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6th Annual White Christmas Thread

  • 04-11-2015 5:12pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭


    That time of year again folks. Usually start this thread about now. One UK website actually starts on 1 September every year so no need to feel bad about starting in early November.

    At this range the only forecast guidance (putting it at its high point!) available is the CFS. Below I have pasted its pressure and 850 uppers temp charts for noon on the big day.

    15122500_0400.gif

    15122500_0400.gif

    Nothing of huge note there (certainly no snow) but there is, fair to say, a while to go so changes could just about occur!

    For the record there are Xmas weather updates on both TWO and Netweather but since for now they are simply parroting what the CFS says I won't reference their thoughts for now. I will do nearer the big day when their updates get more frequent and technical.

    Ciao for now.....

    :)


«13

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Second Update.....

    CFS showing December a little cooler than recently but still little of note. A bit of a cold incursion around 11/12 December and, more interestingly, around Stephen's day. Nothing of note though - no snow obvious.

    The big day itself is rainy with westerly winds, temps around 9c. See below charts for the big day and, given its proximity, for the minor colder incursion afterwards.

    Xmas day...
    15122512_0900.gif

    15122512_0900.gif

    Stephen's night....
    15122700_0900.gif

    Just as a final observation, the CFS shows it being consistently cool (cold at times) from around 10th Jan to mid Feb with 850 hpa uppers at -2 or below at virtually all times and plenty of "pink" all over much of Europe. I attach a typical enough chart from the period....

    16012600_0900.gif

    Plenty of interest to come accordingly.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭pauldry


    Niiice

    I personally have Dec 25 as the first day of snow this Winter in boards contest so prepare for a white out.

    Heres what could happen

    Nov 11 - 20 Very Mild some brief cool

    Nov 20 - Nov 30 More cool windy periods still mild in between

    Dec 1 - 10 Renewed mildness

    Dec 11 - 15 Cold has another go but only frost

    Dec 16 - 24 Mild and calm

    Dec 25 - 27 Snow arrives

    Its CFS in its fantasia but hey lets pray


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Happy New year?

    15123000_1000.gif


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,738 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    The chance of a white Christmas this year is higher than recent years as my probability for a White Christmas is every 5.2 years and the last one I had was 5 years ago back in 2010 which wasn't a real White Christmas in my opinion as there was no FALLING SNOW. 2004 was the last real White Christmas in my area as I remember all the falling snow on Christmas morning when I woke up. Anyway, my probability as a chance of a White Christmas has gone from 1.2% at the end of October to 9.3% - which again is still very low chance! Have to wait a bit longer!

    Photography site - https://sryanbruenphoto.com/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,816 ✭✭✭Calibos


    I'll take 5 inches of week old snow on the ground and along the top of the hedge for me Christmas day photo's rather than actually falling snow on the day but no accumulation. Obviously both is perfect but if I had to choose one or t'other....

    Hope we get some snow this year so I can refresh my Xmas Snow photo collection. The council changed the streetlamps to lovely white light directed LED fittings earlier this year which should make for nicer photo's than my current Orange jobbies :D

    5286459693_6bc95597c8_z.jpg

    5287048686_dfd01d80d1_z.jpg


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  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 25,390 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Bookies have slashed the prices of a White Christmas yet again.

    Which means ultimately nothing :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,719 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Loughc wrote: »
    Bookies have slashed the prices of a White Christmas yet again.

    El Nino something something...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Things are generally trending better than they were for a (admittedly still very long odds) White Christmas this year.

    With just 900 hrs to go (I know - the anticipation is palpable), the best guidance from the CFS shows a mobile pattern through December with alternating spells of relatively mild and relatively cold weather. For the big day itself the CFS snow accumulation charts are currently showing some of the UK hitting the jackpot - mind you the uppers don't seem to support this at all. See below.

    15122512_1800.gif

    and

    15122512_1800.gif

    Meanwhile one reputable UK weather site (TWO) which runs a White Christmas forecast has released a very upbeat update today, the salient bit of which is "...an increased chance of a White Christmas in both the north and south. The reasons for this are:

    1) Medium range computer models are showing the possibility of pressure rising to the north and west of the UK at times during the second half of November. This could set the pattern for the early part of the winter and would lead to a higher than average chance of cold snaps or spells.

    2) Developments through November to date bear some similarities to previous years which have brought colder than average winters.

    At this stage it remains far too early to be confident about the possibilities. Other factors such as the strong El Nino and westerly Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) favour a mild start to the winter.

