Dublin weather

Mobhi1

Very interesting study of Dublin's weather:
http://homeweb2.unifr.ch/grahame/pub/dublin/dublin_weather.htm

Trogdor

Looks very interesting indeed, will give it a proper read when i get back from Dún na gNall but i see it mention the 25/26th July 85 thunderstorms and this sounds amazing....a repeat 30 years later is on the cards i'd say:D:p

5.3.1: Thunderstorm and snow, 21 November 1977 (an example of a 'winter' thunderstorm): This was the time I learnt to spell 'thunderstorm', and boy, did I never forget to afterwards. For I was terrified! It was my first experience of thunder and it happened late at night. It woke me from my sleep. I screamed and cowered under the bed sheets at every rumble of thunder as I was only 6 years old.

But God had also been good to us in a wonderful way, because the following morning came (I was almost afraid to look out the window because of the storm), IT HAD SNOWED! The thunderstorm had brought a heavy prolonged shower of snow, giving 3 or 4 inches by morning. This was an almost unheard of event for Dublin in November! I later found out that the temperature had dropped to -5C at Casement that morning. We had a day off school and lots of fun, but most of the snow had melted by the following day.

Snowbie

This is a very interesting diary about Dublin weather.

abstract from his diary wrote:

The coldest days in winter in Dublin can occur due to a variety of circumstances. Absolute lowest temperatures are almost always recorded under clear anticyclonic skies with a thick snow cover. However, this type of situation is becoming quite rare now in Dublin - deep snow by itself is unusual enough, with snow followed by clear and calm conditions even less common. The last such occurrence I can recall when a 'radiation' night followed a thick snowfall was on 10 February 1991. On that night I recorded a minimum air temperature of -5.5C (shaded, not screened) and -11.1C (ground snow-surface minimum temperature).

Two great snow events.The first on the 7th of Feb a blizzard blew in from the NE and the second was the 9th when in calm conditions 6" of snow fell in 4 hours.Biggest flakes of snow(larger flakes can bond together better in calmer conditions)ive ever seen.I recorded my lowest ever air temp of -5.1c screened (since recording weather from 1984) on the 10th under clear skies and two ice days followed with snow lying with max air temp on both days of -0.1c.

Enjoy this its a brilliant read.

http://homeweb2.unifr.ch/grahame/pub/dublin/dublin_weather2.htm#1.2:%20The

arctictree

trogdor wrote:

5.3.1: Thunderstorm and snow, 21 November 1977 (an example of a 'winter' thunderstorm): This was the time I learnt to spell 'thunderstorm', and boy, did I never forget to afterwards. For I was terrified! It was my first experience of thunder and it happened late at night. It woke me from my sleep. I screamed and cowered under the bed sheets at every rumble of thunder as I was only 6 years old.

But God had also been good to us in a wonderful way, because the following morning came (I was almost afraid to look out the window because of the storm), IT HAD SNOWED! The thunderstorm had brought a heavy prolonged shower of snow, giving 3 or 4 inches by morning. This was an almost unheard of event for Dublin in November! I later found out that the temperature had dropped to -5C at Casement that morning. We had a day off school and lots of fun, but most of the snow had melted by the following day.

We had a similar event here in Roundwood in late October (believe it or not) 2003. About 3 or 4 inches of snow dumped during a thunderstorm. Can't remember the exact date - Snowbie?? A degree or so colder and there would have been similar conditions in Dublin.

A

Mothman

arctictree wrote:

We had a similar event here in Roundwood in late October (believe it or not) 2003. About 3 or 4 inches of snow dumped during a thunderstorm. Can't remember the exact date - Snowbie?? A degree or so colder and there would have been similar conditions in Dublin.

A

22nd October.
There was lying snow for a while in parts of Dublin.
Casement recorded 51.6mm on 22nd, it's highest midnight to midnight fall on record. (Met Eireann Monthly Weather Bulletin)

Back on topic,
Its many years since I've read this Dublin Weather Dairy. I'd like to read it agian.
I have it linked from my site (I need to update my links )

Mobhi1

Yes. I remember reading it years ago but didn't find it again until recently. It's certainly a good study of Dublin weather and an excellent read.

Supercell

Excellant read Mobhi1, thanks for sharing.

