European cold

[mempho]

There has been cold weather in some parts of Europe lately (Scandinavia), but not really in Germany. Frankfurt is +4.4 for the month and has not had a temperature below freezing until yesterday when it got down to 31F. On the other hand Stockholm is -3.8 for the month and has already had 11" of snow.

Having said that, there were numerous calls at least in the Polish media for an extremely cold and possibly record breaking winter. The reasoning used was a slowdown in the Gulf Stream of over 50% due to the oil spill. It is the polish media though so I would do some research before taking that as fact, and I haven't done the research.

I never saw any legitimate source claim the the Gulf Stream slowdown was a result of the oil spill, but if you've got one, I'd love to see it. On the other hand, it was widely-reported in the Russian press that the government meteorologists were going extreme cold by Russian standards.

[beavis1729]

Effectivly what happened is the low that gave loads of snow to Germany yesterday developed a secondary low further west which moved into the channel and gave S.England a good amount of snow. Value between 9-14 inches seem to be reported as highest values for last nights snow, widely 6-8 inches across the SE with not many places escaping...

Just for your information those sorts of values aren't very common in our neck of the woods, we do get 3-6 inch systems say maybe once a year but to get 2 pretty hefty snowfalls in our nexk of the woods in 2 days is very good indeed...

Its quite amazing though, we've waited her ein the UK a very long time for a severe winter cold spell and now we get 2 in the same year!

Very cool...I hope you enjoy it.

How much snow do you have on the ground?

[TJay]

Effectivly what happened is the low that gave loads of snow to Germany yesterday developed a secondary low further west which moved into the channel and gave S.England a good amount of snow. Value between 9-14 inches seem to be reported as highest values for last nights snow, widely 6-8 inches across the SE with not many places escaping...

Just for your information those sorts of values aren't very common in our neck of the woods, we do get 3-6 inch systems say maybe once a year but to get 2 pretty hefty snowfalls in our nexk of the woods in 2 days is very good indeed...

Its quite amazing though, we've waited her ein the UK a very long time for a severe winter cold spell and now we get 2 in the same year!

Thanks for the updates, the news coverage on specfics has been less than idea. Where are you located?

[FoggyO]

According to Bloomberg the Normandy region in France has received over 20 inches of snow.

[Ajdos]

LJubljana is getting hit again, with a major snow storm. 2 huge snow storms in two days.. He told me they got almost 19 inches of snow..

[Ottawa Blizzard]

Interesting hypothesis put forward in this blog as to why the cold is occurring, and why it may occur more often in the years and decades to come.

http://markvoganweather.blogspot.com/

[Ajdos]

Major cold and snow storm activity continue to effect much of Europe, every second day another snow storm. Great pattern for snow loves.

[loafnut]

Interesting hypothesis put forward in this blog as to why the cold is occurring, and why it may occur more often in the years and decades to come.

http://markvoganweather.blogspot.com/

Interesting mix of quackery and actual phenomenon.

Quite the historic cold shot for europe that is for sure though.

[Ottawa Blizzard]

Interesting mix of quackery and actual phenomenon.

Quite the historic cold shot for europe that is for sure though.

I'm guessing that you don't agree with his hypothesis?

[JBG]

Interesting mix of quackery and actual phenomenon.

Quite the historic cold shot for europe that is for sure though.

I've read it and when Joe D'Aleo posted similar theories I bought them. I still do.

[kwt]

Amazing cold spell still here in the UK. Pattern is going to very briefly breakdown to just a below normal set-up before we start to drag the cold air back in.

Could well see the coldest month in 24 years and we may see one of our coldest December's ever...its rare for us to get a December averaging below 0C (Even in the Little Ice Age there were only a handful) and the fact thats a real possiblity after 24 years without one is amazing...esp given how we had one rubbish winter after another in the 1998-2008 era...where we struggled to get a below average month and anything below 3C was near on impossible!

[NorthShoreWx]

Congrats Paris:

Obs:

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/LFPG.html

webcam:

http://www.earthtv.com/en/camera-destination/paris-france

[ict1523]

Just as an fyi, Paris has had over 20" of snow this season so far.

[nzucker]

Just as an fyi, Paris has had over 20" of snow this season so far.

Apparently the London suburbs have 25-30" on the season already.

[HurricaneJosh]

Just as an fyi, Paris has had over 20" of snow this season so far.

Prague has gotten a lot as well. The ground has been covered for weeks. At least since I got here, it's been coming in little bursts-- like 1-3 inches every couple of days.

By the way, it feels like it's warmed up a bit in the last 24 hours. Last night was relatively pleasant-- must have been in the 30s.

[Dcwx]

I am going to Paris from 12/29-01/06; anyone have any idea what the long range looks like for this period?

[kwt]

Apparently the London suburbs have 25-30" on the season already.

Yep, though sadly got a thaw on here as temps get above 0C for the first time in a week or so.

Sadly we are dragging in a cloudy easterly with slightly less cold uppers and its just tipping the balance...mind you that is setting up yet ano0ther snow spell over the Midlands where another 4-7 inches may wel fall (though Hi-res models suggest a foot is possible in a few spots...lucky!)

10-15 inches in the heart of London, S and W London you could easily double those totals...had another fall of 2-3 incyhes last night, got a bit of a break here though for a little while, switching to a bitterly cold but dry pattern in a few days time...going to be interesting to see all the frozen lakes...

