634 replies to this topic

[Thundery wintry showers]

summer blizzard, on 09 January 2012 - 20:20 , said:

I imagine that the second half of June 2005 would have been perfect for your preferences. Hottest second half since 1976 but very thundery.

Indeed it stood out as a pretty memorable spell, a good half-dozen hot sunny days with temperatures in the mid 20s, and some unusually big thunderstorms on the 19th (and I remember that there were more around the 27th/28th further south, I missed out on those but got a weak one on the 30th June). I would have ranked 2005 among my favourite summers overall had it not been for the persistent dull cool weather during the last third of July 2005.

It's interesting to see the comments about spring hot plumes, as 1995 and 2003 certainly had an above-average share of those, as did 1990, and Spring 1976 also contained a few notable hot plumes, these mainly in the south. However, I always feel a little sceptical when discussing those sort of relationships, as quite often we get long runs of years which follow a particular pattern only for it to abruptly be broken.

[Mr_Data]

summer blizzard, on 09 January 2012 - 18:59 , said:

)
1996 (Pretty poor)
.

The Manchester Summer Index suggests otherwise for the summer of 1996. It was actually a half decent summer, both June and July were pretty dry, much better than any of the last 5 summers around this neck of the woods. It was eclipsed by summer 1995 but if you want a reasonable summer but not a scorcher on the scale of 1995, 1996 would be a pretty good one to choose.

[kold weather]

One thing I'm hoping for is a wet first half of Spring, if only to try and reduce the risk of a drought happening in some parts of the country. As for May, hopefully that can be quite warm and sunny!

[summer blizzard]

summer blizzard, on 09 January 2012 - 18:59 , said:

The QBO is not the be all and end all but let us look at the data..

http://www.cpc.ncep....s/qbo.u30.index (standardised at the bottom)

Since 1979 the following spring and summers have seen all months with -QBO values...

2005 (June was great)
2003 (great summer and April but El Nino)
2001 (May was good)
1998 (Pretty poor)
1996 (Pretty poor)
1994 (Great July but El Nino)
1989 (May and July was great)
1984 (Pretty poor)

Seemingly all the great months also had El Nino conditions.

I decided to see which of those years had -MEI conditions through spring and summer (no guarantee that La Nina will persist though).

1989

[Milhouse]

In an ideal world we would get sufficient rainfall during all the spring and summer months to help prevent a drought from setting in. I am a huge lover of hot and sunny summers but the one drawback is the effect it has on the countryside and the vegetation. Last September we had some trees which were unusually bare for the time of year as they has shed their leaves so early. That must have been down to the lack of rainfall last summer but also the fact that they came into leaf so early due to the warm April. I think to get us off to a decent start I would like a warm and quite wet spring such as 2005.

[Alex]

Interesting that Essex Weather.com have put on twitter that the Americans think Europe will have a dry summer with temps well above avg, where do you think they got this forecast from? Also who would predict something that is still 5months away?

[Eugene]

Quote

Interesting that Essex Weather.com have put on twitter that the Americans think Europe will have a dry summer with temps well above avg,

Yes i think that is what will occur though that doesnt necessarily mean it will include most of the UK outside the SE

Hopefully a cold spring for once so we might get a nice hot summer.

[Seven of Nine]

I think spring will start off on a cold and unsettled note, but will end up on a warm and sunny note. As for Summer, probably average at best.

Edited by Seven of Nine, 02 February 2012 - 11:21 .

[kold weather]

Well when you think about it, not that long to go befre we reach 'spring'. Can be a very interesting season, perhaps the most interesting with regards to weather. You can have just about everything, blizzards, heatwaves, thunderstorms, showers, severe frosts...I'm getting excited about the range of options, and also longer days!!

[Milhouse]

kold weather, on 05 February 2012 - 02:23 , said:

Well when you think about it, not that long to go befre we reach 'spring'. Can be a very interesting season, perhaps the most interesting with regards to weather. You can have just about everything, blizzards, heatwaves, thunderstorms, showers, severe frosts...I'm getting excited about the range of options, and also longer days!!

