Lowest min temperature winter 2014 - 2015 season

[damianslaw]

Just trawled through the posts for this winter and couldn't see such a thread.

 

Yes a very late start for such a one, but with the prospect of the coldest night of the season so far expected tomorrow, I thought it an apt opportunity to create it.

 

So please use this thread for predictions of lowest min temperatures, records for nightime mins.

 

I think we haven't quite hit -10 degrees this season, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. However, tomorrow night could easily deliver a -10 degree in one or two frost prone Highland valleys.

 

Could someone post lowest min recorded so far this season to see what we have to beat. Last winter failed to deliver anything below -10 degrees from memory, could have been a paltry -7 or -8 degree absolute minimum. Most years see -10 degrees breached at least once somewhere.

 

[Mark Neal.]

Braemar recorded -8.5C last night which is the coldest of the year i believe?

[knocker]

I suppose this rather depends on what stations you include but the lowest I've seen is -6.8C at Tulloch Bridge.

 

EDIT

Redundant already.

Edited December 27, 2014 by knocker

[Snowyowl9]

Tonight will be colder.

[speyweather]

-9.0c recorded overnight 26-27 December

[March Blizzard]

-9.0c recorded overnight 26-27 December

 

I still find it strange how we didn't record such a temperature early in the year. Usually January, February and March record below that without much effort, and in most years you would half expect April to do so, too. It's hard to believe we are waiting until late December to scrape near -10C for the first time in the year.

[speyweather]

I still find it strange how we didn't record such a temperature early in the year. Usually January, February and March record below that without much effort, and in most years you would half expect April to do so, too. It's hard to believe we are waiting until late December to scrape near -10C for the first time in the year.

If things stay as they are, it will be the first time for here (going back to 2000) when the minimum temperature has failed to reach minus double figures..... that just might change tonight!

[summer blizzard]

Typically hit -10 somewhere in North Yorkshire most winters, coldest I've seen is -17 during Dec 10.

Nationally we can probably expect to hit -15 sometime during the winter.

[Mark Parsons]

0.3 is the coldest so far and that was some weeks ago here in my part of Bridport although I dare say it has been colder out of town and down in the lower parts of the area as I am slightly elevated here.

[speyweather]

-9.0c recorded overnight 26-27 December

Just had a mention from BBC News' Carol Kirkwood.....   

[knocker]

Coldest night of the year so far for England (Benson -7.6C), Wales (Pembrey Sands -6.7C) & NI (Katesbridge -8.8C)

[sundog]

Coldest night of the year last night in the republic of Ireland also mullingar in County Westmeath got down to -6.9c.

[damianslaw]

So no -10 degrees breached despite the predictions - would have thought somewhere would have hit this figure.

[Mark Neal.]

At 10pm this evening-

 

Exeter Airport -5.6C

Aboyne -5.2C

Benson -4.6C

Pershore -4.3C

Topcliffe -4.1C

Yeovil-4.1C

Bournemouth -3.9C

Farnborough -3.9C

Leeming -3.5C

Northolt) -3.1C

Charlwood -3C

Southampton Airport -3C

Lakenheath -3C

Fairford Airfield -3°C

Source- www.weatheronline.co.uk 

Edited December 29, 2014 by Mark N

[damianslaw]

I guess given we are under quite mild uppers and with no snow cover over much of England and Wales current nightime mins are perhaps the best we can expect from a high pressure set up under such conditions. Scotland is under mild uppers as well and with a light breeze this is scuppering cold mins in the Highland valleys combined with limited snow cover.

 

Had we seen a colder feed of air preceding the high pressure and widespread snow cover then we would most likely be recording sub -10 degree figures.

 

Intense radiative cooling occurs under clear skies no wind and low uppers generally over deep snow cover - arctic continental, arctic maritime and polar continental airmasses. Indeed northerly outbreaks well into Spring can deliver very low mins to Highland valley spots when under snow cover.

