What's your weather like today?

[paul m]

Chaos, what chaos?
Nobody else seems to have problems with snow like people in Uk do!
My son just went back a couple of days ago to Berlin where the temperature seems not to have exceeded -10C for a week or so and the snow is well deep .... but transport carries on without serious problems. I don't think this is particularly a matter of German efficiency - probably the same in Moscow and Stockholm (etc etc) just a matter of learning to live with snow?

Originally Posted by reninfrance

Finally joined the snow club this morning--three whole inches!
Nearly all thawed now tho--it's been 5 degrees this afternoon
Rather dull weather here really, no blocked roads, plenty of grit when needed, cosy at home with plenty to do.
I am following the winter chaos with the family and on TV and wish all affected safe and warm.
Would have posted a photo of our snow but I can't seem to get it to load--- probably the weather .
Much cheered by the hopeful primrose - buds still very tight here despite a fair amount of sun.
ren

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

We have had snow and ice since the 18-12-2009, after some terrible and treacherous days because of compacted ice and snow things started to improve this morning. Although we had some strange polystyrene ball like snow when we woke and it was still freezing the ice had started to disappear (how can that happen?). ........

How many names do the Inuit have for different type of snow (allegedly)? Are the 'polystyrene' lookalikes formed at high altitude? Must look this up. I've got interested in the structure and formation of snowflakes ..... BBC - h2g2 - The Snowflake - Nature's Masterpiece

I think that ice can turn directly into steam without going through the water phase (sublimation) in certain pressure/temperature conditions.

[reninfrance]

Sussed the picture problem- working on the laptop I forgot to resize them!



Does anyone know anything about 'diamond dust' which I have seen early on a bitterly cold grey-pink january morning. Is this a form of 'sublimation'?


Can't help feeling sad that our snow has gone so quickly as the light it creates is really energizing.

[paul m]

I suspect it is the reverse of sublimation (Wiki calls it deposition but I'm sure there's another term .... - Phase transition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [this piece uses 'vaporization' for what many of us would call 'evaporation']) when gaseous water (steam) or water vapour freeze directly on to a surface..... or the residue of freezing fog?

Originally Posted by reninfrance

........
Does anyone know anything about 'diamond dust' which I have seen early on a bitterly cold grey-pink january morning. Is this a form of 'sublimation'?


Can't help feeling sad that our snow has gone so quickly as the light it creates is really energizing.

Sad it goes so quickly for you - it doesn't look as if we're going to have that problem!

[Cybershot]

Despite overnight temperatures plummeting to -18.7 degrees in nearby Oxfordshire the walk over Yateley Common with a neighbour and his spaniel was a magical experience for Chaka and me today:



Brrrrrrr!

David

[paul m]

It looks as if it might start getting serious:
BBC News - Germany prepares to face blizzard

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

It looks as if it might start getting serious:
BBC News - Germany prepares to face blizzard

I don't like the sound of that - we would probably be Ok for a day or two but most our extras are in the freezer - so with no electric how quickly would they become perishable and how would I cook them . We don't have any camping gear so wouldn't be able to make do - might give me a head start on losing some weight but what's the point of that if we froze to death .

Thanks Paul you have really cheered me up!

[paul m]

Over the last couple of days we've awoken to these outside the window:

[paul m]

It's not just Europe that has chilly moments.
From my neice-in-law in northern India:

"We are hearing of snow and ice in Europe and are freezing cold at the same time. It's cold inside and out, with the omnipresent problem of no or only very little heating making this an uncomfortable time in northern India. The bursts of warm sunshine in the afternoons have stopped, so it's mainly fog just now."

What's it like in other parts of India .... indeed, the rest of the World?

[goosey]

It is above 0 degrees - hooray!!!
It is 2 degrees and we have sunshine and the outside world is dripping!
Please, please, please don't freeze as soon as it gets dark!

[Cybershot]

On a two hour walk near Aldershot UK, from along the towpath of the Basingstoke Canal to the hillfort of Caesar's Camp, it was bright but bitterly cold with the temperature never rising above two degrees.

[reninfrance]

We've had another snow morning
Lovely big floating snowflakes at 8.30am. A bright white garden full of hungry birds and a whole 2cms of cover.
Then the sun came out and the sky was blue and a bitter north-east wind blew it all away by noon. Still freezing now tho.
Strange weather
I spent monday and tuesday tidying the garden. It was 12°!

