Is that when you get cut off by rising waters?

I've had enough this winter. I've got bad model fatigue, searching for a sustainable cold spell and sick of trying to figure out models which all seem to take turns disagreeing with each other. Every time a carrot has been dangled, it's soon been whipped away. (oo-er, missus!)

If snow comes, great - but it's too late in the season for ideal (strengthening sun, less able to sustain snow depths - especially on roads). But I give up watching for it.

This winter has indeed been a steaming pile of cack so far with not much hope of improvement!! 

I don't think it is just here though. Just got back from a weekend trip (property hunting) in South West France and folks there were saying the weather has been miserable for several weeks! It rained all weekend and was farily mild, however much of the land was waterlogged, all the way from Bordeaux to the Dordogne. Normally they have alot of sunny cool days down there in winter, with high pressure in charge, however the messed up jetstream has done for them too!

I blame the Yanks with their record breaking cold fest!! 

Is that an official WIO post, Saint? 

And if so, is it worth making a bold statement in the model output thread a la Andy Woodcock?

No - it's certainly not (and I nearly wrote such a caveat!). It's a 'que sera, sera' post.

I really don't know if winter will have a final hurrah, or meekly drift from autumn into spring. What I do know is that I can't be arsed trying to figure out which way it'll go by following flip-flopping model output.

I understand that perspective.  A cold spring is now looking a "sods-law" certainty.

Aberdeen's climate may not be the best on the planet but on average it's much drier there than in the west of Scotland. I think Aberdeen usually only gets about half the rainfall in a typical year than the west (especially the NW Highlands) receives.

Well it's nearly February and this thread is deserved! while the other evening we had falling snow, we still haven't had any settling snow. A very poor Winter round here, hopefully mid Feb can give us something to talk about in a positive way.

Because before then it looks rubbish with more of the same. I would just like to see settling snow before March please, fed up with seeing rain and mud 

If We had no winter, Then spring would not be so pleasant. ...

I see the models wants to give the Kent Coast strong to near-gale force southerly wind for tonight and into tomorrow.

I'm not bothered about the lack of snow and the rain doesn't affect my location as such as drainage is very good around here, but can't I at least go for more than two days without experiencing this boring annoying wind type?! I hate this wind as it comes streaming straight in from the Channel so it makes everything feel cold and draughty indoors.

Still, it is nice when the sun does stay out for long enough, like it has done so today, even when the wind is being a strong west or south west.

Well after two atrocious months I was unwisely thinking the other day that February might just pull a rabbit out of the hat and surprise us with some decent frosty, snowy winter weather. Alas, the latest model output suggests not, and we are in for more of the same. My nominal cut-off date for decent wintry conditions here in the lowlands is mid-Feb and from the current outlook this date is going to sail by without even a dusting of snow on the ground during the whole winter. Good riddance to this one, and I hope that whatever set of meteorological TLAs which have combined and conspired to trash this winter don't repeat this pattern again for a very, very long time

For me this winter is showing the downside of having access to all kinds of lovely shiny NWP output to look over. When I was a lad, desperate for snow and cold weather in winter, all I had to look at was the contryfile (was it Farmers Weekly?) long range forecast, where an upcoming cold spell might get the forecaster giving a twinkle in the eye, and a cryptic comment. As the spell got closer then the daily forecasts would start to mention it, until finally the charts where shown... I guess a lot of the classic spells have archive video somewhere on the web (maybe the 'dark web' I keep hearing about...), so I can relive this.

The point is that maybe, just maybe, we get too much opportunity to worry about the weather, and in a winter like this, where our best chance of seeing snow is probably watching the Olympics, if you don't want to be constantly dissappointed, don't look at the models (perhaps for days or weeks at a time!).

Its not helped that we've had much snowier winters in the UK in recent times than for a while, so we've come to almost expect it as a right...

Oh well - not even Feb yet! There is still time, and while some will say that longer days and the stronger sun mean it won't be epic - I disagree - look at 1947 for potential. I bet they weren't moaning back then that the sun was too warm for the snow to lie...

Worst winter I can remember, particularly in the south east, which has seen much more rain than it normally does. Even the slight continental influence on Kent's climate has been totally absent this winter. Just horrendous!! If this crap winter is followed by a cold damp spring, then we are in for a miserable few months yet!  I fear for 'Richard of Aberdeen'!! 

Current indications point towards early February's changeable conditions persisting through much of the rest of the month.

(latest MetO extended into Feb)

I fear the 'unthinkable' spectre of a completely snowless winter for CS England is rearing it's butt ugly head now.

The whole of winter's icy grasp looks like being condensed into Thursday here Neil, with the promise of a few flurries that will soon melt away. Could just go to Maccy D's for that.

Even New Orleans and the panhandle of Florida will have snow cover this week with Winter storm warnings issued, here in pathetic blighty we have rain lol 

http://wunderground.com/severe.asp

Once again I've not needed to wear my Winter Jacket, that's when you know things are bad. Even with the dross yesterday and Saturday a water proof with a long sleeved polo shirt was sufficent enough.

Hardly seen anyone in a hat, scarf and gloves ...always Spring I guess for that

Saw snowdrops today and daffs are starting to sprout - heartening in March but at the end of January? Pah!