Winter 20/21 - General Discussion

Nqp15hhu

pad199207 wrote: »

Well usually the sun would be getting to work on it ?

When there is snow.. and it is subzero the sun usually has a very limited impact.

JCX BXC

-3.2°c currently in West Clare, overnight min of -3.8°c.

Despite being the coldest night so far this winter, the frost wasn't particularly sharp, there has been a much stronger frost over the last few nights.

highdef

Nqp15hhu wrote: »

Frost already melting on the roof despite being -3c. It amazes me how we managed to keep the ground frozen for so long in 2010... and other years.

Now the frost seems to melt irrespective of the temperature.

Unlike a covering of snow, a layer of frost is extremely thin and solar radiation melts it quickly even in the depths of winter. Considering you did a course in meteorology, I'm rather perplexed as to why something as basic as the sun melting the frost amazes you. Remember that where the frost is being melted by the sun, it's not -3°...... Obviously that -3° figure would be in the shaded areas.

Temperatures in 2010 where, on the whole, much much colder than at present so even in the sunshine the temperatures were sometimes below freezing. Our current weather is a heatwave compared to 2010.

Nqp15hhu

The frost is just about hanging on in the sun surprisingly. But I imagine it will be gone in the next hour.

daniel_t1409

Cold, bright morning in wexford. No frost or snow.

Nqp15hhu

highdef wrote: »

Unlike a covering of snow, a layer of frost is extremely thin and solar radiation melts it quickly even in the depths of winter. Considering you did a course in meteorology, I'm rather perplexed as to why something as basic as the sun melting the frost amazes you. Remember that where the frost is being melted by the sun, it's not -3°...... Obviously that -3° figure would be in the shaded areas.

Temperatures in 2010 where, on the whole, much much colder than at present so even in the sunshine the temperatures were sometimes below freezing. Our current weather is a heatwave compared to 2010.

Having a Meteorology degree doesn’t make me an expert in the field. We didn’t study every single topic and eventuality.

In fact a lot of the time we spent was studying various Mathematical formulae.

Gaoth Laidir

Nqp15hhu wrote: »

Having a Meteorology degree doesn’t make me an expert in the field. We didn’t study every single topic and eventuality.

In fact a lot of the time we spent was studying various Mathematical formulae.

A roof can warm up much more quickly than the air, especially if it's a dark colour and exposed to the sun. Think of the bonnet of a car on a sunny day in summer. It's red hot to the touch while the air could be 40 degrees colder.

Once a small patch of roof becomes exposed, it absorbs the sun's UV rays and warms up and the melting spreads out from that spot. Air doesn't warm up by UV and only does so through convection or IR emitted from a surface that does absorb them (a roof or the ground).

highdef

Nqp15hhu wrote: »

Having a Meteorology degree doesn’t make me an expert in the field. We didn’t study every single topic and eventuality.

In fact a lot of the time we spent was studying various Mathematical formulae.

A very thin layer of frozen liquid melting due to solar radiation is extremely basic stuff though, especially if you have a keen interest in the field of meteorology which you seem to do. I've no meteorology qualifications but I've known since I was a kid that on a regular frosty morning (not a 2010 type morning when shade temperatures were at or around -10c), the sun melts all the frost within a few hours (at the very most) of the sun first hitting the surface in question. I have known this purely from observation from a young age.

Like yourself, I work a LOT with numbers (mainly decimal (duh!!!), binary and hexadecimal) and mathematical calculations in my field of work.

Did you think about placing a thermometer sensor in the location where the frost was melting in the direct sun to give an indication as to what the temperature was there and how the temperature climbed further as more and more of the surface beneath the frost became exposed? I'm pretty confident you would not have been so amazed then. If you had done the same during the cold weather in 2010, you would most likely have seen that the temperature in direct sunshine still didn't make it above freezing and therefore the frozen liquid would have remained frozen.

