Will it or Won't it??

Daily Mail reports a change in weather 

There are strong signals this weekend that the weather is about to change, with the cold weather from the east winning the battle with the Atlantic. What will be critical to what  happens next week will be where the high pressure ends up and so we could either end up with a nice easterly or it will be the north west that ends up with all the  snow when the cold and mild air clashes.

Whilst we will probably see some frosts and maybe some ice days in the UK the rest of europe is looking extremely cold, with Germany forecast at - 22 degrees!!!

The chart below is for next Thursday at 06:00 and whilst cold I don't believe we will see any snow until at least Friday but probably Saturday. Living a few miles from the Thames I am hoping for some excellent Thames streamers if we have the anticipated easterly winds.

Temperatures at 2m for Thursday 2nd Feb

I am travelling next week and plan to be in the Midlands on Monday and Yorkshire the rest of the week. I should be where the snow is, especially when the easterlies are forecast to be best in the south east next Friday / Saturday which is when I plan to be home. My only concern is the driving though, I need to make sure I have a tank of Petrol and some warm clothes in the car just in case I get stuck and with a rear wheel drive BMW I hope I am not driving when the snow starts!

An interesting week ahead!

First real frost of Winter

This winter has been abysmal for cold weather. Yesterday was the 3rd day this winter where I have recorded a sub zero temperature.  The low yesterday for Cliffe Woods as -1.5 compared to frost hollow Ellis, in Hawley, at -5.2. The local fields looked amazing in white and the photos below where quick snaps taking on the good old iPhone 4s!

Even with the cold nights and the forecast of more cold next week  the lack of rain will probably mean limited snow. Last year was the 2nd driest year I have recorded at 418mm  which is around 40% lower than a normal year. January 2012 has started of in a similar vain as well. Whilst we are stuck in a zonal weather pattern at the moment, with the atlantic determining our weather, it is not helping out with rain in the South East.

Oh and for the record I don't believe we will see and really cold weather in Jan or snow and whilst I will be disappointed I can't see Feb being any different either!

What a shite winter!!

Windy miller!!!

Whilst it still looks like my winter forecast is hopeless with no cold weather in sight, today's weather has been interesting. On the way into work this morning they closed the Dartford bridge due to high winds and looking at the data from the weather station I recorded my highest gust since I purchased the weather station in 2006.


















Then tonight, at sunset, after 8 mm of rain came a beautiful red sky. Looking at the horizon towards London was stunning but this picture from the iphone doesn't do it justice