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Warm sectors - always milder than forecast

  • 31-12-2020 8:06pm
    #1
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭


    I don’t know what causes this. But in a given warm sector I always notice:

    1. It is very windy where I live. Warm sectors are rarely calm here.
    2. Temperatures are a lot milder than forecast.

    For example, today we were forecast 5c and the temp rose to 6.7c which is warmer than predicted.

    Any particular reason for this? Wind?

    Any other day, the temps are close to those progged.


«1

Comments

  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Sun I'd say
    My Davis gets good exposure south facing to the sun and can spike at this time of the year for a half hour or that
    That said, today's max in the sun here in SE wicklow was only 4.5c


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    AuntySnow wrote: »
    Sun I'd say
    My Davis gets good exposure south facing to the sun and can spike at this time of the year for a half hour or that
    That said, today's max in the sun here in SE wicklow was only 4.5c

    We had plenty of sun yesterday and only had a 2c high so that’s not the case.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭Danno


    Any higher ground of say 350m or higher? If the high ground is between you and the prevailing wind, chances are you're getting a local fohn effect.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Danno wrote: »
    Any higher ground of say 350m or higher? If the high ground is between you and the prevailing wind, chances are you're getting a local fohn effect.

    Slightly to my north.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    We had plenty of sun yesterday and only had a 2c high so that’s not the case.

    Ah yeah but sun can have different effects at different times of the day
    As you have a Davis, can you post a graph of today and yesterday temperatures so we can see the ebbs and flows on both days
    The environment your station is in too eg a small garden can effect it
    Steam from a boiler that's blowing its way for instance


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    AuntySnow wrote: »
    Ah yeah but sun can have different effects at different times of the day
    As you have a Davis, can you post a graph of today and yesterday temperatures so we can see the ebbs and flows on both days
    The environment your station is in too eg a small garden can effect it
    Steam from a boiler that's blowing its way for instance

    Not really the fan works well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,238 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »

    For example, today we were forecast 5c and the temp rose to 6.7c which is warmer than predicted.
    .

    Models are really only there to give you a rough guide. Rarely if ever are they ever spot on. Harmonie model (met eireann)for example has me down for 2c currently, but the actual temp is 4c.

    New Moon



  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Just wondering if my station is over reading or if the hill behind my house is contributing to it.

    The two nearest stations say 5.5c


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    Not really the fan works well.

    The fan will only mix in the boiler steam, it won't restore temp it will still rise
    Regardless, I think oneiric has given you the best answer


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,414 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    The temperature modelling these days in typical short range 1 - 3 day forecasts I find to be exceptionally accurate through all layers. However, you can't legislate for every local effect that may be subject to more mesoscale variables distinctive to the location whether it's nestled against hills, in a valley, beside the sea etc...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,238 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    Just wondering if my station is over reading or if the hill behind my house is contributing to it.

    The two nearest stations say 5.5c

    Malin Hd, not far from you, is currently reading a rounded 7.0c, so pretty much same as your reading going from your attached pic.

    New Moon



  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Oneiric 3 wrote: »
    Malin Hd, not far from you, is currently reading a rounded 7.0c, so pretty much same as your reading going from your attached pic.

    It’s about 50 miles away and my temps are usually lower.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    It’s about 50 miles away and my temps are usually lower.

    Same Ocean though at same latitude
    Yours is a half degree lower
    (I think we can rule out the boiler)
    Aswell as that,a Met Eireann station will be located in a more exposed location than a cold garden
    In better conditions than in an enclosed small garden say, where the ground mightnt have had as much of a chance to warm up after a frost


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,238 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    AuntySnow wrote: »
    Same Ocean though at same latitude
    Yours is a half degree lower
    (I think we can rule out the boiler)
    Aswell as that,a Met Eireann station will be located in a more exposed location than a cold garden
    In better conditions than in an enclosed small garden say, where the ground mightnt have had as much of a chance to warm up after a frost

    Temps look pretty much uniform along that general northwest/north coast region at the moment on the met eireann map:

    1cg2mDw.png

    New Moon



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Oneiric 3 wrote: »
    Temps look pretty much uniform along that general northwest/north coast region at the moment on the met eireann map:



    Indeed!
    I see the Bushmills one on that wow.met.ie maxed out at 4.7c yesterday with a dewpoint of 1.2c
    McGilligan maxed at 3c further inland
    Neither of them had a sub zero dew point at any point in their hourly yesterday so their wet bulbs must have been 1 or 2 c aswell
    Just shows how big the Atlantic mixing effect/marine layer is along the north coast on whats a weak enough cold flow anyway


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    That bushmills station is very mild. It records 5c when it was 0.5c here at 6am this morning! Odd


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    It’s about 50 miles away and my temps are usually lower.