Nothing at all amazing about that, it's simple maths, which you have studied a lot of and know well. Go out and experiment more (once it's safe to do so) when something weather related tickles your curiosity. It can be great fun and you get to learn new stuff and grow your hobby further.

appledrop

Still lashing here in NCD.

Goldfinch8

Woke up to another kingdom of frost in this part of the west this morning. I see Markree Castle in Sligo still registering -5 in the 10am reports.
I have really liked the last few days of blue skies, winter sunshine and relatively calm conditions. I know that we have been more fortunate than some other parts recently. Coupled with some nice crisp night time frosts in these parts, this has been a better than average start to January in my eyes.
When one considers that nearby Newport here in Mayo recorded in excess of 2000mm of rain for it's wettest year on record in 2020, this dry and bright start to the new year is certainly welcome by many.

Some shaded and sheltered pockets from the sun have held onto their frost for a number of days now.



There has been some great visibility over the last few days in that nice crisp air also. Below a picture of Lough Conn in Mayo under a nice blue January sky yesterday afternoon.

DOCARCH

Goldfinch8 wrote: »

Stunning photo!

Nqp15hhu

Goldfinch8 wrote: »

Woke up to another kingdom of frost in this part of the west this morning. I see Markree Castle in Sligo still registering -5 in the 10am reports.
I have really liked the last few days of blue skies, winter sunshine and relatively calm conditions. I know that we have been more fortunate than some other parts recently. Coupled with some nice crisp night time frosts in these parts, this has been a better than average start to January in my eyes.
When one considers that nearby Newport here in Mayo recorded in excess of 2000mm of rain for it's wettest year on record in 2020, this dry and bright start to the new year is certainly welcome by many.

Some shaded and sheltered pockets from the sun have held onto their frost for a number of days now.



There has been some great visibility over the last few days in that nice crisp air also. Below a picture of Lough Conn in Mayo under a nice blue January sky yesterday afternoon.

Beautiful photos!

appledrop

Amazing picture goldfinch.

Enjoy it while you can, nothing but dark, damp dreary days in Dublin.

I wouldnt mind if it was warm but still only gets to 2-4 degrees each day so its cold rain.

As they said on Met Eireann best of weather at moment is away from the East.

Slashermcguirk

We have had on off hail showers in D5 for the last number of days. None of the showers particularly heavy. Been out for plenty of walks and while very cold it’s been fine for the most part. Would rather the blue skies but we certainly haven’t had heavy showers here, just regular light showers on and off

circadian wrote: »

Some heavy showers between about 10am and 1pm today in Dublin 9. I think the showers were very localised today. I could even visibly make out the Isle of Man shadow to the north and south of me.

Goldfinch8

Thanks folks for your comments. Have been very lucky with the weather alright. Gives the landscape a chance to show some of it's real beauty and magic.

Slashermcguirk

Basically the polar opposite of what Irish weather Traditionally is, wetter the further west you go. It has certainly been damp in the east though not that bad in my opinion

appledrop wrote: »

Amazing picture goldfinch.

Enjoy it while you can, nothing but dark, damp dreary days in Dublin.

I wouldnt mind if it was warm but still only gets to 2-4 degrees each day so its cold rain.

As they said on Met Eireann best of weather at moment is away from the East.

appledrop

Slashermcguirk wrote: »

We have had on off hail showers in D5 for the last number of days. None of the showers particularly heavy. Been out for plenty of walks and while very cold it’s been fine for the most part. Would rather the blue skies but we certainly haven’t had heavy showers here, just regular light showers on and off

Its been lashing here since 9am in NCD + we had loads of heavy showers yesterday. I suppose even in Dublin weather can be very localised.

carltonleon

Miserably wet and grey in Swords but it looks like it might be brightening up a little

appledrop

Its actually mad if you look at current rain radar on Met Eireann for Dublin.

Really heavy rain all over North County Dublin then seems to magically stop as you get in nearer to Raheny, Artane on Nothside or Ranelagh, Rathmines on southside.

I guess I live too close to coast!