    The temperature anomaly charts possibly indicate colder snaps being more likely to come from the north west and north rather than east. This would mean snow is more probable in the northern half of the UK and particularly over high ground....
    "

    Accordingly some grounds for hope all round (heck its a week when we comfortably qualified for Euro 2016 with Glen Whelan as captain so you kind of think anything could happen right now....)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    A potential Christmas snowfest on the CFS here. Pity it isn't 48 hours out on the GFS instead :pac:

    jX6MrnW.png
    OtgSDb6.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Alas the CFS is not so great 3 days on - current indications are for a mild Christmas period, see below from the CFS:-

    15122512_3000.gif

    Out of completeness Netweather in the UK's current read is "...this week, the Winter forecast was issued, and following on from the theme of all of the Christmas forecast updates so far, an often unsettled, even stormy December is on the cards.

    As we near the end of the month though, the expectation in the winter outlook is for increasingly colder weather to play more of a role across the north of the country at least though..


    Meanwhile TWO offer "..a reduced change of a White Christmas in both the north and south of the UK. The reasons for this are:

    1) Medium range computer models offer support for a +NAO pattern during the middle part of December and in the run up to Christmas. This would produce a broadly westerly flow across the UK bringing average to mild conditions and only brief colder snaps.

    2) Other factors such as the strong El Nino and the westerly Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) continue to favour a mild start to the winter.

    At this stage it remains too early to be confident about the outcome but a green Christmas for most of the UK is strongly favoured. As is usually the case, snow is most likely over high ground in the north
    ...."

    Still a good bit away from the major models being in range, and god knows they can be inaccurate at even 10 days, so nothing remotely written in stone yet.


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  • Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭mike2084


    I take it that all serious weather watchers would take this with a pinch of salt....

    http://www.joe.ie/news/coldest-and-snowiest-spell-in-some-years-predicted-to-hit-ireland-in-the-next-month/521875


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Getting interesting.....

    15122512_0212.gif:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    I won't cross post but some very positive posts in the fi thread. Tonight gfs still promising for the big day. See below...

    gfs-2-348.png?18?18


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 386 ✭✭Nichard Dixon


    Yes, that 0.1mm would be awesome.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    I'm predicting 10-13 degrees murky damp weather.about 4-5 degrees difference from mid summer in Ireland.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,738 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    I'm predicting 10-13 degrees murky damp weather.about 4-5 degrees difference from mid summer in Ireland.

    literally the end of May?

    Photography site - https://sryanbruenphoto.com/



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    sryanbruen wrote: »
    literally the end of May?

    Yes precisely.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 736 ✭✭✭chillin117


    pauldry wrote: »
    Niiice

    I personally have Dec 25 as the first day of snow this Winter in boards contest so prepare for a white out.

    Heres what could happen

    Nov 11 - 20 Very Mild some brief cool

    Nov 20 - Nov 30 More cool windy periods still mild in between

    Dec 1 - 10 Renewed mildness

    Dec 11 - 15 Cold has another go but only frost

    Dec 16 - 24 Mild and calm

    Dec 25 - 27 Snow arrives

    Its CFS in its fantasia but hey lets pray

    Dec 1- 10 should read ''Washout'' !:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    gensprobuk-26-300_uba1.png


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    How close wii Christmas temperatures be to "summer" temperatures is the big question now?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    How close wii Christmas temperatures be to "summer" temperatures is the big question now?

    Bah humbug! Still every chance of a mini cold spell for the big day......

    Course in this country its always odds against. In most places near sea level we usually only get snow showers of any sort, say, 4 or 5 times a winter (often much less) so odds of one of those falling on 25 December aren't great.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Well 11 days out and the GFS still wants to give some of us a white Christmas - that's not so bad in this otherwise awful winter. In fact the gfs precipitation charts (which are notoriously inaccurate I should add) have all of us getting in on the act by early morning on Stephen's day. See below....

    gfs-2-276.png?6?6

    and

    gfs-2-288.png?6?6

    In fact, to this very untrained eye there is decent enough agreement between the gfs and ecm at day 10. Maybe gfs is on to something? Charts are below. I note MTC didn't rule out a brief Christmas day cold interlude in a post yesterday either......

    GFS...

    gfs-0-240.png?6?6

    ECM...

    ECM1-240.GIF


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    Those large scale charts can be a little but deceiving though. A closer look at the 288 chart show less appealing picture.

    35% risk of rain falling as snow above 600m.

    gAviDo3.png

    Not that those kind of details matter at that kind of FI range though! :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭pauldry


    It snowed in the North and Northwest Saturday so why not Xmas Day.