[TonyH]

-8.4c last night here

[speyweather]

Being reported in today's press that my -9.0c overnight 26/27 Dec is (for the time being at least) the coldest UK temperature of 2014. This certainly surprised me: Having kept records here since January 2001, this is the highest annual minimum recorded over that period, and the first year I haven't recorded a double figure minus. Indeed, prior to this month the previous low was just -6.1c. So despite it being the UK's lowest this year it represents an incredibly mild winter in The Highlands.

[damianslaw]

Being reported in today's press that my -9.0c overnight 26/27 Dec is (for the time being at least) the coldest UK temperature of 2014. This certainly surprised me: Having kept records here since January 2001, this is the highest annual minimum recorded over that period, and the first year I haven't recorded a double figure minus. Indeed, prior to this month the previous low was just -6.1c. So despite it being the UK's lowest this year it represents an incredibly mild winter in The Highlands.

 

 

Yes 2014 has been virtually devoid of any cold uppers relative to the time of year, the only northerly and cold uppers occurring in August of all months! Jan-April period saw airstreams from between west and southeast - no cold to tap into. Most of the winter saw very little snow cover at valley level as well which helps to produce low mins. December 2014 has come close to producing some cold uppers, but alas we just haven't managed to pull them down.

 

Fingers crossed 2015 will at least produce a sub -10 degree min, most years do.

[March Blizzard]

Yes 2014 has been virtually devoid of any cold uppers relative to the time of year, the only northerly and cold uppers occurring in August of all months! Jan-April period saw airstreams from between west and southeast - no cold to tap into. Most of the winter saw very little snow cover at valley level as well which helps to produce low mins. December 2014 has come close to producing some cold uppers, but alas we just haven't managed to pull them down.

 

Fingers crossed 2015 will at least produce a sub -10 degree min, most years do.

I remember once having a list of the coldest temperature by year, going all the way back to 1910 I think, although for the life of me can't find it on the internet again. I don't remember seeing any single digit minima on there, so if I'm right then this year could be the first for over 100 years in which it has happened.

As someone who adores pipe-freezing minima above all it's been a very trying few years for me in that regard. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, ice days and even the odd storm but you can't beat a severe overnight/morning frost in my book.

I've really enjoyed the last 3/4 days weather wise, the enormous snow flakes on Boxing Day, the glorious sky this morning with the low sun illuminating through the fog, the light catching the edges of the broken cloud, the frost lingering throughout the day and steaming off the fences in the direct sun, the roofs of the houses staying white from dawn till dusk. When the weather is like this, at this time of year, I ask myself "why would anyone want it any other way?".

I get on with life regardless of the weather, but the thought of impending grey skies, and rain carried on a mild wind disappoints me somewhat. After last winter, we probably deserve to see another spell like this one (at least) before we bed into spring.

[damianslaw]

I remember once having a list of the coldest temperature by year, going all the way back to 1910 I think, although for the life of me can't find it on the internet again. I don't remember seeing any single digit minima on there, so if I'm right then this year could be the first for over 100 years in which it has happened.

As someone who adores pipe-freezing minima above all it's been a very trying few years for me in that regard. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, ice days and even the odd storm but you can't beat a severe overnight/morning frost in my book.

I've really enjoyed the last 3/4 days weather wise, the enormous snow flakes on Boxing Day, the glorious sky this morning with the low sun illuminating through the fog, the light catching the edges of the broken cloud, the frost lingering throughout the day and steaming off the fences in the direct sun, the roofs of the houses staying white from dawn till dusk. When the weather is like this, at this time of year, I ask myself "why would anyone want it any other way?".

I get on with life regardless of the weather, but the thought of impending grey skies, and rain carried on a mild wind disappoints me somewhat. After last winter, we probably deserve to see another spell like this one (at least) before we bed into spring.

 

 

I have a list for England only between 1939 and 1993 and there were 3 years with a - single digit min, as follows:

 

Farnham, Goudhurst and Houghall  -9.4 degrees, 1949, (bit suspect, three locations recording same figure)

Santon Downham -8.4 degrees 1974

Grendon Underwood (wherever that is..) -9.0 degrees 1990.