Slashermcguirk

Dublin is very random like that. I even remember in the big snow in 2018 there were parts of Dublin getting way more snow than other places literally 5-10km away. The weather even within Dublin can be so localised. When standing on the coast you could be bone dry and watch showers passing either side of you

appledrop wrote: »

Its actually mad if you look at current rain radar on Met Eireann for Dublin.

Really heavy rain all over North County Dublin then seems to magically stop as you get in nearer to Raheny, Artane on Nothside or Ranelagh, Rathmines on southside.

I guess I live too close to coast!

The view from the farm today

https://twitter.com/Arklowweather/status/1346787857210482689?s=19

Rebelbrowser

Another beautiful blue sky, frosty, morning here in Cork. We've been very lucky these last 5 days - the only shining light in an otherwise uber depressing period.... (well actually the unexpected resurgence of United has also helped!)

aidanodr

lawred2 wrote: »

Is the Mirror reputable where weather is concerned?

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

FFS :rolleyes: Clueless "journalism".

back on new years day ye dissed me on posting here about Beast from the East. What about now though HA

Snow, ice and lows of -10C as fears sudden​ warming in Arctic will spark Beast from East II - IRISH INDEPENDENT

Could another 'Beast from the East' be on the way? - SKY

Met Eireann Ireland weather as four snow days confirmed with event causing 'Beast from East happening again' - DUBLIN LIVE

Danno

aidanodr wrote: »

back on new years day ye dissed me on posting here about Beast from the East. What about now though HA

Unhelpful contribution, in particular the highlighted part.

Nothing in those articles has come to pass. Incidentally, tonights snow is to come from the northwest, not the east. Also, the snowfall will generally be light and patchy. Finally, once this pushes through we're reliant on toppler air from the NW as our own homegrown cold air pool slowly erodes owing to an Atlantic maritime airmass gradually taking over.

Any prospects of a beast from the east is a minimum of 8-9 days away depending on the model you have faith in, and even at that there is a lot of chopping and changing going on with the models after midweek next week as they try to figure out any SSW influence for this region of Europe.

aidanodr

Danno wrote: »

Unhelpful contribution, in particular the highlighted part.

Nothing in those articles has come to pass. Incidentally, tonights snow is to come from the northwest, not the east. Also, the snowfall will generally be light and patchy. Finally, once this pushes through we're reliant on toppler air from the NW as our own homegrown cold air pool slowly erodes owing to an Atlantic maritime airmass gradually taking over.

Any prospects of a beast from the east is a minimum of 8-9 days away depending on the model you have faith in, and even at that there is a lot of chopping and changing going on with the models after midweek next week as they try to figure out any SSW influence for this region of Europe.

Danno .. did you see the smiley. please take it in that way, nothing more meant by it

Just highlighting that back then it was being dismissed however now it looks like it is a slight possibility. I suppose one should never say never is all

circadian

It's just clickbait running off online discussions like this one. They see something like the FI thread on twitter or somewhere and run with it "Beast from the East II!!!!" etc.

daniel_t1409

Wait, so this is the last of the cold before the Atlantic comes back?

When will my part of the country ever see some snow?

lawred2

aidanodr wrote: »

back on new years day ye dissed me on posting here about Beast from the East. What about now though HA

Snow, ice and lows of -10C as fears sudden​ warming in Arctic will spark Beast from East II - IRISH INDEPENDENT

Could another 'Beast from the East' be on the way? - SKY

Met Eireann Ireland weather as four snow days confirmed with event causing 'Beast from East happening again' - DUBLIN LIVE

all clickbait sites

An Ri rua

daniel_t1409 wrote: »

Wait, so this is the last of the cold before the Atlantic comes back?

When will my part of the country ever see some snow?

The sunny southeast? Almost never-never land. There, I jinxed it and now ye will. February 21st.

Danno

aidanodr wrote: »

Danno .. did you see the smiley. please take it in that way, nothing more meant by it

Just highlighting that back then it was being dismissed however now it looks like it is a slight possibility. I suppose one should never say never is all

Fair enough! Grumpy mood here with post-Christmas, etc...