Cold Spell Prospects and Discussion (January + Early Feb 2012)

Deep Easterly

Wild Bill wrote: »

We badly need some deep frosts to kill of the weeds and bugs and set things up for spring.

The deep frosts of last year also destroyed a lot of peoples plants and gardens as well; and not sure if directly related to last winter but even the leaves on the trees during this (or should I say last) year looked black and colourless so I don't think frosts really set us up for the following spring and summer (though I am far from an expert on plant life).

Sponge Bob

There was a big storm in late May/early June ( or was that 2 of them) that played puck with the foliage on the trees in Galway..really windburnt them. They were quite normal in mid May.

eskimocat

I wonder if those were the charts that were causing MT the bother.. he mentioned something earlier in the week about a possible flip flop scenario, which, if it came down the side of the flip then we might see something building of a much colder nature... if it flopped, well the word speaks for itself..

Deep Easterly

Sponge Bob wrote: »

There was a big storm in late May/early June ( or was that 2 of them) that played puck with the foliage on the trees in Galway..really windburnt them. They were quite normal in mid May.

On a drive up through Mayo and Leitrim last summer, the trees and bushes up there were in an even worse state. No colour at all in them. Looked like a nuclear aftermath. We need an easterly summer, it's the only job for the wesht.

fizzycyst

Deep Easterly wrote: »

The deep frosts of last year also destroyed a lot of peoples plants and gardens as well; and not sure if directly related to last winter but even the leaves on the trees during this (or should I say last) year looked black and colourless so I don't think frosts really set us up for the following spring and summer (though I am far from an expert on plant life).

Last year was unbelievable for growth though overall. Even in my own garden there was an abundance of fruit and veg. Apparently 2011 saw the highest national yield in over 20 years for barley and oats too.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1101/1224306845221.html

hotwhiskey

Deep Easterly wrote: »

On a drive up through Mayo and Leitrim last summer, the trees and bushes up there were in an even worse state. No colour at all in them. Looked like a nuclear aftermath. We need an easterly summer, it's the only job for the wesht.

Yes noticed that last year in these parts too. But i noticed on the 28 Dec last was the daffodils up two inches above the ground, now thats worrying.

nilhg

fizzycyst wrote: »

Last year was unbelievable for growth though overall. Even in my own garden there was an abundance of fruit and veg. Apparently 2011 saw the highest national yield in over 20 years for barley and oats too.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1101/1224306845221.html

You'll notice that the article refers to Winter and Spring barley and Spring Oats, all (well not all but a lot) the Winter oats died of frostbite, the areas which had least snow were worst affected.

http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2011/201103-03.pdf

Around here there were Elder bushes killed in the hedges and even big clumps of Briars were burnt right back to the roots.

Wild Bill

Deep Easterly wrote: »

The deep frosts of last year also destroyed a lot of peoples plants and gardens as well; and not sure if directly related to last winter but even the leaves on the trees during this (or should I say last) year looked black and colourless so I don't think frosts really set us up for the following spring and summer (though I am far from an expert on plant life).

It ridded the country (mostly) of the hideous cordylines (cabbage palms) - it reduced populations of various bugs enormously.

All good stuff.



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/0409/1224293914850.html

I hate the f****** things! :mad:

Sponge Bob

Deep Easterly wrote: »

We need an easterly summer, it's the only job for the wesht.

Just to remind you , from the horses mouth

http://www.met.ie/climate/monthlyBulletins/may11_lowres.pdf

21st to 31st: A series of Atlantic depressions
over or near the northwest coast of Ireland
affected the country, the deepest of which
were between the 21st and 26th. These
brought a spell of very showery weather with
unusually strong winds for May and very high
seas off the west coast. While heavy falls were
recorded at most stations, rainfall
accumulations in the east were relatively low.
Wind and elements: Mean windspeeds for
the month of between 9 and 20 knots (17 and
37km/h) were above normal everywhere and
were the highest for May for at least 25 years
generally. The month’s highest gust of 78
knots (144km/h) was observed at Belmullet on
the 23rd, the highest ever May gust in Ireland.

NB. It was nothing to do with the freeze the previous winter. NB.

I really noticed the tatty leaves when a warm spell hit around the beginning of June but the damage was caused in May.

Wild Bill

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I really noticed the tatty leaves when a warm spell hit around the beginning of June but the damage was caused in May.

Correct.

