For people who depend on the weather/prefer milder weather

Min

I am doing this topic as a lot of people on the forum don't depend on the weather for their livelihoods,
It also doesn't go down well in other topics if you happen to hate cold weather.
For farmers, we love early springs, decent summers and a dry autumn that is conducive to extended grazing.

Surveys in the Farmers Journal and the farming independent show farmers need an early spring, due to the bad summer which meant the fodder for the livestock was not as good as other years. There is a fodder crisis as in lack of feed so many farmers will be hoping for an early spring.

In this thread we who like milder weather can ramp away. To be a weather enthusiast you don't have to be a fan of snow and cold. You might prefer warm weather, dry weather, thunderstorms, tornadoes, wind events, rain events.

For me I like mild to warm weather, fairly dry but a enough rain so grass growth is not restricted.
I would be a very stupid person if I was a ramper of cold and snow as it is not in my interest as a farmer.

For farmers reading this, it would not be a bad idea to order in some concentrated feed before the weekend if running low given we are entering an uncertain time with cold and snow forecast.

The grass was growing during the mild spell, but as one neighbour said to me a few years ago - January grass never lasts.

http://www.met.ie/latest/agricultural.asp for things like soil temperatures, once above 6 degrees celsius there is grass growth, above 9C the clover will grow.

Current indications are the soil temperatures will fall below 6C with the chance trafficability will improve in drier colder conditions.

A lot of farmers and indeed a lot of other people will be hoping for things to turn into what happened last February and March, where it was dry and mild.
I think we deserve our own thread, given we are not allowed to post about wanting anything mild in any other thread. It is very discouraging to have nowhere to post about wanting mild dry weather and if posted in any other topic it ends up deleted.
So I hope this is a solution and people who hate the cold and snow can post away to their hearts content in this thread.

Min

After posting this thread, the latest model run from the GFS - http://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/gfse_cartes.php show a trend that the current predicted cold spell will be short lived and not too bad overall, however know that these are open to change so keep yourself updated.

The GFS 06z has it becoming milder next week with our weather being influenced by the Atlantic rather than the East.
So good news for the grass if this current trend continues.

nilhg

I'd like 3 or 4 days of really hard penetrating frost (-8 should do) so I can finish all the bits of hedge cutting on the headlands that are too wet at the moment (be best it these days didn't fall on a weekend) than some nice dry, slightly cloudy weather for a week or two so I can plough all the fields with nice freshly cut hedges.

A dry March would be next on the agenda but that's deep FI at this stage

weisses

Here in the west from my perspective mild weather means grey muck drizzle flooding s .. . a couple of my colleagues are par time farmers and had to keep there cattle in loads of time last year because the land was to saturated

Rikand

Anything other than frost or snow. Trying to run competitions in the golf club and i really dont need the hassle

AK333

I live half way up a hill in Tipperary - and there is ice on the car windscreen as we speak - I'm terrified my water pipes are going to freeze again - somebody please tell me its not cold enough for the pipes to freeze at the moment

NIALL D

AK333 wrote: »

I live half way up a hill in Tipperary - and there is ice on the car windscreen as we speak - I'm terrified my water pipes are going to freeze again - somebody please tell me its not cold enough for the pipes to freeze at the moment

plenty cold enough for them to freeze , if outside above ground ?!! not cold enough for them to freeze in your attic jus yet !! unless u have zero insulation !!!
i noticed this evening the wheel barrow outside had a good bit of water in it from the rain , and it didnt even melt all day , and it was fairly solid too !!
didn get above 2 c here all day . the fog was serious didnt lift at all . in tipp also !

AK333

NIALL D wrote: »

plenty cold enough for them to freeze , if outside above ground ?!! not cold enough for them to freeze in your attic jus yet !! unless u have zero insulation !!!
i noticed this evening the wheel barrow outside had a good bit of water in it from the rain , and it didnt even melt all day , and it was fairly solid too !!
didn get above 2 c here all day . the fog was serious didnt lift at all . in tipp also !