I wonder if this is the same guy whose paper I read when I did my science degree who drove around Dublin in a modified car (or van , can't rememeber - my first undergrad was a long time ago) measuring temperatures around the city and suburbs during certain conditions, was a fascinating read. He was measuring the effects of urban heat environment's iirc

Must if if thats on the internet now, am sure many here would love to read it (and i'd like to re-read it).

arctictree

trogdor wrote:

5.3.1: Thunderstorm and snow, 21 November 1977 (an example of a 'winter' thunderstorm): This was the time I learnt to spell 'thunderstorm', and boy, did I never forget to afterwards. For I was terrified! It was my first experience of thunder and it happened late at night. It woke me from my sleep. I screamed and cowered under the bed sheets at every rumble of thunder as I was only 6 years old.

Just had a look at the chart for that day:



Thats some setup. The origin of those north easterlys is off the charts in the far north of Russia. Even with global warming, if we got a repeat of those charts, we'd see some very interesting weather.

A

Supercell

arctictree wrote:

Thats some setup. The origin of those north easterlys is off the charts in the far north of Russia. Even with global warming, if we got a repeat of those charts, we'd see some very interesting weather.

A

That chart would bring amazing weather in our areas any time from November to April maybe even early May. I can almost taste winter looking at it. Wonder what it was like over round your place Arctictree or mine for that matter then.

arctictree

Here is a quote from that article:

"We rarely experienced heavy snowfalls in Dublin and "Snow on high ground" was the best we could hope for. Often during previous winters, I would peer out my bedroom window and look up to the distant snowcapped Wicklow hills and wish myself to sleep with the thought that maybe one morning, we might wake up to a dazzling white spectacle, a whiteout, the wonder of being snowed in.

And so came January 8th 1982....."

Sound familiar?? Is all this a bit cyclical and the lack of snow in Dublin recently just bad charts??

A

Supercell

arctictree wrote:

Here is a quote from that article:

"We rarely experienced heavy snowfalls in Dublin and "Snow on high ground" was the best we could hope for. Often during previous winters, I would peer out my bedroom window and look up to the distant snowcapped Wicklow hills and wish myself to sleep with the thought that maybe one morning, we might wake up to a dazzling white spectacle, a whiteout, the wonder of being snowed in.

And so came January 8th 1982....."

Sound familiar?? Is all this a bit cyclical and the lack of snow in Dublin recently just bad charts??

A

I dunno, I grew up in Dalkey and the back garden had a big tree I often climbed up and saw white mountains many times during every winter.
I bet any kid going up the same tree in recent winters would rarely see the white mountains.

These days these seem to be 500 meter's event or higher when in the past people at your or mine elevations would have been snowbound.

That said last winter I had my second best (=snowy) winter ever, only '82 beats it (by a long way and that was at sea level) .

I reckon it is bad charts, but they are a result of fundamental changes in warmth - less colder air pooling to our north means less chance of highs over Greenland or Scandinavia in Winter.

This is something I feel the blamers of "synoptics" are missing in the equation.

Frankly I'm doubtful we'll see another '82 or '63 in our lifetimes again as simply its not as cold to our north any more.
Not to say it cannot happen, just becomes much much more improbable.

I'd love to hear the counter arguments for this if anyone has them, no-one's more snow mad than me (Snowbie - yer close ).

WC et al , tell me where I'm wrong

arctictree

Longfield wrote:

That said last winter I had my second best (=snowy) winter ever, only '82 beats it (by a long way and that was at sea level) .

FYI - Winter 04/05 was worse (or better depending on your point of view!). I distinctly remember a 2 or 3 week spell in late February where there was lying snow nearly every morning. That was the reason why I purchased my 4x4! In fact there are a number of threads here on boards which chronicle the whole event - wish I had internet then!

Then in winter 05/06 there was no snow at all!

IMO, it all seems to depend on the charts....and we have just been unlucky recently.

A

arctictree

Longfield wrote:

Frankly I'm doubtful we'll see another '82 or '63 in our lifetimes again as simply its not as cold to our north any more.
Not to say it cannot happen, just becomes much much more improbable.

Wouldn't be too sure about that given your current location. You saw the photos I took during the Feb '01 event here in Roundwood. I lived in Greystones during '82 and '87 and the '01 event here was comparable.

A

Supercell

arctictree wrote:

Wouldn't be too sure about that given your current location. You saw the photos I took during the Feb '01 event here in Roundwood. I lived in Greystones during '82 and '87 and the '01 event here was comparable.

A

Arctictree, your posts fill me full of snowy joy
I hope this winter isn't a 04/05 , no snow even up here is too bad to even contemplate.
Thats unlikely though, the people next door to me said last year (as i was running around like a mad person) it happens every year here so calm down..I didn't..:D

Snowbie

Longfield wrote:

Frankly I'm doubtful we'll see another '82 or '63 in our lifetimes again as simply its not as cold to our north any more.
Not to say it cannot happen, just becomes much much more improbable.I'd love to hear the counter arguments for this if anyone has them, no-one's more snow mad than me (Snowbie - yer close ).