[goosey]

Absolutely freezing! We have had day time temps -4 to -5 since Monday, today when I went out it was -7, but at least the wind has dropped and it looked nice as the sun was shining and the sky was blue. There is still snow from Wednesday on the ground and very icy in places .

[tonyd555]

Here in Sydney, Cape Breton is 0 degrees, overcast, windy with the occasional snow flurry. The Harbour has ice in it but with a channel of open water for the ferry. I can see the occasional seal hauled out and a Bald Eagle on the ice as well.

Tony

[paul m]

Originally Posted by tonyd555

Here in Sydney, Cape Breton is 0 degrees, overcast, windy with the occasional snow flurry. The Harbour has ice in it but with a channel of open water for the ferry. .......Tony

I was intrigued when I first saw your photo thinking that Nova Scotia was roughly level with the British Isles and closer to the source of the Gulf Stream, so why does your sea freeze and not ours? Thought I'd check the map in case my memory was going (mine? ) and see that you're actually further south than I thought - about level with reninfrance!

So, can anyone tell me why this discrepancy? Is it just because of the mass of land behind N.S.?

Here in balmy Sheffield we've had light rain, light sleet, light snow but not much sunlight - plenty of impressive clouds though ... and temperature around 0C ....

[tonyd555]

The cold labrador current is to blame for those icy waters. In the summer, our sea temperatures can reach 18 degrees centigrade.We can have 20cms of snow one day and be raining the next. Mmmm, sounds like the UK come to think of it...........

[paul m]

Originally Posted by tonyd555

The cold labrador current is to blame for those icy waters. In the summer, our sea temperatures can reach 18 degrees centigrade.We can have 20cms of snow one day and be raining the next. Mmmm, sounds like the UK come to think of it...........

Ah, all is explained: even a little diagram: http://seacoos.org/Community%20a...m/labrador.png
.... and that would explain why the eastern states of USA have worse winters than we do ....
Thanks.

[paul m]

Started to snow here again with temperatures again dropping to 0C ... but I've seen worse. Last weekend travelled across NW Europe with some snow in Kent and Pas de Calais but no real depth until Germany where there was continuous snow cover. In Berlin much of the snow has been in place since November:

In contrast to UK major roads cleared of snow but no attempt made to clear most paths and minor roads:

Grit (not salt) spread on paths and the snow is just compressed - a bit like the Gobi desert, I could imagine ....

Rivers and canals also freezing again after a brief thaw:

... not very good for the water-birds.

[Cybershot]

Persistent rain, sometimes turning to sleet, snow and hail, since the w/e with temps hardly reaching 4 degrees today. B***** miserable; enough's enough!

[paul m]

Originally Posted by Cybershot

Persistent rain, sometimes turning to sleet, snow and hail, since the w/e with temps hardly reaching 4 degrees today. B***** miserable; enough's enough!

You love it really!
When we left Berlin on Saturday the thaw seemed to have set in and most of the street paths were clear - same over most of lowland NW Europe .... until we arrived in Sheffield where there was a thick carpet of wet snow! Watching the football on TV on Sunday night I see that there had been some seriously thick snowstorms .....

[tonyd555]

Overcast,light wind,+3,some snow on the ground.Open water in harbour... I'll take it !

[reninfrance]

Light rain this morning. Blue sky 13° mid afternoon. 10° clear starry sky with half moon at present.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

Last weekend travelled across NW Europe with some snow in Kent and Pas de Calais but no real depth until Germany where there was continuous snow cover. In Berlin much of the snow has been in place since November:

I saw on the news the other day how the Germans haven't let the terrible weather ruin their fun and hundreds of bikers had turned up to a convention and were camping!

Originally Posted by reninfrance

Light rain this morning. Blue sky 13° mid afternoon. 10° clear starry sky with half moon at present.

Sounds lovely Ren!

I heard it was as high as 11° in the Province of Limburg yesterday ( lucky devils), but here in North Holland we only got up to 3° and it rained for the first time sice I can't remember when!

It's snowing again here now but at least it is 1° .

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

I saw on the news the other day how the Germans haven't let the terrible weather ruin their fun and hundreds of bikers had turned up to a convention and were camping!

Most of Berlin's outdoor statues are boxed up for the winter but some of those left out look inappropriately dressed, to say the least:

... and clearly this chap can't wait for spring:

[goosey]

It started off really foggy but at least last nights snow had gone. Then, it turned out to be the best day of 2010, it got up to 8° and the sun came out for a while, and when it did it was glorious!