 

Source is the excellent book by Robin Stirling 'The weather of Britain'. 1990 I am surprised, given the snowfalls of Dec 1990 would have thought some spots in the midlands would have seen colder conditions.

 

Since 1993 I wouldn't be surprised if 2007 failed to deliver a sub -10 degree figure, at least in England.

[March Blizzard]

I have a list for England only between 1939 and 1993 and there were 3 years with a - single digit min, as follows:

 

Farnham, Goudhurst and Houghall  -9.4 degrees, 1949, (bit suspect, three locations recording same figure)

Santon Downham -8.4 degrees 1974

Grendon Underwood (wherever that is..) -9.0 degrees 1990.

 

Source is the excellent book by Robin Stirling 'The weather of Britain'. 1990 I am surprised, given the snowfalls of Dec 1990 would have thought some spots in the midlands would have seen colder conditions.

 

Since 1993 I wouldn't be surprised if 2007 failed to deliver a sub -10 degree figure, at least in England.

The list I had was for the UK as a whole. I'm certain of this because Logie Coldstone was a frequently named location.

Maybe someone can find it. For some reason or another I've got the university of Dundee in my head in relation to it, perhaps it was compiled by someone there?Not 100% sure about that, though.

You are right about surprise minima, I'd suggest that temperatures close to -8C in southern England, without snow cover, is actually pretty good going. Yet on other occasions you can struggle with more favourable conditions, at least on paper.

[Daniel*]

This year evidently has been the lack of long lasting snow cover bar Scottish mountains, we would be looking at minima tonight sub -10C quite easily, in places like Oxfordshire - where snow cover persists after a couple of days. Extract courtesy wiki: The existence of a snowpack keeps temperatures lower than they would be otherwise, as the whiteness of the snow reflects most sunlight, and any absorbed heat goes into melting the snow rather than increasing its temperature.

[damianslaw]

Apt time to resurrect this thread I feel...

 

Good chance we will see the coldest mins of the season so far overnight Sunday into Monday, most likely over the snow fields of the Highlands.

 

Will be good to see this thread alive over the next week or so.. how low will they go is the key question. Unlike the late Dec spell, we will be under colder uppers, and most likely deeper snow cover in the frost prone hollows..

 

 

[speyweather]

Strange that BBC forecaster Carol Kirkwood has, for the last two days, forecast -12c over the weekend in areas around the snowfields, (which currently means a good chunk of The Highlands) whilst BBC Scotland are not forecasting anything above -4 or -5 for the rural spots. Such glaring discrepancies are not uncommon between our national and local BBC forecasts. Why do they differ so much?

[hillbilly]

I remember once having a list of the coldest temperature by year, going all the way back to 1910 I think, although for the life of me can't find it on the internet again. I don't remember seeing any single digit minima on there, so if I'm right then this year could be the first for over 100 years in which it has happened.

As someone who adores pipe-freezing minima above all it's been a very trying few years for me in that regard. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, ice days and even the odd storm but you can't beat a severe overnight/morning frost in my book.

I've really enjoyed the last 3/4 days weather wise, the enormous snow flakes on Boxing Day, the glorious sky this morning with the low sun illuminating through the fog, the light catching the edges of the broken cloud, the frost lingering throughout the day and steaming off the fences in the direct sun, the roofs of the houses staying white from dawn till dusk. When the weather is like this, at this time of year, I ask myself "why would anyone want it any other way?".

I get on with life regardless of the weather, but the thought of impending grey skies, and rain carried on a mild wind disappoints me somewhat. After last winter, we probably deserve to see another spell like this one (at least) before we bed into spring.

The list is on' Britweather'.there is a hottest also. Strange that lower than -20 deg has only occurred 3 times in the last 28 years yet occurred 8 times in the decade 1978 to 1988