessert, believe it or not, to clear the palate from too much syrup and donuts! It's weird, but it works.

Normally whether there is any snow to be had is questionable -- spring beginning -- and on warm years the organizers actually gather snow and store it ahead of time. This year the snow isn't a problem at all with 3 feet of it on the ground and more predicted -- making it to the grange might be! And I wonder if there will be any maple syrup to put on it?

Sap buckets, and sugar house in background. The wood is for boiling sap. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a galon of maple syrup.

Pete49 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2015, 08:52:29 PM »

Quote from: vtsteam on February 20, 2015, 09:30:35 AM

Oh it's fine Josh. And interesting about the snow. I'm afraid to hear what our Australians have to say about temps, though!!

vt far be it for me to add to your misery

but we are only getting low 40's here today

................Celsius...............

A/C working overtime and looks like a cooler change in a couple days time.....not as cool as you got it though

Pete

vtsteam · « **Reply #20 on:** February 20, 2015, 10:51:58 PM »

I had a feeling it was like that Pete!

Get this, guys....... I just looked up the month of February for the Mount Washington weather station. It's in the neighboring state to our east, NewHampshire. About 150 miles from here. There's an observatory on top of the mountain. It's famous for bad weather, but I was wondering how bad with that latest "robust arctic surge"........

On February 16, five days ago, it was -35F (-37C) on Mount Washington for a low, AND the wind blew at 141 mph (227 kmh).

Now that's what I call chilly!

vtsteam · « **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2015, 11:13:51 PM »

Here's a video re. the weather on Mt. Washington last week:

<a href="http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/kwidget/wid/_557781/uiconf_id/13570192/entry_id/0_679n39gf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/kwidget/wid/_557781/uiconf_id/13570192/entry_id/0_679n39gf</a>

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #22 on:** February 21, 2015, 12:15:57 AM »

Love the syrup making. My brother in-law does it every year in NH. The past couple of years we have been driving up for the big "boil off". Being from Maine, I was raised on the real stuff (Northern Comfort!) and not the stuff they pass off as "pancake syrup"!

FYI... it is -9* F right now! Tomorrow should be warmer... just in time for another 5 to 7 inches of snow!

Eric

sparky961 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 21, 2015, 12:39:51 AM »

The thermometer showed -33 Deg. C here this morning (about 1=1/2 hours NW of Toronto). I was a half hour late for work because I had to coax my truck to life with a battery charger.

From what I recall, the lowest I saw last winter was -29.... and THAT was freakin' cold!

vtsteam · « **Reply #24 on:** February 21, 2015, 09:37:01 AM »

-11F here this morning. It's winter to remember, boys.

Eric, I used to help old Pete, a farmer down the road collect sap. He still used buckets instead of plastic line, as most do now. We did 300 buckets daily. He's now crippled up with diabetes problems. Not from sugaring -- he didn't like maple syrup!

His favorite joke was, "Do you know the difference between a Vermont sugar-maker and a New Hampshire sugar maker?"

Answer, "No."

"Well, when a New Hampshire sugar-maker finds a squirrel in the bucket drowned, he tosses it away. But when a Vermont sugar maker finds one, he squeezes it out first!"

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #25 on:** February 21, 2015, 10:40:41 AM »

Quote from: vtsteam on February 21, 2015, 09:37:01 AM

...
His favorite joke was, "Do you know the difference between a Vermont sugar-maker and a New Hampshire sugar maker?"

Answer, "No."

"Well, when a New Hampshire sugar-maker finds a squirrel in the bucket drowned, he tosses it away. But when a Vermont sugar maker finds one, he squeezes it out first!"

That's funny!

bertie_bassett · « **Reply #26 on:** February 22, 2015, 05:46:59 AM »

well here on the east coast its a lovely sunny day, did have some frost overnight but the sun soon got rid of that.

did have a small smattering of snow a month or so ago, just enough to make this

vtsteam · « **Reply #27 on:** February 22, 2015, 10:03:37 AM »

I think that's what I'm seeing in the mirror these days!

vtsteam · « **Reply #28 on:** March 06, 2015, 11:22:40 AM »

One last gasp for Winter 2014-15 this morning, -21C, but the end is in sight!!!! Spring arrives in a few days with temps predicted to get consistently well above freezing next week. For the first time in months water can be liquid ( explanation for extra-terrestrials).

That should melt us out pretty good. It will be nice to see the ground again....

And yes, sugar season here is starting

tom osselton · « **Reply #29 on:** March 06, 2015, 06:59:36 PM »

So far we have been lucky here in Calgary not much snow at all this year I hope it lasts!

Arbalist · « **Reply #30 on:** May 30, 2015, 02:39:07 PM »

Three and a half weeks to Midsummers day - then the nights start closing in again.

vtsteam · « **Reply #31 on:** May 30, 2015, 04:24:16 PM »

Don't start!

Stilldrillin · « **Reply #32 on:** May 30, 2015, 05:16:42 PM »

Quote from: Arbalist on May 30, 2015, 02:39:07 PM

Three and a half weeks to Midsummers day - then the nights start closing in again.

And....... I'm still wearing me vest!

David D

DMIOM · « **Reply #33 on:** May 30, 2015, 06:48:56 PM »

Quote from: Stilldrillin on May 30, 2015, 05:16:42 PM

And....... I'm still wearing me vest!

David D

too right - we're still (just!) within the scope of "ne'er cast clout till May is out" ....

DavidA · « **Reply #34 on:** May 30, 2015, 07:44:02 PM »

I think we're seeing a trend start to form.

Only occasionally has the air temperature here in my part of the world been above 12C. And the forecast for the next week isn't good.

Dave.

vtsteam · « **Reply #35 on:** May 30, 2015, 08:49:09 PM »

29C here today. Rain predicted for the next few days @ 20C. So things are good!

News:

Author Topic: British winter? (Read 13004 times)