And newspaper forecast, but I can't remember the last time I actually looked at one. I remember those premium rate phone lines too, I used to always use them. Well until the bill arrived......

Does anybody remember the Ceefax weather reports from various locations (p404 I think) that used to scroll round?

For those wanting an impressive cold spell - We can't write this winter off yet.

For cold fans one's been spoilt with the Decembers of 2008, 2009, 2010 (mega) 2011 and 2012 - All of which delivered snow before Xmas.

December 2010 was in a class of its own and I think - well imo that was the most impressive cold month I can recall - In some respects it eclipsed January 1979 really.

I totally agree Saint

I have had many snow events here in Banbury , I guess I have been very lucky, I always want more

It's hard to find any words to describe this winter so far, that aren't expletives. Mild gloom followed by a useless flop northerly, followed by stupidly mild gloom. No signs of any change at the moment that would avoid giving our third successive write-off festive period.

These are the last four temps recorded here: 6,10,7,9

At first glance nothing seems unusual, just a period of moderately above average temperatures. However these are not the maxima but the minima

It’s got as high as 12-13C twice during the night then during the day it’s cooler and with overcast and a damp chilly wind it’s far from pleasant. 7C mins forecast for the next few nights and day after day of cloud as well

Utterly disgusting and makes me want to hibernate. Even December 1988 did not have minima anywhere near as mild. This is Scilly Isles winter weather

Welcome back, Aberdeen Richard

Aha!  The moaning thread at last.  My moan is that it's taken as long as 11 days for someone to start it. 

Argh!  I need snow now.  We haven't had any since April and I'm missing it. 

I can appreciate what people are saying with all the replies to my opening post!

However, wouldn't it be just great if we got a proper full on cold spell that lasted a couple of months rather than just a weekend? December 2010 notwithstanding, our cold spells seem to be so shortlived and then the weather pendulum swings the other way and we are into crazy mild weather!!

I guess what I'm driving at is when it comes to other types of weather we seem to get many more extreme events, say for example prolonged heavy rain. Look at the countless floods over the last couple of decades. I can recall shocking rain events in North Wales when it rained solidly for days on end, and widespread flooding occured. There have been periods of prolonged drought here in the south east especially, when it hasn't rained for weeks on end! There are also periods where zonal mild and wet weather persists for months on end!

How come snow never persists for months on end?

Yes December 2010 was snowy and very cold. But it wasn't week after week after week of snowfall..it was 10-15 days at most. The longest snowy period I can recall was 78-79. That was the year we made an igloo in the garden that lasted till April!!

Having lived in Wales for ten years I saw more rain than I care to remember. I mean whole months where it rained EVERY day in the autumn or winter. Does anybody remember the last time it snowed every day for more than a fortnight?

I am not convinced that winters with widespread snow are here to stay in the UK!

I think the problem is 2010 spoilt many of us in the fact we had snow at the very end of November and then again just before Christmas, since then alot of people including myself start asking when will Winter start. I have to admit though looking back that 2010 started to be a bit of a bumber regarding work and bills and I was finally pleased when it buggered off

In our terms we regard Winter starting on the 1st of December so basically we are 11 days in, since then we had the events of the surge and a nice crisp frost last night/this morning.... I'm not complaining yet and I'm turning my interests towards other interesting weather events rather than looking for snow all the time.

I remind people we had the same last year, winter is over posts time and time again and we ended up having to be patient. Let's face it down here in Kent especially if we get half a dozen days of snow or atleast snow cover then we have done well imo.

Still plenty of time for things to change, we see them change within a few days at times so KEEP THE FAITH

P.S Remember the " When will summer start " posts...... we had to wait, the majority got rewarded

Well I've only lived in Kent since June 2011, when we moved down here from North Wales. Therefore I missed the impact of the December 2010 event here in Kent, however we did get a decent amount of snow in "mild" North West wales (warmed by the Gulf Stream). I was under the impression (before moving) that Kent did really well for snowfall because it has a more continental climate and it is often much colder here than places in the west of the UK.

However a full on raging easterly with blizzards has not transpired during my time in Kent so far. Yes I agree it is early days for winter 2013/14, but unseasonably mild weather is forecast in the run up to Xmas and beyond, so I am not holding out much hope for the rest of 2013. Maybe will will get some decent snow in early 2014?

I sit here anxiously awaiting some snow and ice. Then I think back to March this year and the incredible weather we had. We cannot write this off yet. If April arrives and we've seen nothing, fair enough.

I have an inkling this year we'll be back to mild. Makes those photos of those past few winters that extra bit special.

No complaint from me and excited about going to Toronto to see real winter weather so I am not bother about here.

I must confess for all my complaining, I am off to iceland soon; so 

Just to rub it in.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/12/11/if-only/

Very interesting weather event there and only 6C as a max in Nicosia today from 15C yesterday.  It show it can get that cold easily despite the warmer Med sea temps that still hover around 20-21C. 

And the weather is forecast to get worse over the next 24-36 hours, with high winds continuing.

2010 wasn't much to write home about in much of Kent - here on Sheppey, for example, it was beaten in terms of snow depth and cold daytime highs by the winters of 1996/7, 1995/6, 1990/1, 1986/7, 1985/6, 1984/5....

It's been a long time since the last easterly with large icicles, daytime highs of -2C or less and a foot of snow... 1996/7 was the last time it happened around here. Kent can do really, really well out of a proper easterly but they've been severely lacking in the last 17 years or so.

I presume that's because of your coastal location, for 2010 anyway. North Kent got hit hard and had superb amounts of snow

Yes with slowing rising uppers and more precips which possible see some snow in Nicosia at some point for a short time.  I wish we have those type over the UK with temps drop quickly in any unsettled spells than rising or static temps.

Cyprus!!! Unbelievable..you couldn't make it up!!

I live near a village called Longfield which is on the edge of the North Downs. The house is only at 70 metres above sea level, however if snow is around we usually seem to get some!

This photo was taken in January this year, but the snow only lasted a few days!

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Yes with the 20-21C sea tenps doesn't stop them getting snow almost widespread inland and strong northerly winds brought precips compare to here always get dry and sunny under northerlies.  

You're right with regards to 2010 for many areas. Although parts of the NE and E got snow early in the cold spell (lots of snow!), many parts of the UK had to wait until closer to Xmas. I remember getting a bit fretful around mid-December, as a couple of forecasted fronts that would have brought snow didn't materialise. I was getting resigned to a cold but green Xmas, when the snow finally came.

But, overall, I actually think snow has stayed around on the ground longer in the past few years. Not for weeks and weeks, but certainly longer than it used to. I know because I got preoccupied about snow just not staying around for more that a day or two (mainly due to frontal snow from the west/south west, with warmer air tucking in behind). Additionally, after seeing several snow events 'waste' half the fall in getting it to stick, I was fixated with the idea of getting 'snow on snow'.

We had good (ie >10cm) snowfalls in Dec 2000, Mar 2006, Dec 2009, Jan 2010, Dec 10 and, the Mar 06 (2 days) and Dec 00 (3 days) falls aside, the snow stuck around for several days.

I recall a day sometime in the mid 90's when, after a cold spell, a major front moved in mid-morning. We got heavy snow from around 10.30am. By lunchtime, the snow was approaching around 20cm deep and still coming down fast. The town was gridlocked - I know because me & the missus needed to go home at lunchtime (5 miles). We got less than half way in over half an hour and turned back. When we arrived back at work, we were told we could all leave for the day due to the weather. By 4pm, the PPN had turned to heavy rain, and by 7pm the snow had all but been washed away. That seemed to be typical of that era (not the depth, but the fact it never lasted more than a day)