I have a well and I'm more worried about the pipes coming from the well to the house. They are underground but not very deep and froze the winter of 2009 and 2010. Fog lifted here but was constant around the River Suir. Should I leave the tap running tonight?

Harps

Its forecast to get milder again in the South and west as the night goes on so the next few hours will be as cold as it gets

NIALL D

AK333 wrote: »

I have a well and I'm more worried about the pipes coming from the well to the house. They are underground but not very deep and froze the winter of 2009 and 2010. Fog lifted here but was constant around the River Suir. Should I leave the tap running tonight?

to be honest i dont think the frost would be severe enough to penetrate the ground that much !! yes indeed 09 / 10 was something crazy , im a plumber with 10 years and was flat out with fixing bust pipes and sorting frozen pipes . pipes were frozen under footpaths in places and nothing i could do only they had to wait for the thaw ! also pipes froze in places almost 2 feet underground ! ..

*normally if pipes are buried in soil / clay it needs to be very cold for pipes to freeze , but if they are buried in rubble / stone they freeze much easier as there is so many air pockets under the ground around the stones and pipes the frost penetrates the ground much easier !

id say you should be ok for tonight unless its goina be touchin -4 or that !!
well hopefully anyway ha

AK333

Thanks Niall, you've put my mind at rest, I would hate to have the winter like 2009/2010 - it was a nightmare. Life is tough enough at the moment without worrying about flushing toilets or not as the case may be. I might need a plumber if the worse comes to worse.

NIALL D

AK333 wrote: »

Thanks Niall, you've put my mind at rest, I would hate to have the winter like 2009/2010 - it was a nightmare. Life is tough enough at the moment without worrying about flushing toilets or not as the case may be. I might need a plumber if the worse comes to worse.

no prob , but if what is showing on the charts at the moment does happen we could be looking at a similar situation again !!!
time will tell , as you can see in the other threads the guys on here with even the best of knowledge are finding it hard to pin down whats going to happen in the next few days as the charts / models are all over the place at the moment .

Nabber

I taught a cold winter was good for killing off the majority of a pest/bug populations. So the cold must be some what good for farmers?
I know blueberries and grape vines have a better growth after a cold winter.

My work is not affected by weather so I don['t know the hardship created by weather. But I can respect that it can make peoples lives misery. In and out of work.

Good luck to the farmers if this cold spell comes off and to anyone else.

I start a new job on Monday so could do without snow & ice on an unfamiliar road!
Things are looking OK at the moment, hopefully no nasty surprises in the morning.

gbee

in the past I've got stuck a few times in my storm chasing or snow chasing events.

On several occasions local farmers came out with their tractors and pulled me and my family out of bogs, steep slopes, deep mud, snow drifts and one flood.

So just a thank you, my family has grown up and I've upgraded to an SUV so I hope I won't be needing so much help during the next event.

bb12

thanks for the thread. snow is just an absolute nightmare to deal with. animals all need extra feed and after the summer we've had all forage supplies are running low so we don't need any more hassle from the weather. snow brings a nightmare in driving anywhere to check on herds or flocks...had to get a herd of sheep out of a snowstorm a few years ago and when pulling the trailer of full sheep up over an overpass she started skidding on the ice and we all nearly ended up sliding backwards...nightmare but got out of it thankfully...plus not to mention the terrible effect on wildlife etc...can't understand it at all when people wish for so much snow!

