Stormy Weather II

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

All clear here (somewhere between Andrew and DracoM) - and bright sunshine!

[Serial_Apologist]

We may have some wintry showers later today! At the moment, Sunny but cold!

BTW has anybody here have heard of thunder snowstorm?

Yes BBM, it's more common than might be supposed - thunder being commonly associated with hot weather conditions, being most frequenty occurring around the Equator. It's difficult for it to happen without some "forcing" mechanism additional to surface-based convection, without which cloud can't build up to the levels necessary at below about 8 degrees Celsius at ground level - i.e. a strongly wind-veering cold frontal system, or "orographic uplift", i.e. approaching winds being forced upwards on hitting a barrier, namely hills or mountains. Thundery showers drawn into the southern and western counties that would seem to contradict this have in fact formed over the warmer Atlantic and English Channel, maintaining their energy as they are blown inland, sometimes aided by the uplift provided by the South Downs in the case of Sussex and Kent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nefLipXk36o

I chose this clip from America although only one flash happens, because it shows lightning can occur even at temperatures far below those we experience in this country, but other examples can be found on youtube.

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh and by the way, a couple of "spherics" (registered lightning flashes) have been observed on the trough of low pressure presently advancing from the west, and now crossing the centre of the country. This could just produce thunder mixed with snow, though I'm not holding my breath - just heading for the shops before it arrives!

Remember that most rain actually originates as snow at our latitude - the moisture droplets forming at above the freezing layer, then melting and coalescing on the way down. So it's already snowing at levels where much of our lightning takes place.

[oddoneout]

There was an amber ice warning last night - erm I'd better rephrase that - there was an amber warning in place last night for risk of ice.
Well there may have been ice at the beginning of the night but what was more apparent this morning was that there had been a considerable quantity of rain at some point towards morning, and today has been milder with much sun and not too much wind. The garden beckons....

[DracoM]

Snow / sleet / serious cold up here.

[BBMmk2]

Yes BBM, it's more common than might be supposed - thunder being commonly associated with hot weather conditions, being most frequenty occurring around the Equator. It's difficult for it to happen without some "forcing" mechanism additional to surface-based convection, without which cloud can't build up to the levels necessary at below about 8 degrees Celsius at ground level - i.e. a strongly wind-veering cold frontal system, or "orographic uplift", i.e. approaching winds being forced upwards on hitting a barrier, namely hills or mountains. Thundery showers drawn into the southern and western counties that would seem to contradict this have in fact formed over the warmer Atlantic and English Channel, maintaining their energy as they are blown inland, sometimes aided by the uplift provided by the South Downs in the case of Sussex and Kent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nefLipXk36o

I chose this clip from America although only one flash happens, because it shows lightning can occur even at temperatures far below those we experience in this country, but other examples can be found on youtube.

Thanks! An American friend of mine showed a clip. Dramatic!

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks! An American friend of mine showed a clip. Dramatic!

I was right - it has snowed here, or at least most of the precip falling has consisted of snow, with the termperature faling to just under 2 degrees C. Higher up, above about 500 feet, I imagine it would have been pure snow. No thunder, though!

[BBMmk2]

I was right - it has snowed here, or at least most of the precip falling has consisted of snow, with the termperature faling to just under 2 degrees C. Higher up, above about 500 feet, I imagine it would have been pure snow. No thunder, though!

Both myself and MrsBBM thought we were going to have some kind of wintry shower, yesterday afternoon. It certainly had the general feel about it.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's expected to get back to normal temperatures on Friday, but then turn windy, wet and colder on Saturday. As for Sunday - - the best advice would be, if you're thinking of going out anywhere on that day, don't! Maybe too melodramatic, but keep an eye on the forecasts.

[BBMmk2]

It's expected to get back to normal temperatures on Friday, but then turn windy, wet and colder on Saturday. As for Sunday - - the best advice would be, if you're thinking of going out anywhere on that day, don't! Maybe too melodramatic, but keep an eye on the forecasts.

Not too sure about the accuracy of the forecasts these days!

[oddoneout]

Not too sure about the accuracy of the forecasts these days!

Some are less inaccurate than others.....Alternatives to the TV/radio versions have been suggested on here previously.
A lot of sunshine here today but the temperature stayed down so frost lingered in many places. I had to take care with my vol.gardening this morning as the pamment paths in the area I was working remained icy and very slippy.

[teamsaint]

i may get some stick for this, but I still find the BBC forecasts pretty accurate. That said, we live near Salisbury, at around 350 ft above sea level, and the night time temperatures consistently over estimate by a couple of degrees .

[greenilex]

Even in central Southampton we had icy pavements and road surfaces at 8.30 this morning, and a light sprinkling of snow on the roof. Lovely sunshine later.

[Bryn]

Got back to my car, parked in the Legoland Windsor park and ride car park, at around 11.30 last night, following bus journeys from Sadler's Wells (I;d been to a performance of Feldman's Crippled Symmestry at City University). There was a covering of about 2 cm of crisp snow on both the ground and the car. The doors unlocked reasonable easily bit the doors themselves were frozen shut. Try as I may, I was unable to open any of them for fear of breaking the door handles. Fortunately, two Legoland Hotel security personnel turned up in a 4x4 to see what was going on. They had seen me get off the bus and wondered what I was doing, working around a car tugging at the door handles. They quickly grasped my explanation and proceeded to assist, helping to break the icy seal by thumping the edges of nearside front door. After a while, the seal was weakened enough for the door to be pulled open. Phew! It took another 10 minutes or so to heat the windscreen enough to safely drive off and make my way home. I got in on the stroke of midnight. All this because the last couple of miles of the usual bus route was closed due to road resurfacing, and I did not fancy a 20-minute walk back from the bus station late night in the cold.

Next time I will make sure to take a can of de-icer in my back-pack.

[Serial_Apologist]

Got back to my car, parked in the Legoland Windsor park and ride car park, at around 11.30 last night, following bus journeys from Sadler's Wells (I;d been to a performance of Feldman's Crippled Symmestry at City University). There was a covering of about 2 cm of crisp snow on both the ground and the car. The doors unlocked reasonable easily bit the doors themselves were frozen shut. Try as I may, I was unable to open any of them for fear of breaking the door handles. Fortunately, two Legoland Hotel security personnel turned up in a 4x4 to see what was going on. They had seen me get off the bus and wondered what I was doing, working around a car tugging at the door handles. They quickly grasped my explanation and proceeded to assist, helping to break the icy seal by thumping the edges of nearside front door. After a while, the seal was weakened enough for the door to be pulled open. Phew! It took another 10 minutes or so to heat the windscreen enough to safely drive off and make my way home. I got in on the stroke of midnight. All this because the last couple of miles of the usual bus route was closed due to road resurfacing, and I did not fancy a 20-minute walk back from the bus station late night in the cold.

Next time I will make sure to take a can of de-icer in my back-pack.