Anyone remember the run up to Christmas 2004 and GFS churned out virtually run after run showing a cold NWly flow for Christmas Day? I think it started out at right out at 384hrs. I don't recall many variations. Has anyone kept those runs? I remember eagerly watching every GFS run and the big day getting closer and closer.

I  remember a bit of stink up when the Isobel Lang Countryfile forecast of 12th December 2004 saying it was probably going to be a mild Christmas and some saying has she not seen the GFS?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2LilK_ESf8

---

Yes, remember it well. I was a lurker at the time but enjoyed following the model thread. I joined a few months later

I think Christmas was cold and frosty for us down here. No snow, but at least it was seasonal. I remember Boxing Day was also very frosty and of course was the day of the Tsunami

 

---

Isobel is now on Sky. She doesnt look any older

---

I distinctly remember the GFS models on Netweather. under the Precipitation type drop down was deep reds all over the north west. I really thought it wouldnt pull off.

At the time i was living in Manchester and woke that morning to a slight wet dusting of snow. it snowed on and off during the day with a dusting covering some roads and pavements.

The heavy snow arrived around 4pm on the drive to the Wirral. It was like i was driving at warp speed along the m56 in the dark with the headlights on.

One of those perfect christmas scenarios - people arriving at peoples doorsteps with others getting xmas presents from their cars with it teaming with snow. Th

Snowed til about 10pm IIRC leaving about 3 inches deep. Lovely scene,

---

This was 6 weeks after my eldest was born and I would have the laptop on in bed hitting refresh every 10 seconds so that I could see the next chart. My wife thought i was being the model husband and father waiting up for his feeds, I told her the next year that it had been more about model watching than anything else:)

---

I remember it well. I put £10 each on a White Christmas for Glasgow, Aberdeen & Manchester about a week before, based on the output. The odds were still OK, as I think we'd not had a cold spell so far that month. Think I got something like 3-1, 2-1 & 4-1.

We got snow pellet showers from lunchtime, which turned more to an alternating snow pellet-snowflake mix as the afternoon wore on. Left about 3-4cm covering. We were having Xmas dinner with the wife's family, and had a post-turkey snowball fight. We then drove to my parents about 4 miles away. The temp plummeted as the skies cleared and night came in, turning the roads to ice rinks. Our eldest daughter was only 1 at the time, and we drove home about 10pm. The missus was driving and I don't think she got about 20mph all the 5 miles. Much relief once we pulled into the drive!

---

The last time snow fell where I was on Christmas Day was when I was 3 months old. Needless to say that was a very long time ago, and I don't remember it. I have seen (and remember) snow on the ground on Christmas Day three times in my life (1981, 2009, 2010).

But yes, I do remember that Isobel Lang forecast, and remember there was a slight chance of seeing something wintry that evening where I was in Mattyland at the time. I may have seen a flake in amongst the cold rain at about 11.59pm but can't say that counted!

---