What's your weather like today?

[paul m]

Fog, sleet, mist, light rain and very cold; just the sort of day for a stroll ....

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

.........It has been funny watching the weather, they are so excited at the prospect of a long term freeze and the prospect of skating on the canals. Since Friday all boat traffic has been halted on some canals so they will freeze quicker and thicker so people can skate! Most Dutch people seem to love and long for cold long winters

So, worth bagging up my skates and coming for a treat! So long since I've seen a frozen lake or canal in UK - I can see why the Dutch people get excited. You can't walk far through any art gallery without seeing some Dutch skaters - e.g. Hendrick Avercamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Avercamp and fun on the ice!

[Drosera]

Bright and minus 14 here . Promise of 15-20cm snow tomorrow in the Stockholm area.

[goosey]

We are not as cold as poor old Drosera but plenty cold enough .

Yesterdays cold start at -5 did warm up and we were up to -3 by afternoon.

Today though it is-7 and the strong wind is making what could be a crisp bareable day to making you feel miserable, it is dry though and luckily no more snow or ice.
Arp over the east of the country will be suffering alot colder temps than us over here on the west coast . ( I doubt he reads the weather forum so I can get away with that)

[artdemole]

Brother in law living in Eindhoven said they are putting blocks of ice to help freeze water under bridges for the ice skating.Here in GB -1c.Windchill-5c.Scattered cloud with sunshine.

[Drosera]

Minus 18 at the moment. I haven't been out yet but it is around this point that it can start to hurt.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by Drosera

Minus 18 at the moment. I haven't been out yet but it is around this point that it can start to hurt.

That's definitely stay-at-home weather!
If it's any consolation, it's even colder to the east with record low temperatures of -33C in Ukraine.
Extreme cold weather in eastern Europe claims 79 lives | World news | guardian.co.uk

[goosey]

Another freezing morning, it was -7 until lunch time and now its supposedly warmed up and is -5, and argh that wind!

I went to the beach and The North sea was freezing, I don't mean I went for a dip and it was freezing , I mean the sea was actually freezing, not only the shore line but the surface of th sea itself was icy and there were lumps of ice floating.



On this image of some sanderlings you can see the ice on the surface and lumps floating around.

[artdemole]

-1c,Going down.Another cold night in N.E.Somerset.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

.............I went to the beach and The North sea was freezing, I don't mean I went for a dip and it was freezing , I mean the sea was actually freezing, not only the shore line but the surface of th sea itself was icy and there were lumps of ice floating.
...............On this image of some sanderlings you can see the ice on the surface and lumps floating around....

I'm sure a dip would have been very refreshing! That is certainly cold. I've heard no reports of the North Sea freezing on 'our' side .....

[goosey]

A freezing -8 this morning for a couple of hours after I got up but then it started to snow and now its is -5. I has been snowing for about three hours now and we probably have about 5cm of snow and its getting deeper.



The cat is driving me mad going from the front to back door trying to find no snow so she can go out - meowing at the top of her voice - we go through this every year .

[Drosera]

Warmer here today - only minus 16. The promised snow came but not as much as forecast, 2 to 3 cm instead of 15 to 20cm.

[Drosera]

I had minus 20 last night, the north of Sweden had minus 42 . Going to see if I can photo that dipper!

[paul m]

Originally Posted by Drosera

I had minus 20 last night, the north of Sweden had minus 42 . Going to see if I can photo that dipper!

Good luck!
With a sense of déjà vu, I'm going to the theatre tonight but we are threatened with 'heavy snow' this evening. Will I get stick in the city centre?
Perhaps appropriately, we're going to see A Winter's Tale performed by an all-male cast.

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by paul m

Good luck!
With a sense of déjà vu, I'm going to the theatre tonight but we are threatened with 'heavy snow' this evening. Will I get stick in the city centre?
Perhaps appropriately, we're going to see A Winter's Tale performed by an all-male cast.

Strangely enough, UK weather was featured on the news in Sweden this morning - I wasn't really listening but it was something about the country grinding to a halt, 7,000 schools closing etc etc.
Good luck for your evening out Paul!
PS - got the dipper but it was hiding under a boulder - try again tomorrow. Going to the pub soon to meet a friend!

[goosey]

Yesterday was our coldest day of the year, it was -16 when I went out in the morning to the NP Zuid Kennemerland. But the sun was shining and the sky was blue and it felt lovely, that was because the wind had dropped to almost nothing and that makes such a difference apparantly the real feel was -12 warmer than it actually was . The temp did rise in the afternoon to -8 and we had a bit more snow which sparkled and looked like glitter as it fell.

Today it is -8 again but is grey, no sun has broke the clouds and the wind is up again. I was wanting to go to the beach but shan't bother as I would have to walk, not that it would have been a problem if it was like yesterday but I don't fancy the walk back against that Easterly wind.

[paul m]

I've been a bit perplexed why we on these islands have been getting warmer (all things are relative ) temperatures than you on the mainland and why our cold winds are (N)Westerly while yours are (S)Easterly.
This doesn't particularly help but gives a nice summary of why weather changes summer-winter and year to year. BBC News - Q&A: Why is it so cold across Europe?
I suppose, simply, we're getting New York weather while you others are getting Moscow weather?

