Matt Taylor talking about the potential for a small low pressure that could form to the east of the English channel pepping up the sleet and snow showers towards the southeast on Wednesday.

The national forecasts often contain sweeping descriptions  of temperature which don't seem to relate  well to actual temperature being shown.

Does anyone know how Meto classifies  winter temperatures and thir values -eg very mild,mild,rather mild,rather cold,cold,very cold.?

My own version for max day temps is 

Very mild>     10c

Mild             7-10C

Rather mild    5-7c

Rather cold     3-5C

Cold              0-3c

Very cold       < 0C

Met office update: - No sign of milder weather!?

UK Outlook for Tuesday 3 Feb 2015 to Tuesday 17 Feb 2015:

The unsettled conditions will probably continue across most parts of the UK during the first half of February, particularly for northern and western parts. Southern areas are probably most likely to experience some lengthier dry and clearer spells. Temperatures are currently signalled to be near, or a little below normal, which will bring a risk of night-time frosts, and also a wintry mix of rain, sleet and perhaps snow at times.

Updated at: 1440 on Mon 19 Jan 2015

Certainly down here 2013 felt like a genuinely cold winter regardless of the stats. There was plenty of snowfall and it stayed on the ground for decent periods of time. So far 2014 has had the feel of a mild winter, but I appreciate in Scotland this may not be the case.

Coldest in 4 years? Maybe in a single location, but overall? Bollox. 

Fergusssson:

W COUNTRY Risk of disruptive snow Weds looks small across S England; 30% chance of snow falling in any one location; 10% chance it settles

Perhaps that's what he was supposed to say.. coldest spell for 'Scotland'. Down here its certainly not been that cold, cool and locally cold maybe.

29th January 2012 - 12th February 2012 saw a lengthy cold spell down here with several ice days, and a fair bit of snow for some. There where widespread frost's with temperatures typically between -4C & -8C, even down on the coast temperatures occasionally dropped near -7C. I'm not sure what was the coldest but i know Benson dropped to -12.5C on one night.

Day times in hovered around freezing. 

That would make more sense. 

What was the lowest temperature.. i thought it was -12C?

Aboyne dropped to -12.5C back in January 2013... perhaps other spots where colder?

Just saw the weather by Darren Bett - what happened to the sleet and snow for Thursday?

I think it was -13.7°C but I will check.

Just another standard GFS Precip chart manifestation from a day or two back. Have they ever been accurate?

They talk about severe cold and this spell being the coldest for several years! Well, - Just for your guidance - 7th Jan 2010: - I captured David Braine forecasting these low fingures:

I'm only using this website and browsing individual stations, i could quite easily be missing other very cod temperatures 

http://en.tutiempo.net/climate/united-kingdom.html

It doesn't have Braemar 

It was at Loch Glascarnoch http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30870799

Braemar wasn't  as cold last night http://www.weathercast.co.uk/world-weather/weather-stations/obsid/99089.html

i meant to say i was using that website to check for cold temperatures in other recent years...

-13.7C  Nice 

Ah righteo sorry. That tutiempo site is really useful. 

I don't have specific dates for these forecasts so perhaps some of you can advise but some of these I captured were during beginning of January 2010 and a few (Peter Gibb's)/ Frozen Britain stats during the end of November and around beginning of December 2010 I am sure:  - I  know for a fact that neither of these BBC forecasts weren't during the winter of 2012/13.

Either winter December 2009 or 7th January 2010 or - December 2010 - I can' remember. but for the record ! December was the best for cold as well as snowfall.

 So (back to the hear and now) down to -2c tonight before rising to +1c by morning with increasing cloud cover!

Warnings now out for tonight's snow event:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings/#?tab=map&map=Warnings&zoom=5&lon=-3.50&lat=55.50&fcTime=1421712000&regionName=wm 

That finishes right on the tip of N Oxfordshire lol

About half way up the A423 I'd say.