    Malin Head is only 27 miles (44 km) as the crow flies from Limavady. Magilligan No. 2 is 14 km from you and Derry Eglington airport 15 km.

    Midnight readings from the first two (Eglington airport is closed)

    Malin Head 6.7
    Magilligan 6.3


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    And yet often they have rain whilst I have snow a prime example of this was the other night, heavy rain the whole way down the road, which then turned to snow on my road.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33 polarhullar


    Malin Head is only 27 miles (44 km) as the crow flies from Limavady. Magilligan No. 2 is 14 km from you and Derry Eglington airport 15 km.

    Midnight readings from the first two (Eglington airport is closed)

    Malin Head 6.7
    Magilligan 6.3

    Eglinton**


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    So the Malin Head station is 29 miles from me. I did not realise it was that close as it is 90 minute drive and further than Belfast by car.

    I am equidistant with that and the ballypatrick forest station.

    I would say my weather is more of a mix of magilligan and lough fea. There have definitely been times when we have a covering here and it is raining at magilligan.

    I also notice Malin head is a lot warmer on crisp winter days.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »

    Malin Head is practically surrounded by sea on 3 sides, so it'll not get the lows that your location would get.

    Lough Fea is at 225 m amsl, so it may be colder than you in some situations but actually warmer in others (e.g. flat calm frosty nights, when the cold air pools down at lower altitudes and it's up in an inversion).


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Malin Head is practically surrounded by sea on 3 sides, so it'll not get the lows that your location would get.

    Lough Fea is at 225 m amsl, so it may be colder than you in some situations but actually warmer in others (e.g. flat calm frosty nights, when the cold air pools down at lower altitudes and it's up in an inversion).

    The point is that it’s not as mild.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    The point is that it’s not as mild.

    Welcome to the vagaries of weather
    On the evening of December 30th,I drove an approximate 12 mile round trip inland from home 2kms from the coast to a point about 10kms inland at the other side of croghan mountain under clear skies
    The road rises to about 1100ft and my destination was at about 600ft asl
    I'm at 162 ft asl
    Minus 1.9 at home
    Driving further inland the temp rose to 2c under the same clear skies
    A long stretch of the road was around 1c and dipped to -1c at my destination at the other side of the mountain
    Varying temperatures of varying pockets of air,that bear NO relation to the weather in precipitation because the precipitation type depends on the temperature of the air from the cloud base to the ground and how saturated it is
    If the precipitation is falling for too long through air above freezing even if the last 1000ft is freezing or below after an inversion frost that hasn't warmed up yet, you'll have rain,freezing rain
    I guess my point/advice is to not be stressing about ground level location temp
    Looking at the current pattern, I've never seen anything similar and we've no idea what is going to happen to the pv yet ,where if anywhere its daughter lobes go if displaced/split BUT my hunch is settling snow in the next month is coming
    It has to if the current pattern continues long enough because our weather is coming from areas less impacted by the warm NAD and partly for example next week not at all impacted by it
    Thats continental climate territory


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,238 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    The point is that it’s not as mild.

    Temps can vary from mile to mile and place to place, even over a small area. You have a great weather station that is very accurate and will read accurately for whatever place you have it located. It doesn't matter your garden temp is reading colder or warmer than another nearby station, it is still reading correct temperature for your garden so enjoy it for what it is.