In recent days the very dry air and higher sun did make things look like spring without it actually feeling like it. Its also nice to have more of the back garden in the midday sun rather than it being all in the shade.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Often I find myself wishing that winter could essentially be a colder version of spring- a stronger sun offset by colder airmasses and about 10-11 hours of daylight per day. I can picture a cyclonic/northerly outbreak with minima of -5 to -10C, maxima near zero and a snow cover, with a clear sunny start followed by a build-up of homegrown convective cloud and sharp afternoon snow showers with hail and thunder mixed in, and cumulonimbus cells towering way up into the attmosphere. The snow cover would probably restrict homegrown convection a little due to its reflective properties but considering that most snow-covered areas saw maxima of 2-4C in early March 2001 despite 850hPa temperatures near -10C and minima below -10C in many places, solar heating would probably still provide enough thermal contrasts to generate showers with the sun as strong as it is in mid-March.

In fairness it does resemble a colder version of the spring anticyclonic type right now in Cleadon- dry and sunny by day with temperatures near average, and night frosts.

[Aaron]

Kinda looking forward to summer now, I'm hoping for many days with sun, temperatures between 21c - 25C and some of those balmy summer nights, but not too balmy, so I don't sweat a bucket load.

Oh sorry is this the Spring 2012 thread?

Edited by Aaron, 06 February 2012 - 11:15 .

[summer blizzard]

Aaron, on 06 February 2012 - 11:15 , said:

Kinda looking forward to summer now, I'm hoping for many days with sun, temperatures between 21c - 25C and some of those balmy summer nights, but not too balmy, so I don't sweat a bucket load.

Oh sorry is this the Spring 2012 thread?

Give me May 2008 and June and July 2006, not too bothered about the rest as i prefer summer to be when the longest days are rather than when it can be warmest. April 2011 and August 1995 would be nice but March 2011 would be perfect (sunny but very cold at first then very warm at the end).

September onward straight into winter.

[Tellow]

I would like some snowy weather throughout March until early April, followed by continental conditions until early May with clear, frosty nights and sunny, warm days. Finally, as days get increasingly longer in the run up to June, increasingly warmer days occur perhaps becoming hot, with thunderstorms developing in late May.

Edited by Tellow, 06 February 2012 - 12:30 .

[Bottesford]

Lets have a roaring northerly this April with hefty snow showers - been ages since we've had that!
Then follow it up nicely with hot sunshine late May until early September.
I can dream...

[Nick Phillips]

Given the mild temps we've had here this Winter, it'd be nice to have a cool spring this year. Frosty morning's with sunny afternoon's would be quite nice thank you!

[Eugene]

Anybody else find it amusing when people get all depressed over current output and say roll on spring like it automatically starts March 1st and that it will be warm and sunny for 3 months straight?

Look at end of September, beginning of October for summerlike weather, seasons don't just start all of a sudden especially in the UK.

Edited by Eugene, 06 February 2012 - 18:54 .

[Fresh_Prince_Of_Leyland]

i hoping this summer to be a wet one and a cool one with floods nationwide.

as for spring to be dry and unseasonbly warm.

Edited by Phillip Samuel Gilleece, 06 February 2012 - 19:22 .

[Harve]

I'd like a spring to be a little more extreme form of May 2010 - rather cool and northerly early on with snow showers that give temporary cover above 300m. If this were to occur in March they would be coupled with sharp frosts of -5-10c. This showery spell was followed by a rather gorgeous warm spell that was never too hot, like they often are come the summer. With some frontal snow early on (okay, unfeasible for May, but entirely possible in March and much of April) it would've been a perfect spring, all in one month.

[Tellow]

Maybe this thread should be renamed "Beyond Winter" or something like that, and then maybe a summer thread split from this after spring begins?

Edited by Tellow, 06 February 2012 - 19:54 .