January is so far shaping up to be typical of recent years - pretty dull most of the time but with spells of very strong wind.  It's my birthday month and I always wish for snow on my birthday and almost every year I get rain. 

This year, I'm not wishing for snow because I'm going away.   I'm flying out from Gatwick on 21st and would rather not have any delays, so sod's law says it will snow. 

It's seems no matter how awful December is these days January is guaranteed to be even worse.

Just one pathetic frost so far this month that lasted only 3 hours. Even by this stage of last January there had been three

This current cold spell is utterly revolting. Yesterday a hideously unpleasant windy day that was unbearable to be out in. A useless spell of snow that failed to stick and now it's bone dry again. Challenging 1988/89 for lack of precipitation of any sort.

Temperatures stuck around 2C all day yet still it got nowhere near freezing last night. Min of 0.8C. Lamentable for a so called cold spell approaching mid-January. Would rather have mild weather than this. It got closer to freezing on 30th December from a max of 9C

Don't bother to look through all the model output now. Just check this http://wxmaps.org/pix/prec4.html and clear to see from the precipitation distribution it's yet another week of mind-numbing zonal dross coming up. Just when will this end? The first map on that link has looked the same all winter 

I saw Scotland - the whole of it virtually covered in snow showers today!?

Not even a snow shower or flurry in Abderdeen?

But if it was mild Richard we wouldn't hear from you at all

You are the king of complaint

Not today, but then again no snow was or is forecast for here today. We are a very sheltered from precipitation in a westerly flow. I was actually susprised to see snow showers  on and off for a couple of hours yesterday.

As for December here, it was significantly drier than normal with significantly more sunshine than average too. OK, it was not overly wintry but it was generally a very good month. Often dry bright and sunny and much better than the previous two months.

I might see some snow showers this Tuesday, tho I think it wont be till feb or late feb that will will see some snow in my neck of the woods, if not then im going to stick my two fingers up at this winter and wait for next winter. have to wait and see we are only half way thru winter anyway, so far its been PANTS,

Absolutely, Michael, December was a great month for the East Coast of Scotland. Dry, sunny with plenty of very pleasant days. To be honest I'd take that all winter!

I really do need to master this moaning lark. ;-)

2-5cm Late Tuesday night  according to a post by Mr Ian Fergusson.. So no moaning from me if it happens... For this area...

It seems to me Michael that the weather is Richard's part of Aberdeen must more often than not be completely different to the area of the city that you reside in!

Perhaps I am being daft but where 31 days until spring thing come from? The last time I checked we were still in the first half of winter?  (And that is irrespective if you use the astronomical or meteorological definition for the seasons)

edit: David, Richard has own personal little angry cloud over his head that follows him wherever he goes 

The output is not looking like it's going my way at all this year.  OK, it's 10 days away but it's still a threat and driving from Nottinghamshire to Gatwick in the middle of the night might not be a good idea.  A drive down during the day on the 20th and a hotel stay might be a better option, just to be sure we're there in time to check in.  Though there's nothing we can do about flight delays due to snow. 

I can honestly say this is the first time in my life I've felt negatively about the prospects of snow. 

Ice/SNOW warnings will be issued tomorrow morning.. This ensures continuity of present warnings. Posted By Mr Ian Fergusson on S.W region on the other side... (N-W)  

Heh, I know what you mean Caz. Back in 2004, I was due to fly to Miami with my beautiful girlfriend, to start our Caribbean "Jive n Cruise". We were due to fly out from Heathrow on Sat 31st Jan, but a few days earlier on Wed 28th, came that infamous thunder snow event. Part of me was watching it in awe, the other in absolute fear!. So I booked us into a hotel at Heathrow, to make damn sure we were at the airport in good time....and I only lived down the road in Chertsey!

I gave up smoking on the morning of the flight - remember so vividly to this day, standing in the frozen solid hotel car park, freezing my nuts off, to have my last ever ciggie. Twenty four hours later, we were basking in the 80+F sunshine in Miami. Two weather blisses (blissi?) at opposite ends of the thermometer...happy days  - 

Irrespective of astro/meteorological definitions come the second week of February the sun really starts to feel spring like down here.

Using latitude difference between our locations then there is huge difference in potential solar energy as we approach mid February... food for thought here the latitudinal difference between us is the same for me and Bilbao  Also i'm at sea level 

For the next ten days, I'll be watching the forecast with great interest and ever decreasing finger nails! 

Oh dear tonights snow event looks more than likely to miss our little neck of the woods which considering we never miss any of the rain bearing fronts from the SW/W/NW is amazing. Another forgetful winter too add to the list of many over the years, where's my passport.

Another way of looking at the main problem this winter:

The rainfall anomaly for Ponta Delgada in the Azores was roughly 8% of average in December 2014 and remains below average at a similar level so far in January. In December 2010 the rainfall anomaly was 212%! 

I can't see anything significant changing until that massive high shifts - it's strength and position is the one constant through most of the winter so far and apart from some brief forays east and west over the current model outputs it seems quite happy where it is for the time being. 

Looks like us and probably a few other NW'ers will be taking up residence in this thread tomorrow evening

GLAD TO SEE MET OFFICE WEATHER WARNINS NOW SHOW A WARNING FOR THE IMPENDING   SNOW....

ah yes there is that too... That is actually the more common thing for back edge snowfall to do down here. 

:-(

We are in an extending period of cold zonality and this situation should be a dream in Cumbria as we are far enough north and exposed to the westerly wind. Such situations even in the recent past has brought plenty of snow even in non winter months.

But that was until 2015 which so so far yielded 3 snow showers and a 1cms cover that lasted two hours! And to rub salt into the wound tomorrow looks like being snowier in the Midlands!!

Someone is having a laugh but I don't think it's funny.

Andy

Hey, at least it's showing Cumbria to get some snow - it misses us out completely before reorganising over the sodding Midlands