Will february be the real winter month ?

[Nigel]

Signs are that february will be cold.
A huge high is forming over scandanavia, eastern europe and into russia.
The air over europe is unusually warm so thats a big plus, but if the high pressure sticks the temperature will fall daily.
This kind of high is quite common for February so it wouldnt be a surprise.
It would be a good idea to get the winter protection ready.

[stephenprudence]

It's quite likely we will get an easterly, and the west mainland will be hit worse, that seems fairly possible. However at the moment, it doesn't look too horrific, plenty of time for change though.

[Adam D]

Wasn't armaggedon supposed to have arrived a week or two ago, but didn't?

I am just going to wait and see.

[Mr List]

i've decided the -3's and 4's we have a week ago are the worst weather my garden will have this winter.
and that is the end of it.

[Yorkshire Kris]

i've decided the -3's and 4's we have a week ago are the worst weather my garden will have this winter.
and that is the end of it.

Same here!

[Tom2006]

Meto predict 50:50 chance of easterly or westerly. A true frigid easterly is very rare so I am hopeful that it won't happen. I do see frosts returning.

[Dave Brown]

It's quite likely we will get an easterly, and the west mainland will be hit worse,

This seems to be a new Phenomenon. Only seen since 2009. Traditionally the East has always born the brunt of Siberian easterlies, with the West getting off lightly.

[GoggleboxUK]

Getting off lightly suits me fine.

[Conifers]

It's quite likely we will get an easterly, and the west mainland will be hit worse,

This seems to be a new Phenomenon. Only seen since 2009. Traditionally the East has always born the brunt of Siberian easterlies, with the West getting off lightly.

Nope, in the 1981/82 winter, the coldest places in England were in Shropshire and Cheshire. Shawbury (Shrops) got something like -28° if I remember rightly, whereas Tynemouth (Northumbs, east coast) got away with -7°.

[Dave Brown]

Nope, in the 1981/82 winter, the coldest places in England were in Shropshire and Cheshire. Shawbury (Shrops) got something like -28° if I remember rightly, whereas Tynemouth (Northumbs, east coast) got away with -7°.

From Stephen's term 'west' I read into it more coastal, Certainly Shropshire I would class as central, as nowhere near a coast. I was referring to the Cornish sea cliffs getting -9C.

[GREVILLE]

Even at 50/50 mild or cold, I reckon the cold won't be severe - as long as it doesn't last

[stephenprudence]

charts seem to be backing away but its not a case of it's gone, it's case of whats happening because I don't know

[Nigel]

Nope, in the 1981/82 winter, the coldest places in England were in Shropshire and Cheshire. Shawbury (Shrops) got something like -28° if I remember rightly, whereas Tynemouth (Northumbs, east coast) got away with -7°.

From Stephen's term 'west' I read into it more coastal, Certainly Shropshire I would class as central, as nowhere near a coast. I was referring to the Cornish sea cliffs getting -9C.

Dave, when cold air comes from the east it gets warmed up a bit as it crosses the channel, hits you, then as it passes over land it cools again so the west usually gets the lowest temps. You usually get the brunt of cold winds and any snow but the west usually gets the lowest temps.

Stephen there is such a huge block of high to the north west I dont see you getting away with it. Its fortunate europe is unusually warm , but the longer that high sits there the more cold it will accumulate and the stronger it will get. I dont see severe cold though, europe is too warm, if the high sits there for more than a fortnight it could happen.

[Dim]

some guys on forums in the USA are saying that the geese are returning early

that could be a sign that the rest of the winter there will not be harsh?

I also read a post of someone in the UK reporting the same about geese returning here

[Conifers]

Some geese have been behaving very strangely in Britain this winter! Large numbers of European White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Geese (which usually winter in the Netherlands) arrived in eastern Britain in early November (probably due to SE winds, fog and poor visibility during migration), and have stayed the whole winter instead of relocating back to the Netherlands as soon as the fog cleared (which is what everyone expected them to do). Maybe some of them also have memories of a nasty winter last year in the Netherlands. It'll be interesting to see if they liked Britain enough to return again next winter.

Pink-footed Geese (which usually winter in Britain) have been more normal in behaviour, except that a lot have stayed in Scotland and northern England without moving down to Norfolk (which they often do if the north gets snowed up). So they've responded to the mild winter more predictably.

Greylag Geese have also behaved normally, most of them wintering in Scotland as expected.