This is the equation I devised to measure the "wintriness" of a winter.

10 x [(the number of days with lying snow)+(number of days with falling sleet/snow)+(number of days where the temperature has been at below 0C)] divided by the mean maximum temperature.

At the moment it is just 7.

I have only recorded 3 air frosts since the 1st December. I saw falling snow for the first time last Tuesday (11th February)

This winter has been an absolute shocker for wintriness. Even 1988-89, I saw lying snow at the back end of February, I saw lying snow during 1989-90. In 1997-98, I saw lying snow at the start of December. This winter, nothing except slight patchiness from Tuesday's brief fall. Looking at the charts, snow and frost prospects look extremely limited at best.

Least wintriest winters of recent times

2013-14: 7 up to 14th February
1988-89: 20
2006-07: 21
1997-98: 25
1974-75: 26
1989-90: 26
1973-74: 30
1987-88: 37
2007-08: 37
1991-92: 40
1975-76: 41
1999-00: 42
1992-93: 43
2002-03: 44
1994-95: 45
1998-9: 47
2004-05: 47
2011-12: 47
2001-02: 50
2003-04: 50

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 Great post there

That's amazing. But I'm not in the least bit surprised. I've had just 3 air frosts here in S.Cambs. I've not seen a single flake of snow - nor any sleet either as far as I recall. In the 3 frosts I've had the lowest temperature I've had this whole winter is -2C.

As for snow lying - forget it - no chance.

 

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Using that index, my winter scores less than 1! Frosts 1, days with sleet/snow 5 I think, no days with snow lying and a mean temperature of over 6c!

 

And yet it has by no means been the mildest winter has it?  I can think of a few winters that were milder in terms of the CET. Had a quick look at the Met Office figures and it would appear 1987-88 and 1989-90 were both milder, (compared with this winter so far) and I am sure there are others.  This started me thinking about a few other records such as the least variable in temperature and the windiest.  2013-14 must be right up there so far.  Any ideas on this?

Hmmn. 0 days with lying snow. 1 day with falling sleet/snow. 9 days with the temperature getting below zero Celsius. Mean maximum temperature 8.74*C.

 

That gives me a score of (100/8.74) = 11.9. It seems rather generous given that having a night just below freezing in winter is hardly noteworthy in these parts... but it was designed for an urban environment, so fair enough 

FWIW, taking the number of days seeing -1*C here this winter is only 4... pitiful.

 

 

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I've actually had more days in which I've heard thunder than I have had numbers of frosts.

And this in winter.

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Er it is exceptionally mild.  December was over 3C above average here, January was over 2C above average and February, possibly could end up another 2C above average.  Hunch is it's going to be probably in the top ten mildest winters.  97-98 may still be milder, but we will need some unexpected shift to colder conditions for it not to be the mildest winter since at least then here. 

According to Global Warming in the February CET watch thread today, (worth reading his post.... he has been more studious with the stats than me!),  this winter is odds on to be the 12th mildest in the CET series.  As I said there have been milder winters. The odd thing is that we have not had a truly notable MILD spell throughout. I can recall winters where temps of 12C + were recorded day after day and probably many of them came out with a lower average CET than this one appears to be heading for.

You are right about this winter 2013-14 being the least variable ever (at least up to today and the rest of Feb looks unlikely to change that)

Using the MAX CET as the comparative, there are two measurements that put 2013-4 on or near the top of the table of "average-ness" of temperature

1. In terms of extreme temperature days 2013-4 only has 2 days this winter with a MAX CET either 3.0C or under or 12.0C or over. This is equal top with 1924-25. At the other end of the scale 1962-63 had 63 days

2. In terms of extreme temperature range between the highest and lowest MAX CET in the whole winter, 2013-4 has a range of 9.0C (4.0 to 13.0) which is just beaten by 1924-25 at 8.9C (3.4 to 12.3). At the other end of the scale 1944-45 was 19.5 (-4.5 to 15.0) and 1986-87 was 19.4 (-5.7 to 13.7)

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Thanks for that lanky. As you would expect some sort of correlation between low variability in temperature and windiness, presumably 1924-25 was pretty blowy as well.

I reckon I will have recorded more air frosts last March than the period October 2013 to Febraury 2014

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Well the Manchester Winter Index is still 7

It's impossible for it to exceed the 1988-89 value.

I reckon it has been the least wintriest winter around here for decades, at least since WWII

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Same here Kev although Winter 2006/07 ran it close but 2007 had more frost and a little snow so it wasn't actually as bad as this year.

Penrith Newton rigg weather station is one of the oldest in the UK with a reliable record going back to 1903, since snowfall records started in 1940 every year apart from 2007 and now 2014 had at least one day with lying snow at 9am.

OK we could still get a snow cover in March but I doubt it, so I reckon this will go down as the duck of all time.

The amazing thing is that such wet winters normally throw up the odd North Westerly which easily brings low level snow to Cumbria especially as Penrith is at 150 meters but this winter has been devoid of any proper north westerly incursions, never seen anything like it.

Andy

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It hasn't been that mild though for those living on higher ground in Scotland. The Scottish ski resorts have had a real dumping of snow this winter with colder aire digging in at times, probably as a result of the many atlantic depressions tracking further south and deluging southern areas in the process. We haven't had either a Bartlett High or Euro High in place this winter as far as I'm aware. Had either of those been in place for any length of time, than I imagine that (a) southern parts of England would never have had the enormous deluge of rain causing major flooding issues that they have endured and (b) there would have been little, if any appreciable snowfall over the Scottish mountains.

I'm also fairly sure that no weather forecast I have seen on TV recently has mentioned anything about this winter being exceptionally mild either.

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So if a winter is totally un-notable, does that make it very notable? 😉

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Very notable in the sense that it has been one load of virtually uninterrupted dirge from start to finish, as proved by the extremely low scoring on Kevin's index!

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No frost.

No lying snow

I can't see anything wintry rest of day

Least wintriest winters of recent times

2013-14: 7
1988-89: 20
2006-07: 21
1997-98: 25
1974-75: 26
1989-90: 26
1973-74: 30
1987-88: 37
2007-08: 37
1991-92: 40
1975-76: 41
1999-00: 42
1992-93: 43
2002-03: 44
1994-95: 45
1998-99: 47
2004-05: 47
2011-12: 47
2001-02: 50
2003-04: 50

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What was the 7 for, is it possible to get zero?

Anyway it's a terrible toll and we will remember this winter for all the wrong reasons.

Andy

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3 days where minima got below zero and 3 days where falling sleet/snow fell and that was it.

Zero is possible with you recording no occasions below zero and no occasions of wintry precipitation.

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I got even less than that.

3 nights of frost only.

Coldest night -2C

No sign of any sleet or snow falling at all in any of the winter months.

 

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