Winter 2015/16

[Stanley]

At 21:00 last night it was fair but overcast and a very cold breeze. This morning first thing it was raining heavily, hard cold rain and very little wind, it seems to be slackening at the moment but still raining. It surprised me that it is falling as rain, I suspect it's snow up at Wendy's... The glass is up very lightly as the low moves eastwards towards the North Sea, it's on 28" this morning. The forecast is for a day of scattered showers at almost any time. The wind is going to strengthen slightly and be a moderate to strong breeze all day coming mainly from the NW. With the wind chill we are below freezing at the moment and it will tend to get colder during the day, later tonight it will feel like -4C. I don't see how we can escape some wintry showers and the outlook is for it to get colder.
05:20. I kept my eye on the rain and as soon as a break came through Jack and I went for our walk. Good call, we had a dry walk on a breezy morning, very cold but stars peeping through breaks in the cloud. Could have been a lot worse! The shipping forecast is a bit quieter, less wind but what there is will be predominantly from the NW so colder. Looks as though this spell of wintry weather is with us for a while....

[Stanley]

When I got up early this morning the sky was as clear as a bell with a moderate, very cold NW wind. Two hours later we went off for our early morning walk before I had seen the forecast. It was slightly overcast, only a few stars peeping out and half way into our walk we had a very cold shower' Jack is rubbed down and the Crombie is hung on the door into the warmer front room... The glass is up this morning at almost 28.3" and still rising. The forecast is for a very early shower (the one we have just had) and then dry until about 11:00 when it starts raining and there is a good chance of showers for the rest of the day. The wind is to swing down into the west and finish up later as a SW, never more than a moderates breeze. The theoretical temperature at the moment is 2C but the wind chill takes it down to -2C and there are warnings of icy patches until it starts raining so go carefully. Unusually, this morning, we inadvertently hit on the only patch of rain there was about! You can't get it right every time..... The outlook is dryer but colder....
11:30. We've had our second walk and I've been to the Co-op for the milk. Black clouds banking up.... Could we be in for a clap of snow?

[Stanley]

At 21:00 last night we had steady cold rain, not heavy but very cold. It was still with us first thing this morning so Jack and I waited until 06:00 when it stopped so we had a cold but dry walk. The glass is on 28.5" but tending to fall. The forecast is for a string of wintry showers this morning until around 11:00 and then brightening up for the rest of the day as the showers move away to the east. The wind is light to moderate, mainly from the NW and the theoretical high is 2C but that only for a short wile in the middle of the day. The actual temperature with wind chill will fall all day and range from -2C to -6C. Up to press the showers have been hard cold rain but they could turn wintry at almost any time. A cold nasty winter's day.... A good day for us crumblies being inside in the warm and bugger the gas bills!

[Wendyf]

A sprinkling of snow here, but at 8.30am the sky is dark and heavy as if there is more to come.

[Marilyn]

Packing me bags....arriving soon, Wendy!
( snow...how delightful)

[Moh]

Snow on Hambledon this morning has gone now and we have a bright, sunny but cold day, forecast for weekend is not looking good.

[Stanley]

Dry, cold and a stiff breeze at 21:00 last night. Scattered cloud and a bit of a breeze this morning but dry and a hard frost. Glass is rising strongly and just below 29". Forecast is for a mainly dry bright day with a frost until early afternoon when there is a chance of a snow shower. The west or NW wind is light and constant all day. The theoretical temperatures could hit the dizzy heights of 2C when the sun shines but the real time temperature with wind chill will be below freezing all day getting down to -6C at times. It's a winter day!
My first reaction was "Oh Goody!" let's get out for an early walk and get the day off to a flying start. Then I remembered it was Butcher's Day.... No point getting to Kath's before she is open!
Later... We had a dry, bracing walk this morning. Jack loved it, the scent must have been very strong! He found where every bitch had peed! I think they have salted but put so little on you'd a job to tell. It's a proper frost with hard ground.....

[Wendyf]

The ground is frozen enough to walk on....no muddy dogs to clean up!!

[PanBiker]

Just bought into gaiter technology and the grounds hard, Doh!

I predict that it will not last..

[Moh]

Strange sky this morning - before the sun came over the hill in the east the clouds in the west were red!

[Stanley]

Clear sky and hard frost at 21:00 last night. Same this morning. Glass is still rising and is on 28.8". Forecast is for a bright cold day with a very light west wind until around 15:00 when the wind swings to the SE and there is a good chance of snow showers for the rest of the day.Very cold all day, the frost will not ease up. I think it's winter!