And the bounteous fruitful Autumn was due to the warm, dry and calm weather in April - that wondrous sunny rainless month

Deep Easterly

Wild Bill wrote: »

I hate the f****** things! :mad:

OK OK!!

You are right SB re the wind and although a rotten summer with nagging westerlies on nearly every day of the season, it was very dry which probably didn't help with little if any quality sunshine.

delw

eskimocat wrote: »

I wonder if those were the charts that were causing MT the bother.. he mentioned something earlier in the week about a possible flip flop scenario, which, if it came down the side of the flip then we might see something building of a much colder nature... if it flopped, well the word speaks for itself..

was thinking the same eskimocat,high pushing up to Greenland & if we'r on the wrong side of it,well everything to the east of us is cold,but that's just my untrained opinion but from the positive post's so far things are moving in the right direction

Pangea

What caused the trees to go all brown was the seasalt carried by that storm in May, one half of hedges facing the sea direction was all brown , the other all green. don't quite recall if they got their colour back before autumn but they were brown for a long time.

fizzycyst

nilhg wrote: »

You'll notice that the article refers to Winter and Spring barley and Spring Oats, all (well not all but a lot) the Winter oats died of frostbite, the areas which had least snow were worst affected.

http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2011/201103-03.pdf

Around here there were Elder bushes killed in the hedges and even big clumps of Briars were burnt right back to the roots.

I didn't notice that first time. I suppose it all depends on what part of the country your in. Min posted yesterday about how Mayo had its wettest year in 25 years, yet Johnstown castle had its driest year in 40 years. Its amazing to see the extreme differences in such a small country.

Wild Bill

Based on Trog's stats, Bray may be about to record the driest year in Ireland, ever, anywhere :cool:

pauldry

why is this thread called possible cold spell mid january

TheMilkyPirate

For a second there I thought I had clicked into the weather forum, My eyes must be deceiving me because with all the talk of leaves and bloody daffodils this is obviously the horticulture forum.

YouTookMyName

Sponge Bob wrote: »

There was a big storm in late May/early June ( or was that 2 of them) that played puck with the foliage on the trees in Galway..really windburnt them. They were quite normal in mid May.

The harsh december killed a lot of hedges and trees.

Wild Bill

pauldry wrote: »

why is this thread called possible cold spell mid january

Thread naming is a dynamic process

(see "Dublin Storm")

Redsunset

Possible Cold Spell Mid-January

Wild Bill

redsunset wrote: »

Possible Cold Spell Mid-January

Yikes!

I have been using that exact pic as my "desktop background" for the past two weeks!

Wild Bill

What you have cut off on the right of the picture is the house on stilts over the river.

I can't figure out why anyone would build such a structure in such a place

Trogdor

Wild Bill wrote: »

Based on Trog's stats, Bray may be about to record the driest year in Ireland, ever, anywhere :cool:

Unfortunately my stats are not that great with a good few holes in the data on occasions where the rain bucket got blocked up and wasn't recording properly. I've tried to fill in the gaps as best i can but that in combination with extremely temperamental software like "weather display" does not make them all that accurate unfortunately

Anyway this thread has become a bit derailed. At least try to stick to discussion of what's in the thread title please! Feel free to start other topics for discussion of other weather related topics if they do not already exist but try to avoid going wildly off topic in existing ones:)

Wild Bill

Here's the missing puzzling bit.....

Wild Bill

trogdor wrote: »

At least try to stick to discussion of what's in the thread title please!

Ooops! My bad

darkman2

The 18z GFS not great for morale but stick with it. The important 00z's coming shortly and I suspect they will be rather nice.;)

Redsunset

darkman2 wrote: »

The 18z GFS not great for morale but stick with it. The important 00z's coming shortly and I suspect they will be rather nice.;)

I actually thought the 18z was a big stepping stone in the right direction,certainly up to the 168hrs on how heights were developing on both sides, Pacific+Atlantic.

darkman2

redsunset wrote: »

I actually thought the 18z was a big stepping stone in the right direction,certainly up to the 168hrs on how heights were developing on both sides, Pacific+Atlantic.

Yes, absolutely. Most here would find it pretty bad but the building blocks were very good as I alluded to earlier with my running commentary. Not good long term and we do need to see better heights nearer Greenland.Which is very possible at this stage. Or we just need things a little less progressive.

Redsunset

Yes looking back we were both running commentaries at the same time without realising, we was getting peeps excited

TheMilkyPirate

Not sure if i can last till the 00zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....