AK333

BB12 I agree with you. When you live in rural Ireland or have to work outside, severe extremes of weather are a nightmare and can be very dangerous. I dont mind it really cold at night, helps kill of the bugs/viruses IMO, but as long as it breaks in the morning so that we can all go about our normal day to day stuff. Trying to get up hills with ice and snow, that aren't gritted is horrible.

djmc

I am a farmer and love snow for a short time
It does make things a bit harder but I see it as a challenge
The tractor will do the job if the car or quad wont.
Dont really mind cold either as long as its dry and in winter what I really hate is months of endless rain if it didnt rain for the next 6 months it would suit me fine.
I am short fodder and hoping for an early spring and dry mild feb and march
but if it snows in january thats ok too

Aoife9

I'm praying the snow passes us by, my poor Dad just had a triple bypass and is due for discharge on Wednesday so my brother has to drive him home from Dublin to Donegal, it's a long enough journey when you are feeling well never mind after major surgery add snow/ice to the conditions and it becomes dangerous so needless to say I am really anxious about the threat of it!

Noffles

Was directed to this thread....

Mild today, glad to see it and may it last... I hate snow, to be fair I only started hating it when I moved rural (shocking error on my side) and now live in mortal dread when I see anything about it..

Go away... Roll on SUMMER!!

gbee

Aoife9 wrote: »

I'm praying the snow passes us by, my poor Dad just had a triple bypass and is due for discharge on Wednesday so my brother has to drive him home from Dublin to Donegal,

This is going to be torturous, make sure you have plenty of blankets, head gear scarfs etc. You'll probably need to stop every few miles so be prepared for that too, and getting in and out of the car is not an option.

You'll need a med stop too and plenty of fresh air, the air conditioning or the car's heater will aggravate the situation and avoid all perfumes and after shaves and any junk food for yourself as the mere smell of it causes chocking and breathing difficulties.

Travelling, travelling by car is the single worst thing he'll face. Make doubly sure he has his Teddy Bears and really get the driver to pay attention to those speed bumps that he used to fly over, smooth driving, slow acceleration and avoid breaking.

Aoife9

gbee wrote: »

This is going to be torturous, make sure you have plenty of blankets, head gear scarfs etc. You'll probably need to stop every few miles so be prepared for that too, and getting in and out of the car is not an option.

You'll need a med stop too and plenty of fresh air, the air conditioning or the car's heater will aggravate the situation and avoid all perfumes and after shaves and any junk food for yourself as the mere smell of it causes chocking and breathing difficulties.

Travelling, travelling by car is the single worst thing he'll face. Make doubly sure he has his Teddy Bears and really get the driver to pay attention to those speed bumps that he used to fly over, smooth driving, slow acceleration and avoid breaking.

Thank you for the advice, yep we're dreading it alright, he only be a week post op on Wednesday and is doing great but we're all just praying we get him home safely and as comfortably as possible preferably without snow!

Pangea

gbee wrote: »

Make doubly sure he has his Teddy Bears

munsterlegend

Pangea wrote: »

That confused me as well....not making light of a serious conversation!!!

slowburner

Snow is a novelty on this temperate island of ours, so it's unsurprising that many of us eagerly anticipate a change from the usual gloomy winter weather.
The things we associate with snowfall; the reflected light, the silence, the fun and games, the disruption of the routine, are all a welcome diversion from the mundanities of everyday life and a reminder that we are Mother Nature's children, not her manager.
But spare a thought for people who suffer in the snow. Not just farmers - anyone who works outdoors suffers in this weather.
And think of those who are struggling financially; all the extra expense, the heating, the drying, the transport problems.
If you're young, fit, work indoors and financially carefree, snow is great fun.
If you're not, snow is a serious challenge.

gbee

Pangea wrote: »

It's a medical term.

DOCARCH

slowburner wrote: »

Snow is a novelty on this temperate island of ours, so it's unsurprising that many of us eagerly anticipate a change from the usual gloomy winter weather.
The things we associate with snowfall; the reflected light, the silence, the fun and games, the disruption of the routine, are all a welcome diversion from the mundanities of everyday life and a reminder that we are Mother Nature's children, not her manager.

Spot on! Plus the fact that the sight of snow falling is just fantastic/mesmerizing.

gbee

DOCARCH wrote: »

Spot on! Plus the fact that the sight of snow falling is just fantastic/mesmerizing.

