Snow Watch Leg 3

According to the latest met office weather warnings there is a good chance of snow across most of the country on Thursday.

Updates will follow

Source: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/images/snow-depth-2-Dec-2010-0900.jpg

Check this out for a map of the lying snow. Adding insult to injury at Snow Watch Headquarters is that we are right in the middle of that small finger of no snow in the middle of the country. 50 miles in either direction and you have piles of it but nothing here.

Current update: little lying snow left with the odd flake in the air, bitterly cold.

Snow Watch Leg 2 update

Well the blizzards did not materialise, believe it or not I am in the small part of the country which has got away with only 1 / 2 cm of snow. Yet travel 50 miles east, south or north and you see feet and inches of the stuff.

The main roads are completely clear and even the estate back roads are only slightly icy. Its hard to reconcile the tv news saying the whole country has come to a complete halt when all of us in Oxfordshire are going about our normal hum drum lives.

Of course next week the situation could be completely reversed.

I am sure it is absolutely terrible in Scotland and in the north east but I cant help secretly liking the idea of 100cm of lying snow. A once in a life time experience, one you would perhaps rather reflect on by the pool in 32 degrees of sunshine but an experience none the less.

All we can expect round here over the next few days are a few night snow showers.

Snow Watch Winter 2010/11 - Leg 1 Update and new Leg 2

Well this season has got off with back to back legs.

Leg 1 Update

This was the snow that was due today. The warnings were quickly downgraded over the last couple of days and in the end we just got a "shake" of snow overnight. For non snow watch regulars a shake is what you would get if you get an icing sugar duster and give it a shake. It has already almost vanished. Judging by the cloud cover although snow like, it does not have that heavy pregnant look so it seems that is pretty much the end of leg 1.

1254 hours: Very slight flakes in the air

Leg 2 - Blizzard Watch

Yes, you heard it right the met office put out an early warning for Tuesday yesterday with a chance of blizzards:

Rain is expected to spread northwards during the day, turning to snow widely as it does so. Strong northeasterly winds will also be a feature, perhaps reaching gale force in exposed areas. This will lead to the potential for blizzard conditions in places, with significant disruption a possibility. At present, these conditions seem likely to continue into Wednesday.

Issued at: 1144 Fri 26 Nov

This is expected to cover the whole of the south of England. A couple of technical weather points for you. Snow usually comes down from the north, when it comes from the south it turns from rain to snow as it moves to the north. In addition if the new low pressure overwhelms the cold high pressure (already in place) then it may warm up increasing the likelihood of rain. Basically for the best snow fall you want to be on the cold side of the pressure battleground giving maximum snow. Of course if it is cold enough and the pressures are finally balanced you also get a heavy snow fall.

So snow could be on the way up from the south but it may fall as rain, or fall as rain first. Only updates from the met office will give us a better idea of what is going to happen.

For a bit of fun, here is an artist's impression of me standing in a blizzard. If you look very closely you can see me waving.

Of course while I have been writing this article the met office have given their daily update, blizzards has been changed to heavy and drifting snow on Tuesday for the east and not the south of England. The good news is that I am still due to get some.





Latest met office update is:

There is a moderate risk of severe weather affecting northern and eastern parts of the UK. Strong north-easterly winds and heavy snow showers will lead to accumulations of 5 to 10cm quite widely and up to 20cm in places. There may also be some drifting of snow in the wind.

Issued at: 1158 Sat 27 Nov

There are also warnings out for Wednesday for snow although not for Oxfordshire although that could change over the coming days.

More analysis and news from North Oxfordshire Snow watch in due course.

Snow Watch Winter 2010/11 - Leg 1

Snow is on its way.

For a very early start to the season we have our first weather advisory issued for North Oxfordshire this Saturday there is a moderate chance of heavy snow with potential for accumulations of 1 - 5 cm.

Now as many seasoned snow veterans know a weather advisory does not automatically mean a blizzard especially 4 days out from the actual event. This could be downgraded or upgraded as we get closer to Saturday.

The good news is that snow showers are forecast from Thursday onwards.

Watch the met office for an update tomorrow lunchtime. Watch this space, will the season start with full on snow or will it turn into a damp squib. Only time will tell.