I wonder how many of us alive now will ever get to experience a 1947 or 1963 type winter, unless god help us, the Gulf Stream shuts down.

No ice on windows and massive icicles in gutters as we have better heating in homes now I think?

Most view past Winter cold spells with rose tinted glasses. Apart from the last 2 Winters, have been some very good cold spell's and a few 20cm falls of snow imby. That's about as good as it get's for this location.

Unless you live on top of a hill, knee deep snow and giant icicles are very rare for most location's the UK

Locally there were some decent snowfalls in that period between 2009 and 2013 but I would have to agree with Darren and say that none of us have had a 'true easterly'.

The last true easterly was early in January 1997..a long time ago now !

A 'true' easterly and what it is capable of would shock the younger generation. By shock I mean daytime temperatures of -5c or lower in a howling easterly, sea freezing and icicles as previously mentioned...Ground hard as iron, water like a stone.

It will happen again. 

Couldn't ask for a much nicer chart in September for many people. Warm-feeling and settled in dduring the day and cool with ground frost potential at night. Decent for early autumn.

As for icicles from gutters? I wouldn't have though that modern insulation would make a massive difference as decreased heat radiation from the building would in a way compensate for increased roof snow melt? We have had some massive icicles here a few times in the last ten years.

I don`t remember the 1947 winter as I was only a five year old but I do remember walking up Buxton Road in Macclesfield to watch motorists probing huge showdrifts with garden canes searching for their cars abandoned during a blizzard.

Not sure when that was, but probably the mid 1950s.

In 1963 I was working on a partially completed block of flats, no windows just holes in the brickwork, and the block faced East into the biting wind. I`ve never been so cold in my life and thermometers on site usually registered a high each day of 2 or 3 degrees below freezing.

We had hardly any snow though because we were protected by the Pennines, but the wind chill made it almost impossible to do much work.

From my perspective a true 'easterly' spell is not necessarily all about snow. It's sub zero maxima, powder and drifting snow when it falls, snow falling even between shower clouds, icicles growing over several days, ice on ponds and the sea shore and if you're really lucky, the fabled Channel low blizzard.

Here in S Hampshire you have to go back to 97 or better still 91 to see that. 

Anyone under 20 wouldn't know what hit them should we get a true Easterly blast again.

Thought I was on the wrong thread. Over a page and not a model related post. Wouldn't get away with that on the other channel.

Good signs none the less, winter 08-09 was a largely cold, dry and frosty one from October onwards. It also ended with a very snowy Feb for some.

the same here just over 20C

but it was high pressure over the lowlands & Scandinavia during the winter of 08-09 that was very stubbern to move. 

Frost was recorded every night but one at Thorney from late November until early February!!! Pretty amazing even for a rural spot. 

Who's up for an Indian Summer then!

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Recm1441.html

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Recm1922.html

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Recm2402.html Scorchio!!!

That translates directly to 17C at the surface at Reading. I'd suspect it'll be undercooking that a bit, but do remember that we're at the time of year now where high pressure doesn't automatically mean scorching highs!

looking at the models its seem that we are going to have some very warm dry settled weather, is this the calm before the storm as alot of forecasters are suggesting that november is going to be very wet and stormy with gales with deep low depressions will filter in from the atlantic, bringing some serve wetaher to the UK,  i know we are 6 weeks away from november and could change but there is oviously some sort of inclination there of this happening,

High pressure near us this time of year can lead to early cold pools further east, which help establish the Russian winter.

Indeed. As I always say, Keep an eye on the back of the high!

Ever since I so called upgraded to Windows 10 I have had all sorts of problems copying and pasting links across to here from websites hence I can only provide a link to my report for the time being while I ascertain what is going on.

http://www.norton-radstockweather.co.uk/Model-Analysis(2859336).htm

Hard to say but that would not be too much of an unusual occurrence in late Autumn anyway. I do recall though that the tempests of Winter 2013-2014 were preceded by an unusually long stretch of anti-cyclonic weather which lasted for weeks.

Please God I don't think I'd could stand another winter like that again.