Worst November weather in 24 years

[Dave Brown]

Certainly,this last week is the worst Nov period I have recorded here in 24 years. It is not the coldest as we have had -6C back in the 1980s, not the coldest days either as we have had subzero days here before. But just generally this freezing, wet, howling gale that has gone on for days, is the worst weather I can recall apart from Jan 1987.

[Rick Davis]

This is the worst November in memory in the Southeast US. Snow and rain not a problem but were are having highs where our lows should be. We had our first frost where I live on 11/17 which is normal yet we have had low 20's F. four times since the 17th.

Rick Davis

[Dave Brown]

yes I can believe that Rick, we've been watching Florida and they almost had frost back in October. Pensacola was down to 34f and Miami only got to 61f max.

I've been working at my desk with an overcoat on today. First time I've worked indoors with a coat on. Can't afford to keep the heating on all day with elecricity prices as they are. warming up this evening, now the warmest since thursday, 7 days ago. 8.4C (47f) and rising. Forecast is 11C (52f) tomorrow. Problem appears to be a blocking high in mid Atlantic that is pushing the low pressures further west and these are probably feeding northerlies down your east coast.

Over here the lows are coming around the top of the high at a high latitude then going off into central Europe so we are getting the NW to NE winds from arctic latitudes. Not even officially Winter yet and I'm already fed up of it

[Dave in Warrington]

.... and it looks as if it will finish on a low here too as temperatures here in the North West are plummeting again. Frost already on the car before 7pm ?

The outlook into December is for more of the same so keep that overcoat handy !

[stephenprudence]

I wish these weather charts would back down, there is no end in sight to this cold for western and central areas, in fact the charts show night temperatures below 0C for the next 10 days. That is not normal, (and thankfully probably not correct) for this country. Even in the greatest cold spells of the past, the temperature did not stay below freezing for that long.

It has to be poor modelling?

If it isn't though I think I'll be setting up a new mass composter.

[Dave Brown]

When ever we get easterlies it is colder apart from summer. To a certain extent how cold a winter is depends on where the wind comes from at what time of the year. Over the last few years we have been fortunate in that we have had the conveyor belt of the Gulf Stream pointing directly at us over most of the winter and have not had Northerlies or easterlies at the coldest time of year.

Here in Kent, being the closest to the continental mass we get warmest weather from the continent in summer, and can get coldest in winter. 1987 was a prime example with howling NE winds direct from Siberia in early January, the coldest time of year. We recorded -12.9C here on one night, and the temp did not rise above -6C the next day. Had we had the same weather pattern a month later we would have only got around -6 to -8C, in March maybe -4C. If we manage not to get these cold winds over the whole winter, it will be a mild one.

Stephen, these winters are not unheard of, maybe what we might refer to as a one in 10 year winter. If we have an easterly wind quota, maybe getting it out of the way before things really cool off might be a good thing. As I said somewhere on here.... Some years November and March/April are the coldest months with Northerlies or easterlies, while Dec, Jan and Feb had mild Southwesterlies.

If the Met Office is saying average to mild, then maybe we have got the worst over with..... let's hope so

You have seen this before.... This is what happens when it all comes together at the wrong time.

Edit: Oh by the way, it has been raining here for the last 14 hours and no let up in sight. As the wind has swung around from SW to E. the temp has dropped from 10.4C at midnight to 5.8C lunchtime. Forecast is for YET ANOTHER WET WEEKEND, but bitterly cold with it now.

We have a saying here "Rain from East, 24 hours at least" and I'm on schedule to break the 600mm barrier this afternoon. 60mm above arverage annual for local area and still a month to go.

[ChrisG]

Seeing that photo Dave, reminds me of going to school in Kent. Almost every year in january (this was around 1983) there used to be big snow falls. The school playing fields were the village green and one side had a 8 foot bank down to the road. The snow used to drift up against it so you couldn't see the bank at all. As the smallest person in the class (and probably the class bellow ) whenever these big snow drifts appeared they used to pick me up and throw me off the top of the bank in to the snow drift. I had to dig my way out from the bottom, was great fun.

[stephenprudence]

True Dave, I hope it ends soon. It's okay for you in the southeast looks relatively mild, but here in the west it looks particularly harsh for tonight and tomorrow.

Just gandered a coastal obs forecast (Liverpool bay observatory), quite a high degree output so fairly accurate. It shows that it'll be down to -2C tonight and stay BELOW freezing point all day tomorrow.

Has anyone has plants recover from that sort of occurrence. I cannot remember the last time that we got an ice day in November?

I bloomin well hope it's a case of 'get it out of the way' and a milder second half to winter Dave.

[Dave Brown]

Seeing that photo Dave, reminds me of going to school in Kent. Almost every year in january (this was around 1983) there used to be big snow falls. The school playing fields were the village green and one side had a 8 foot bank down to the road. The snow used to drift up against it so you couldn't see the bank at all. As the smallest person in the class (and probably the class bellow ) whenever these big snow drifts appeared they used to pick me up and throw me off the top of the bank in to the snow drift. I had to dig my way out from the bottom, was great fun.

Where's the pics then Chris I take it that was up on the downs somewhere then. 1981/2 was a bad winter. I had to drive to Frankfurt in January through snow and ice, from home all the way there. Then up to Utrecht in Holland and the dykes were frozen solid with people out on them. I don't think that happens much now.

Well.... I'm up to 603mm now and still no sign of a end of the rain. 18.5 hours now.

[Guy]

Aye up lad, 1981 was a real man's winter. I remember it reet well, here in Nottingham it was -20c and the diesel froze so none of the buses could run. Inch thick ice on the inside of the windows in our unheated student house. Those were the days

[Dave in Warrington]

Today 30th November and the norther parts of the country are finishing on a low !
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Only -2C in Warrington, -4 in Halifax and many stations reporting -5 in Lancashire and Yorkshire, -8 at Shap and head into scotland and -8C typical with -10 at Tulloch Bridge.

... and yes Dec 81 was a bad one, diesel turned to gel and many trucks got standed heading through to Scotland on the M6. If it gets bad this December lets see if the diesel mixture has improved ?

[Dave Brown]

... and yes Dec 81 was a bad one, diesel turned to gel and many trucks got standed heading through to Scotland on the M6. If it gets bad this December lets see if the diesel mixture has improved ?

No chance, they'll put on extra pumps charging £2 per litre from freeze proof diesel

[Dave in Warrington]

Annandale, Derbyshire hit a low of -10.8C last night so we are going out of November on a serious low again tonight across Northern England. It's already -5C in Annandale and not far behind across most lower lying inland districts ?

We could do with gas and electric prices coming down with petrol / diesel to compensate !