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

I've been a bit perplexed why we on these islands have been getting warmer (all things are relative ) temperatures than you on the mainland and why our cold winds are (N)Westerly while yours are (S)Easterly.
This doesn't particularly help but gives a nice summary of why weather changes summer-winter and year to year. BBC News - Q&A: Why is it so cold across Europe?
I suppose, simply, we're getting New York weather while you others are getting Moscow weather?

I was taught at school that Britain was warmed by The North Atlantic Drift - well that explains the West! That's about as much help as I can give .

[Drosera]

Gulf stream?

[goosey]

A very pleasant day , It was for the most around the -4 / -5 mark but it was sunny and little wind and more imortantly I got to the beach. There were huge areas which were iced over and very slipperythat was where the sea and shore had frozen last week, it was ver bumpy and wavy and uneven. Some of the pier was open but you would take your life in your hands walking on it it was so icy.

I have been breaking the ice on the bird bath at least three times a day for the last 8 days and giving them extra food while it is so cold. This morning when I went out in to the garden both plastic watering cans had fallen over, when I lifted them up they were full of ice and heavy but as soon as I put them down again they fell over. The bottoms were so rounded where the ice had expanded - looks like I will have to buy two new ones and these will split before much longer.

Two enterprising kids came by this aftermonnon and asked if I wanted them to sweep the snow off the path and pavement - they said it was 1 Euro, I thought that was extremely good and gave thema Euro each (being the kind soul I am). I heard them hacking away at the ice for a few minutes and then it was silent and they had gone cheeky so and so's!

[goosey]

It has been a cold ol' day, and felt bitter. This morning it was still only -12 when I checked at 11am but when I looked at 4pm it was -7, but felt really cold all day.
It is windy again, and the snow of Friday and Saturday has lingered and is now compacted ice a few cm's deep.
The main roads in town have been kept clear so far but the residential streets and bike lanes are left to their own devices.
My daughters' bike brake's froze and snapped in the cold, so that was 52 Euro's to get fixed , it happened last year too.

Now for the good news,it is 5.50ish pm and still light, going by yesterday it will be for another 10 minutes and it was light at 8am this morning .

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

.............Two enterprising kids came by this aftermonnon and asked if I wanted them to sweep the snow off the path and pavement - they said it was 1 Euro, I thought that was extremely good and gave thema Euro each (being the kind soul I am). I heard them hacking away at the ice for a few minutes and then it was silent and they had gone cheeky so and so's!

You've not heard about payment by results then?

Most of the weekend's snow has turned to slush but the temperature is now plummeting with darkfall. The weather forecast is for the coldest night of the winter in UK with temperatures down to -15C. Nothing compared to what some of you have had (and it won't get that low in valleys of Sheffield .... I hope) but makes me feel glad that I have to stay in tomorrow!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

You've not heard about payment by results then?

No, the word gullible written on my forehead was hampering brain power .

A cold ol' morning, it was -8 for a few hours but I have watched the thermometer slowly rise during the day and at 2.30pm we were at -1. That is warmer by at least 4deg than it has been for 12 days now.

This however is not good news for the natural ice and skating fans. Since the freeze began the Dutch and especially the Fries have been hoping that 2012 would see the return of the Elfstedentocht for the first time since 1997.
It is a huge event and so loved and wished for, I have been caught up in the excitement and willing it to go ahead.
Basically it is a skating tour almost 200 km in length on frozen canals, rivers and lakes between eleven historic Frisian towns Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, and Dokkum. But the ice has to be a minimum of 15cm thick the whole route, enough to hold the weight of 15,000 skaters plus spectators. There are the professional speedskaters, amatures and people just doing it for the fun .

Volunteers and the army had been clearing fresh snow off the course - this warms the ice and prevents ice build up. Ice specialists have been checking it out continuously - safety is paramount!
It was hoped the event would be held Monday (if its held on a work day all schools and a lot of companies would have a holiday), but then Sunday was expected to be the last chance as a thaw looked imminent.
But yesterday it was anounced that the Elfstedentocht which has been headlining news for days couldn't go a head - the ice was only 8cm thick in some places though thick enough in others, and with warmer temps due from Sunday no chance of it reaching the required thickness.

[paul m]

Yes, I've been reading up on the Elfstedentocht - shame it's not going ahead. If you have to have bad weather then why not get some fun out of it?

Back here, we're threatened with bad conditions in the North of England. Shame when I'm having to travel across the country and further afield this weekend.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by paul m

........Back here, we're threatened with bad conditions in the North of England. Shame when I'm having to travel across the country .....

Indeed, the weather reports yesterday said that the heaviest snow had fallen in Lincolnshire and South Yorks - but ours was trivial and melted by the morning. Fields snowy on the way to the Midlands but not a thick coating. However, this morning it looked as if there had been a big deposit of snow - but no, just huge, feathery ice crystals ....


Not seen crystals like that since I was a lad!