    I dont forsee 13c at all

    This mildness will break down Dec 22

    Then single digits

    One cold night with precipitation of a wintry nature and voila.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,513 ✭✭✭✭Rikand


    gensprobuk-26-300_uba1.png

    Come on ballyhaise snow!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    Might as well post this for the laugh every now and then to see how the Christmas Day snow potential looks on the GFS ensembles. It shows the percentage of GEFS members showing snow during that 24 hour period. Don't take it seriously. :P

    gensprobuk-26-252_qmw6.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭pauldry


    Im deadly serious


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    gensprobuk-26-228_rvw5.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,738 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    The BBC say it is looking more like a STORMY Christmas

    Photography site - https://sryanbruenphoto.com/



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,907 ✭✭✭Comhrá


    Can't see much of the white stuff here for Christmas Day..... (brandy sauce excluded)

    airpressure.png


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    I'm sticking to my guns. Same as most Christmas days I can remember which is a lot. Mild damp dank depressing weather. There will be tumbleweed in here next week.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,738 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    I'm sticking to my guns. Same as most Christmas days I can remember which is a lot. Mild damp dank depressing weather. There will be tumbleweed in here next week.

    Well last year wasn't a bad Christmas at all for my area. It was in fact comparable to 2010 in how sunny it was as well as the feel of the temperature - though not nearly as cold as the year in question.

    Photography site - https://sryanbruenphoto.com/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    sryanbruen wrote: »
    The BBC say it is looking more like a STORMY Christmas

    The passage of an intense low in winter can often lead to a brief period of wintry showers the following day in the cold air dragged down in it's wake.

    Probably the only chance of any places seeing a White Christmas this year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭pauldry


    I remain positive

    Two hours in the morning or at night will do.

    Best not at mass time though as carrying a child is tricky n snow slush or ice


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    pauldry wrote: »
    I remain positive

    Two hours in the morning or at night will do.

    Best not at mass time though as carrying a child is tricky n snow slush or ice

    Love it! I do not mind BUT whatever comes I will enjoy and by next week will be stocked up as for a siege. Deep snow would be utterly lovely up here. Just had a sprinkle the last three winters. Tantalising.. yes would love it...Just let me get the extra coal and food in and LET IT SNOW!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    Only a few ensembles members going for a White Christmas now.

    gensprobuk-26-204_gnq8.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,028 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    another few degrees and we will be barbecuing the christmas dinner:(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    another few degrees and we will be barbecuing the christmas dinner:(

    Under a big umbrella.

    gfs-2-192.png?6


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,185 ✭✭✭screamer


    Theres not a chance of a white Christmas with the gulf stream express in charge. Ah well guess we can open the 2016 white Christmas thread soon.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    pauldry wrote: »
    It snowed in the North and Northwest Saturday so why not Xmas Day.

    I dont forsee 13c at all

    This mildness will break down Dec 22

    Then single digits

    One cold night with precipitation of a wintry nature and voila.

    Still sticking with this?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,984 ✭✭✭Dickie10


    wouldnt it be kinda cool if the weather kept getting warmer say 19-20 celcius!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 541 ✭✭✭weatherfiend


    Dickie10 wrote: »
    wouldnt it be kinda cool if the weather kept getting warmer say 19-20 celcius!

    NO!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Whilst a white Christmas is highly unlikely Im not sure what charts people are looking at showing it warm xmas day. Cant post charts but tonights gfs has the country under -3 uppers. Thats hardly mild.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭pauldry


    Still sticking with this?

    Yes


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,738 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    The run up to Christmas expected for Grange

    Monday 21st: Wet and windy then sunny. 11c
    Tuesday 22nd: Very windy and showery. 10c
    Wednesday 23rd: Windy and showery. 11c
    Thursday 24th: Wet and windy. 11c
    Friday 25th: Windy and showery. 10c

    Photography site - https://sryanbruenphoto.com/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    Not looking good!

    gensprobuk-26-180_xiz1.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Whilst the White Christmas turkey is looking cooked, certainly on the ECM no sign of a mild Christmas / Stephen's day period thankfully. See below. GFS is a lot milder mind you.

    ECM0-168.GIF?18-12

    ECM0-192.GIF

    ECM0-216.GIF

    That last one could see a bit of white gold, esp in northern parts......


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,047 ✭✭✭Clonmel1000


    Is this a record for this annual thread? One full week out and time to shut up shop.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,364 ✭✭✭arctictree


    I wouldn't rule it out yet. ECM showing an interesting chart for the big day:

    151218_0000_180.png

    151218_0000_180.png

    Its still FI so will change.


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