Com'on, I'll take your hand over to the ramping thread!!

Pangea

gbee wrote: »

It's a medical term.

I see, meaning what?

dsmythy

So I'm thinking the rule for this weekend is the further south west you are the safer you are.

Robxxx7

dsmythy wrote: »

So I'm thinking the rule for this weekend is the further south west you are the safer you are.

That suits me just fine .....

kingshankly

I'd say most of Ireland will avoid snow this weekend

Jpmarn

I don't mind some cold blast of weather in the month of December and January. The weather gurus are talking about a very cold frosty February. The extreme cold will not be welcomed by me when my cows start having calves.

up for anything

Crap! It looks like it's going to be a horrible weekend and week to come cold wise. I can't bear the thoughts of it. Trying to keep warm... trying to keep the washing machine from freezing overnight and staying frozen, getting the kids to wear cold weather gear instead of just teeshirts. Getting down the damn rise from where we live and then back up again without ending up in A&E being wrapped in vinegar and brown paper.

Rikand

looking like we're not going to get the major snow event we thought we would get just yet. THANK GOD!

gbee

Rickylovesuall wrote: »

looking like we're not going to get the major snow event we thought we would get just yet. the variables between patterns and time scales!

Christianity forum is that way, ↑ thank you very much.

MrFrisp

According to M.E. it will be getting slightly warmer again for the second half of next week... Thankfully...


Saturday night will be dry and calm but very cold with a widespread sharp to severe air and ground frost with the risk of freezing fog and icy patches. Sunday will be bright and mostly dry but very cold with frost and fog lingering in some inland and northern areas. Rain will spread in from the southwest during Sunday night accompanied by fresh southeast winds, and the rain will turn to sleet or snow over the midlands north and east - especially over high ground. Monday will be a cold mostly cloudy day with occasional wintry showers of hail or sleet with a continuing risk of snow over high ground. After a sharp night frost, Tuesday will be cold again with scattered wintry showers - these mainly near coasts, but many places will remain dry. Then more rain will spread countrywide from the west on Wednesday night, introducing somewhat less cold conditions for the latter part of the week, but it will remain changeable and unsettled.

http://www.rte.ie/weather/
.

Babooshka

slowburner wrote: »

Snow is a novelty on this temperate island of ours, so it's unsurprising that many of us eagerly anticipate a change from the usual gloomy winter weather.
The things we associate with snowfall; the reflected light, the silence, the fun and games, the disruption of the routine, are all a welcome diversion from the mundanities of everyday life and a reminder that we are Mother Nature's children, not her manager.
But spare a thought for people who suffer in the snow. Not just farmers - anyone who works outdoors suffers in this weather.
And think of those who are struggling financially; all the extra expense, the heating, the drying, the transport problems.
If you're young, fit, work indoors and financially carefree, snow is great fun.
If you're not, snow is a serious challenge.

Last time I felt it was a novelty was when I was a child, no school, burst pipes, easy peasy, out for snowfights, and that light is amazing, you're right.

What adult doesn't have responsibilities of some sort to get around in the snow? My job is of the type that I cannot just say I can't make it because it's snowing. I have to try at all costs to make it into work, normally taking an hour to two hours longer than normal, freezing cold, shivering, soaking wet, miserable, all to get into work and be told to go home three hours later in order to make it home that night. Cue another 3 hour journey, rinse and repeat. What adult is also financially carefree in these times? Not a lot. Snow is for postcards, children, and people on ski-ing holidays - or any holiday, Not for real life.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I'm still ok here in North Tipperary thankfully. It's sunny but cold at the moment, we had a bit of light rain earlier on. Fingers crossed that it stays that way, I don't mind the cold temperatures at all it's just snow I dislike.

slowburner

Babooshka wrote: »

Last time I felt it was a novelty was when I was a child, no school, burst pipes, easy peasy, out for snowfights, and that light is amazing, you're right.

