I didn't see it; did he actually say there was no prospect of an easterly or just not mention anything about it?   I would understand the latter because it's what the charts are showing in the reliable timeframe. I'd be surprised if it was the former.

No Mate

But he was so 'bullish' about mild Atlantic weather

Hmmm, that is interesting, especially in view of what the MetO's update from earlier today said.

Can anyone remember from back in December 2009 how early that month the MetO first mentioned a change to a much colder spell in their 16-30 day updates? From what I recall the models (GFS anyway) first picked up on that in the first few days of the month, about a fortnight before that wintry spell commenced.

I think it was certainly the first half of the month. We were out for a meal on the night of Sat 12th in the Mid-Cheshire Ridge area and the forecast talked of possible wintriness on higher ground - and certainly on TWO there was a little bit of excitement. The developing trend was for fronts to pass through, dragging colder & colder air in behind as pressure built to our north. I was quite new to using my phone to access the net, but kept refreshing the radar - whilst occasionally popping outside to check if it was rain or something else falling. It was all rain, although with a bit of sleetiness on the drive home.

I was the following weekend that we got snow - starting with graupel showers, then a graupel/snow mix, then all snow - only around 8-10cm (ha! only! ) but the proper cold set in, lasting until Boxing Day, when we got light rain late afternoon, which made surfaces sheet ice. It took 2-3 days of slowly rising temps to melt all the snow. Then we got that brilliant fall in early Jan followed by the cold spell, which lasted pretty much all month.

Great winter

A Deakin ..........." probably mild into 2016 ,  I say probably because some computer models are starting to show some colder weather "

Seems much uncertainty

That pretty much sums up the model output that we've been looking at since Christmas Eve.

W COUNTRY Unsettled into New Year. Temps trend towards avg (& a 20% chance more pronounced colder). Bristol

Thats for Bristol so you'd imagine that areas further East and North have an even higher chance of 'pronounced colder' weather.

Blimey that's doubled  in a day. 

To my eyes there is a fair bit of uncertainty right now as to how next week will pan out, never mind the middle of January.

The whole situation looks a lot more complicated now that a lot of us thought would be the case.

The weather online update:

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-app/reports?LANG=en&MENU=weekahead&DAY=20151228

BTW - Where is the member Matty?

 That's not a nice thing to call him. 

Kidnapped by aliens, I heard.

Maybe Tally meant, remember Matty?😉

There use to be a Matty H on here? - Bristol?

Nah, he never existed. Must be a figment of your imagination 

A horrible, twisted figment 

He's busy Tally

Just to put you out of your misery