'49 '63 '82 had extreme cold over this country all originated from the east.

2005/06 winter came so close to being significant again from the east but with more influence from the Atlantic,the siberian air never reached much beyond Germany.With some records being broken in Russia of extreme cold,the air that pooled there in Russia in the 05/06 winter was actually colder than the air that was pooled and originated in USSR for our 1982 winter.

So,the extreme cold still knocks on our door from time to time,some of us dont realise how significant just two years ago would have been if that air had of travelled to our shores.Would have been nice to feel real cold air and powdery snowflakes again for a change.

Last year was disastrous throughout Europe for cold and of course snow for the alps.The El nino can be blamed on the mild weather across the continent including Russia.This had followed by record breaking cold across eastern countries.Just in the space of 12 months(05/06 winter to 06/07 winter),the total opposite was experienced in the same countries.

While here on our little island we get similar winters all the time.From time to time we get a setup that could give us the prolonged cold, but the power in the atlantic is just immense nowadays it just keeps it away from our shores.05/06 is prime example,even though pressure high over scandanavia,low pressure from the atlantic was just enough to keep the substantial cold at bay.

So can we have a cold spell like the 82 one anymore,probably.I just think that a high pressure of 1050hpa centred over scandanavia in a non El nino year and it can come off.That be an exceptional blocking high that would anchor itself there and feed in cold from the east or SE with fronts stalling over the country from the atlantic.Its not an impossible setup, its just been 25years since it last happened but as close as 2 years ago.

jawlie

I'm sure we will have cold snaps again just as we will have hot summers again. Mind you, the weeks of cold don;t seem to happen as they did when I was a child, and can remember weeks of frost and ice. Going back even further the image we have of Victorians skating on village ponds was, largely, factual as the winters then were longer and harsher than anything we know today.

The North Atlantic Drift is a wonderful benefit to our country, and long may it last!

Gonzo

I think we got much higher chance of seeing hot summers than cold winters tho, this summer was really bad but nearly all the summers over the past 6 years have been quite warm and good enough to make most sun worshippers happy. Ive a funny feelin that next summer will be back to warm, dryer conditions with a few hot spells (25C+) from time to time.

piraka

jawlie wrote:

The North Atlantic Drift is a wonderful benefit to our country, and long may it last!

Interesting article on the North Atlantic Drift


The Source of Europe’s Mild Climate

The notion that the Gulf Stream is responsible for keeping Europe
anomalously warm turns out to be a myth.

Trogdor

Snowbie wrote:

'49 '63 '82 had extreme cold over this country all originated from the east.

2005/06 winter came so close to being significant again from the east but with more influence from the Atlantic,the siberian air never reached much beyond Germany.With some records being broken in Russia of extreme cold,the air that pooled there in Russia in the 05/06 winter was actually colder than the air that was pooled and originated in USSR for our 1982 winter.

So,the extreme cold still knocks on our door from time to time,some of us dont realise how significant just two years ago would have been if that air had of travelled to our shores.Would have been nice to feel real cold air and powdery snowflakes again for a change.

Last year was disastrous throughout Europe for cold and of course snow for the alps.The El nino can be blamed on the mild weather across the continent including Russia.This had followed by record breaking cold across eastern countries.Just in the space of 12 months(05/06 winter to 06/07 winter),the total opposite was experienced in the same countries.

While here on our little island we get similar winters all the time.From time to time we get a setup that could give us the prolonged cold, but the power in the atlantic is just immense nowadays it just keeps it away from our shores.05/06 is prime example,even though pressure high over scandanavia,low pressure from the atlantic was just enough to keep the substantial cold at bay.

So can we have a cold spell like the 82 one anymore,probably.I just think that a high pressure of 1050hpa centred over scandanavia in a non El nino year and it can come off.That be an exceptional blocking high that would anchor itself there and feed in cold from the east or SE with fronts stalling over the country from the atlantic.Its not an impossible setup, its just been 25years since it last happened but as close as 2 years ago.

Indeed, it could have happened last year too iirc. Can't remember exactly when, but i remember the weather forums nearly collapsed:p . GFS ensembles showed around 40-50% chance of strong Easterlies bringing in -10C to -15C 850hpa air before T+180! Devasting when it dissappeared after a few amazing runs:o

Snowbie

Yep trogdor that was in the 06 winter.We did get a 3/4 day cold spell from the north in early march 06.That potentially cold east wind was in Febuary iirc if it had materialised that is in this part of the world.