What adult doesn't have responsibilities of some sort to get around in the snow? My job is of the type that I cannot just say I can't make it because it's snowing. I have to try at all costs to make it into work, normally taking an hour to two hours longer than normal, freezing cold, shivering, soaking wet, miserable, all to get into work and be told to go home three hours later in order to make it home that night. Cue another 3 hour journey, rinse and repeat. What adult is also financially carefree in these times? Not a lot. Snow is for postcards, children, and people on ski-ing holidays - or any holiday, Not for real life.

Well said.
Today, I would have preferred snow to the unrelenting rain. My house sits beside a small stream, and today that stream became a raging torrent.
You could hear boulders banging together as they tumbled downstream.
Thankfully, a chap I know who has a serious pump, happened to be in the area and I was able to get a hold of him despite the network being down.
If he hadn't been around, there's no doubt I'd be mopping up through the night and tomorrow.
Somehow I doubt the equivalent amount of snow would have been as threatening.

gbee

slowburner wrote: »

Somehow I doubt the equivalent amount of snow would have been as threatening.

The rain, much of it, should have been snow. It wasn't and it became voluminous 'tropical' rain. One may have noticed how soft it was, warm even and how wet everything got with vast puddle collections.

Elmer Blooker

nothing interesting happening with the weather and nothing interesting on the horizon either so I think I'll take the opportunity to remind those who like mild, wet, dull, gloomy, dismal, dreary endless cloudy days what bad weather is like. This is "bad" weather in Stockholm.
Get me outta here!!

http://www.webbkameror.se/golfkameror/ullnagc/index.php

cml387

Toys getting thrown out of pram in the ramping thread.
Quite a pleasant afternoon in the midlands.
Looks like the cold doom promised consistently by some is not going to happen.

barney 20v

cml387 wrote: »

Toys getting thrown out of pram in the ramping thread.
Quite a pleasant afternoon in the midlands.
Looks like the cold doom promised consistently by some is not going to happen.

Noticed that alright, we had a lovely mild calm Saturday here in Wexford.
Spent the day outside pottering about sorting out a few things in the garden/car while my two daughters played in the yard..spring can't come soon enough for me!

Min

Well we are still not out of February, once March comes one can be more hopeful.

howlinwolf

im glad im not nuts on the cold/snow cause this year would have me pulling my hair out with all the hype and no substance.... just hopin that the rolls dont get reversed..i.e weather models predicting some milder weather and we get pulled into the freezer...another couple of weeks and we will be out of the woods:)

slowburner

I've forgotten what sunshine feels like.
The last time the skies were blue, there was no heat at all in the sun.

The unrelenting rain must be causing all sorts of problems for folks who live their lives close to the land.
When is the last time there were two days' drying?

dirtyghettokid

this winter has been awful. i suffer winter depression, and the last two months have been horrible. the ground is sopping wet and mucky. floods in fields, debris everywhere on the roads from the rain and wind storms...can't get the damp cold out of my bones!
it's just awful! my spring flowers also seem to be struggling more this year.
i really can't wait for some warmer DRY weather!

Min

A lot of people are sick of winter and with the evenings getting longer, most are loking forward to the nice dry, mild to warm days to come.
Plus the cost of heating is high.

This is a response to the ramping thread where one person wondered why isn't the forum hoping, when cold miserable, bad farming weather for grass is forecasted.

Last February was beautiful, dry, mild, sunny. Beats cold and snow, hands down.

Rikand

desperately want the atlantic to say F U to the recent forecast of cold weather and snow from Europe.

Come on Atlantic! Show us some sweet sweet loving!

pistolpetes11

Rickylovesuall wrote: »

desperately want the atlantic to say F U to the recent forecast of cold weather and snow from Europe.

Come on Atlantic! Show us some sweet sweet loving!

you wont be playing any golf in the Atlantic comes in ,

You want the high pressure to sit over us , giving a slack flow , might be nippy but it will be dry and sunny ,