Personally in Essex (say 30 miles east of London) we've had 3 major snow events plus multiple smaller ones...a fall of 10 inches on the 31st November, another 4 inches on the 2nd, then 1 inch on the 17th followed by another 4 inches on the 18th....so with all the smaller events probably upto 20 inches...already the most snowfall we've had probably since 1987...

Mind you 1987 had all its snowfall more or less in one big burst...a severe Lake snow effect which dumped widely 15-25 inches in the SE and some places were upto 25-35 from one night.

[Radders]

Yep, though sadly got a thaw on here as temps get above 0C for the first time in a week or so.

Sadly we are dragging in a cloudy easterly with slightly less cold uppers and its just tipping the balance...mind you that is setting up yet ano0ther snow spell over the Midlands where another 4-7 inches may wel fall (though Hi-res models suggest a foot is possible in a few spots...lucky!)

10-15 inches in the heart of London, S and W London you could easily double those totals...had another fall of 2-3 incyhes last night, got a bit of a break here though for a little while, switching to a bitterly cold but dry pattern in a few days time...going to be interesting to see all the frozen lakes...

Personally in Essex (say 30 miles east of London) we've had 3 major snow events plus multiple smaller ones...a fall of 10 inches on the 31st November, another 4 inches on the 2nd, then 1 inch on the 17th followed by another 4 inches on the 18th....so with all the smaller events probably upto 20 inches...already the most snowfall we've had probably since 1987...

Mind you 1987 had all its snowfall more or less in one big burst...a severe Lake snow effect which dumped widely 15-25 inches in the SE and some places were upto 25-35 from one night.

I remember that 1987 storm well. I was only 9 but I just remember being in awe of the snow and being stuck for days in the house.

Where in Essex are you? I used to live near Chelmsford. A town called South Woodman Ferrers.

[ict1523]

The northern European cold spell is not ceasing to amaze me.

• Dec 22 was -4/-13 at Stockholm. Average is 33/28 for a departure of -40F. Monthly departure of -14.8.
• 7/-6 at Oslo yesterday. Monthly departure of -15.4. 28.8" of snow on the month.
• -13.1F for the month at Gothenburg. Over 40" of snow this month, over 30" in November.
• -9.1F for the month at Heathrow, London.
• Dec 22 was -10/-17 at Ostersund, Sweden. Average is 29/17 for a departure of -36F. Monthly departure of -17.1F.
• -11.8F departure at Helsinki.

[Alpha5]

The northern European cold spell is not ceasing to amaze me.

• Dec 22 was -4/-13 at Stockholm. Average is 33/28 for a departure of -40F. Monthly departure of -14.8.
• 7/-6 at Oslo yesterday. Monthly departure of -15.4. 28.8" of snow on the month.
• -13.1F for the month at Gothenburg. Over 40" of snow this month, over 30" in November.
• -9.1F for the month at Heathrow, London.
• Dec 22 was -10/-17 at Ostersund, Sweden. Average is 29/17 for a departure of -36F. Monthly departure of -17.1F.
• -11.8F departure at Helsinki.

Incredible...puts our departures here in the US to shame, although Florida is coming in way below normal.

Records will be broken by the dozens it seems

[Jebman]

Western Europe aka the UK is stealing all the snow action.

Look at it this way:

2009-2010 was the Eastern US's turn.

This year, 2010-2011 is western Europe's turn. London will get buried alive by snow. The scottish highlands will simply disappear by late Jan 2011. This is THEIR winter - not ours.

Europe has got all our snow. Manchester United has got us Yanks BEAT.

[Sparky]

London will have a white Christmas.

[marsman]

The Upper Rhine valley is going have a white Christmas. This year's "Christmas Thaw" came early, with temps in the 40's and rain earlier this week. Snow coming down now over much of SW Germany and E France and it's expected to continue through the evening.

The forecast big freeze for this weekend keeps getting pushed back (now Wed.-Thurs) and looks less severe.

[jwilson]

Western Europe aka the UK is stealing all the snow action.

Look at it this way:

2009-2010 was the Eastern US's turn.

This year, 2010-2011 is western Europe's turn. London will get buried alive by snow. The scottish highlands will simply disappear by late Jan 2011. This is THEIR winter - not ours.

Europe has got all our snow. Manchester United has got us Yanks BEAT.

Didn't the UK get quite a bit of snow last year as well? I remember areas seeing even record (or close to) snowfall last year...I thought in the UK. Perhaps I am mixing up the results from last winter with another...someone with the data will have to clarify. But I believe in the pattern we had last year the U.K. did fairly well just as we did. Whether that is a consistent occurrence I'm not entirely sure. But I think when the Eastern U.S. does well in terms of snow Europe does as well...a climatologist will have to clarify the similarities. I'm not entirely certain on the connection.

[JBG]

I just read that they're expecting more big snow on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day (link). After that they'd expecting temperatures to return to around 50, so I guess the breakdown of the "block" affects them as well.

We''ll have to wait to see what happens when the block re-builds later.

[kwt]

Yep 2009-2010 was VERY good for large parts of the UK, esp between the 15th December 15th Jan which was probably almost as good as the month we've just had...

Looks like here in England we are going to just miss out on the all time record for cold in December but we've just set something like 7 days in a row of daily record cold...still without doubt an exceptional December which will probably come either 2nd or 3rd in the all time list since 1659!

[HurricaneJosh]

It actually warmed up quite a bit here in the last week-- seemed to be well into the 30s all week. It rained all day, so a lot of the snow and ice melted-- but it turned to snow again tonight.