Manchester Winter Indices

2013-14: 7

1988-89: 20

2006-07: 21

1997-98: 25

1974-75: 26 

1989-90: 26

2015-16: 28

1973-74: 30 

1987-88: 37

2007-08: 37

1991-92: 40

1975-76: 41 

2016-17: 41

1999-00: 42

1992-93: 43

2002-03: 44

1994-95: 45

1998-99: 47

2004-05: 47

2011-12: 47

2001-02: 50

2003-04: 50

2017-18: 54 (up to 8th Feb)

2005-06: 59

1979-80: 66 

1996-97: 72

2000-01: 77

1993-94: 78

2014-15: 82

1983-84: 82 

1982-83: 85

1977-78: 90 

1980-81: 90 

1986-87: 100

2012-13: 102

2008-09: 105

2010-11: 119

1990-91: 126

1995-96: 135

1984-85: 140

1976-77: 141 

1981-82: 149 

1985-86: 159

2009-10: 197

1978-79: 262 

And that is what I will do here because I too, like to see cold and snow during the winter although to me, that is more as something seasonal to look at rather than having to be out and about in. However, I would say that I equally like to see high pressure and thunderstorms during the summer as well, as there is nothing better at that of time than to experience a heatwave which lasts for a certain significant period of time before eventually breaking down in thunderstorms.

What you add all of that together though, the reason why I look for that cold and snow in winter in addition to the high pressure and thunderstorms in summer is because I would just like the seasons to behave in the way that we were brought up to expect them to. This means that whilst I would like to see a cold and severe winter, I would equally like to see a decent summer with plenty of warm, sunny weather and my ideal synoptics would therefore be for the Azores High to be dominating our weather during the summer with our winters being dominated by a large blocking high to the north which feeds in really cold easterly winds from Siberia.

That isn't actually the norm when it comes our weather and all too often in this country, our summers tend to be poor, unsettled and relatively cool whilst our winters tend to be mild, wet and often stormy (I know that this hasn't been a mild winter here in this part of the world, but every other winter from 2013/14 onwards has been). However, the fact that this hasn't been the norm is not the actual reason why I crave those things.

Yet again the temperature dipped below freezing during the night only to end up well above freezing by dawn with no visible frost 

Yet again it's another miserable depressing, grey and sunless Saturday. This is really starting to grate especially now then sun is starting to climb noticeable higher in the sky. Since the turn of the year only 20th Jan and the afternoon of the 27th Jan have seen any sunshine

Absolutely awful strong, damp southerly wind as well and only 3.1C. Unpleasant and uninteresting in the extreme.

Not to dissimilar to the diabolical first half of last February which then gave way to an exceptionally mild SW'ly second half. I would imagine exactly the same will happen this year which would make for a hugely disappointing end to the 5th dire non-winter in a row.

That would still be far preferable to a continuation of the appalling, pointless and useless cold windy, snowless garbage that has made winter a write-off since the turn of the year

Could do with some days of really deep frosts. Not seen any hoare   frosts of late..

Gone very wild outside. Very windy but where's the wind warning?

Like many on here I`m sick of this wet, miserable, stormy winter. If we are ever going to have another `memorable`winter can we have a repeat of 1962-3?

I would love to experience a repeat, this time from the comfort of a warm home, rather than working through it on a building site, freezing to death!

Well this winter keeps on pulling the rabbit out of the hat. Unfortunately every time it’s a dead one ravaged by myxomatosis

Just when I thought things couldn’t sink any lower, I woke up to 2C, rain lashing down and a strong wind. Eventually turned white resulting in beautiful scenes of slush and puddles against a slate grey sky.

Put me in mind of the unadulterated horror show that was March 2013. The prospect of something even half as bad as that, is suicide-inducing on top of this winter and the miserable summer and autumn that preceded it.

Today also brought a stark reminder of just how much a prolonged dry spell of several months is needed over the spring and summer. Only 8.8mm but the amount of surface water is unreal and the Denburn was close to overflowing again. Evidence of how saturated the ground is after years of ridiculously wet summers, never allowing the ground to dry out.

Cleared by sunset but as usual the repulsive wind is preventing the temperature falling to as low as it should be reaching. Barely below freezing now despite being only 1C at sunset

Just when the hell are we going to get a break and be allowed to enjoy something even vaguely pleasant or interesting? Every time the models show something that isn’t a turgid pile of raw sewage, it never verifies.

This coming weekend is the perfect example of that. Looked like a long overdue opportunity to enjoy some sunshine with light winds courtesy of a high sat over us. Now it is starting to look like there will be no high and instead a continuation of mind-numbing zonal dirge. Sunday looks an awful cloudy mild day now and Saturday not as good as it looked yesterday. Expect by the end of the week it will be a full blown drizzle filled write-off and instead of the best weekend in a long time it will turn out to be the worst.

The MetO updates are great for those in the South and East but IMBY the projected cold spell will be similar to what went before in the 80s, endless grey crap with no snow or frosts. Hopefully it doesn’t verify. 😜

Indeed. Mid Feb is the time for me that if there isn't any proper snow/cold happening or at least forecast to happen imminently then my interest starts to drop off rapidly. Who wants a freezing cold March anyway? 2013 was fascinating meterologically but it just went on and on, well into April. I really had enough by then. Although spring is some way from being just around the corner the lengthening days mean that there is quite lterally light at the end of the tunnel.

I am logging on from holiday to congratulate Richard on this one. 

ROFL

😆😆😆😆😆😄😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wow! And I thought I had a bad day until i read your post!

So you had heavy wet snow - huge wet flakes but it turned to slush and never really lasted is that what you meant? Has the snow all melted? I was just wondering what you were ranting about? The fact the snow is wet snow seeing as the rain turned to snow? Which is good!) Or were you ranting about the fact it wasn't cold enough for it to settle and stay longer? Because what if the rain didn't turn to snow?

At least you had snow. 

Do you ever meet with Mike?

I thought Aberdeen saw lot's of cold and snow in March 2013?

Spare a thought for some of us southerners who haven't even seen a single flake of snow yet - more so for central southern England. North westerlies are just terrible for southern area's. 

On the flip side - N. Ireland, Rep of Ireland and west as well as North west Scotland have actually seen more snow this winter than the past 5 winters so far. Glasgow for instance has done quite well for snowfall this winter.

My initial reaction was 'how the hell has such a crap winter scoref so high?' then realised it'll be skewed by the high number of 'snow falling days', which is a bit misleading when apart from 2 or 3 very light dustings there's been cock-all chance of snow settling, and even less of lying for any decent length of time.

I keep going to take a big look at all the charts, then think 'I can't be arsed' and I only skim through the MO thread, too. Even if we get a very cold spell from the end if the month, it won't by definition be long lasting.

Winter so far for me  gets 2/10

It get's a similar score from me too. Too much repulsive white shite for my liking and not enough double-figure temperatures.

Too much snow!? So manchester had a lot of snow so far this winter!?

I've had a good 14-15 days of falling snow and at least 9-10 days where it has lay at some point, since the end of November.

So you're fed-up with it!?

It must be a southern thing but I’m failing to see what all the excitement is about for this cool spell IMBY. Another winter will soon be over without snow lying on the ground for 24 hours. Soon be spring now. 😁

Absolutely. In all fairness though Tally, I'm fed up with it before it's even forecasted, to be honest.

Sod's law eh, how those who hate it are always the one's who get it, and those who love it get stuck in the mild sectors.