[Marilyn]

We are, of course, sleeping without any bed clothes at all. Have been for months, and will be for months yet. Freedom!

[Moh]

We slept under one sheet in Spain - won't be doing that for a long time - maybe never in this country!
A lovely bright and frosty winter's day - there is a haze hanging over Burnley.

[Stanley]

At 21:00 last night we had a good covering of snow, almost calm, freezing hard and so it all stuck. Snow still with us this morning.... The glass rose during the day but is tending to fall now and is on 29.2". The forecast is for an overcast day, below freezing all day and a chance of a light snow shower at almost any time. There will be a constant light east or SE breeze and wind chill will make it feel like -5C or below all day. No change in sight.....
05:45. Back in the hutch after a snowy walk on a virtually calm morning. It's crunching underfoot so we have a hard frost. Not bad walking if you were on fresh snow but where it has been packed it's deadly so very careful progress! A few isolated flakes falling from a sky full of broken cloud. I suspect that will be the story today, a continuing frost and the isolated flurry of snow. healthy I suppose but it looks better on Xmas cards!

[Wendyf]

We have about an inch of light fluffy snow, no good for making snowballs.

[Moh]

Thawing quickly here.

[Stanley]

No thaw here Moh, it's come slightly warmer but the frost will soon set in again. It started snowing very gently around 15:15 and is still quietly at it. I have salted the yard and got the coal in for the next two days..... Very little wind so it isn't going to pass over quickly, we could have a healthy covering by later tonight. Kids out on sledges today.....

[Stanley]

The snow and the frost didn't materialise, putting the salt down in the yard evidently did the trick! The glass is falling, down to 28.9". Forecast is for no frost, Chance of light rain or snow until 08:00 and a danger of icy roads when rain falls on frozen untreated surfaces. The very light east or SE wind will be constant all day. In other words, not a lot going on.....
05:30. Back in the hutch after a very careful mince round our walk on what is in some places, very slippery packed snow. Almost calm with a hint of rain, not enough to call a mizzle. Scent conditions must be good, Jack was a pain in the arse with delays while he investigated everything! I know it's an essential part of his life and I don't stop him doing it but it gets a bit wearing at times. Nice to be back in the warm and on firm footing!

[Cathy]

39C today and absolutely awful.
Stay warm - but not as warm as we are

[LizG]

Very hot here again too. Bush fires burning very close once again, the water bombers are flying over every few minutes. This is the second fire in a week. Last weeks fire was deliberately lit by a 10 year old boy.

The 3-4 fires up near my daughters farm in the last few weeks were deliberate as well. A 25 year old was arrested and charged last week. He now has to report to a police station every total fire ban day.

What is wrong with some people?

Just heard at least one house is lost in todays fire, and 6 more are still threatened.

[Cathy]

I hope you and yours stay safe Liz. Scarey stuff.
Have you got sprinklers on your house and buildings?

[Moh]

Snow all gone from around here - thank goodness.

[LizG]

I hope you and yours stay safe Liz. Scarey stuff.
Have you got sprinklers on your house and buildings?

We don't have sprinklers on the house but we do have a fitting on the water tank so that fire engines can connect their hoses. 115kl tank should last a little while.

The helicopters left around 10.30pm and the end result was 2 houses and several sheds lost. The fire's still burning but is classified as 'safe'.

[Cathy]

Sorry to hear that Liz, are your essentials packed and in your car just in case?

[Stanley]

I am always struck by how lucky we are here whenever I see reports of bush fires in Oz or tornadoes in the States. We don't do extremes here and we are used to it. A scare like yours Liz would cause panic..... Good thing is that the burned out areas will be safe for a few years.....
Mild and almost misty at 21:00 last night and the same this morning. Even the packed snow on the pavements is slowly melting, good, it was very dangerous underfoot yesterday. The glass is tending to rise but not much, 28.9" at the moment. Forecast is almost for no weather at all today. Misty and overcast all day, almost calm and what movement there is swings all round the compass. High of 3C and that's about it. Barlick has no weather today, we are marking time as the weather systems fight each other and we are in the gap in between. No immediate change but the signs are that as usual, the Atlantic systems will win. The funny thing is that last night the weather forecasters were saying that this morning would be the coldest night of the winter. Turns out that they were talking about London and the SE which will get -6C this morning under the influence of very cold air on the continent. One feels sorry for them......
05:20. Back from our walk and sod all to report, calm, misty and most of the packed snow has gone. Only thing that grabbed me was that the temporary sack of salt at the exit from the Pioneer car park has been replaced with a yellow plastic bin....