    New Moon



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 12,335 Mod ✭✭✭✭Meteorite58


    Yeah I have no doubt the bottom of my garden which is at the bottom of a slight decline is colder than the middle or the top of the garden . Cold air definitely pools down there that bit more in cold settled weather, you can even feel it when you walk down there and more so behind the ditch where the sunlight is slow to reach and will hold the frost the longest. My car is usually parked on the N side of the house and would normally frost over quicker then if on the S side. My weather station is sited about middle of the garden but my trees have grown a lot over the years and would be recording slightly higher now more so in Summer than if on open land. Being away from concrete footpaths and walls and having near the correct height is a must though to keep the temp readings somewhat more naturally accurate for a site. I have taken my sensor out and put it into a homemade Stephenson's screen for more accuracy.

    My site here in North Kerry occasionally gets higher readings than official stations in Kerry and Shannon as I benefit from a noticeable fohn effect when the winds are from the SE and humid and rise over the Slieve Mish Mts, often getting 1 or close to 2 degrees more, such is the nature of local weather.

    You have a great station , very interesting to be able to see over time how weather patterns can effect an area differently even over short distances.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,298 ✭✭✭pauldry


    In the park less than 1k from here night time temperatures are a couple of degrees colder and in the park itself the far side is a degree colder than the near side at night


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Why are you all calling me a liar? It’s obviously going to be much less maritime here than Malin Head or Magilligan.

    I have photos on my computer looking down on the Magilligan area and you can see how the snow coverage starts as you head inland from there.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    We're just talking basic meteorology and geography
    You asked a question
    We answered
    As I said don't stress over opinions different to yours
    Life's too short


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 272 ✭✭Mount Vesuvius


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    Why are you all calling me a liar? It’s obviously going to be much less maritime here than Malin Head or Magilligan.

    I have photos on my computer looking down on the Magilligan area and you can see how the snow coverage starts as you head inland from there.

    Nobody is calling you anything. You wanted proper meteorological debate, well this is it. These good people are simply sharing their own personal experiences in relation to how quickly temperature can change at such short distances.
    Engage the conversation politely because believe it or not, Nobody is out to make you look bad.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,384 ✭✭✭highdef


    Without divulging your eircode so that we know your exact location, if you could give a decent idea of where you live (we currently have a very rough description unless I've missed a post where you have better information), then the more seasoned posters here can try give you better answers to your query.

    Topography often has a major effect on temperatures. I live almost at the bottom of a small valley in a small village with Enfield being my nearest town, about 5km to my North West as the crow flies. On a cold clear calm night, if I walk from my house to the lowest point in the area, there's a very obvious drop of temperature. Sometimes it's frost free leaving the house and it's a hard frost at the lowest point. The distance from my house to this point is less than 100m and the difference in altitude is about 3m.

    Other times I have driven to the shops in Enfield when it's snowing and sticking at home. It is quite often completely green in Enfield and it could be very wet snow or sleet. As I get closer to home on the return trip, the sides of the road become progressively snow covered and by the time i get home, all surfaces may be snow covered. This is despite little difference in altitude but in my case I have moderate hills in 3 directions which, depending on wind direction and other parameters, it can often swing me into the right side of marginal.

    So that's why having a good idea of one's location is imperative to try give an explanation for your queries. We are all here to help and you need to understand that. Being rude will get you nowhere here.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    highdef wrote: »
    Without divulging your eircode so that we know your exact location, if you could give a decent idea of where you live (we currently have a very rough description unless I've missed a post where you have better information), then the more seasoned posters here can try give you better answers to your query.

    Topography often has a major effect on temperatures. I live almost at the bottom of a small valley in a small village with Enfield being my nearest town, about 5km to my North West as the crow flies. On a cold clear calm night, if I walk from my house to the lowest point in the area, there's a very obvious drop of temperature. Sometimes it's frost free leaving the house and it's a hard frost at the lowest point. The distance from my house to this point is less than 100m and the difference in altitude is about 3m.

    Other times I have driven to the shops in Enfield when it's snowing and sticking at home. It is quite often completely green in Enfield and it could be very wet snow or sleet. As I get closer to home on the return trip, the sides of the road become progressively snow covered and by the time i get home, all surfaces may be snow covered. This is despite little difference in altitude but in my case I have moderate hills in 3 directions which, depending on wind direction and other parameters, it can often swing me into the right side of marginal.

    So that's why having a good idea of one's location is imperative to try give an explanation for your queries. We are all here to help and you need to understand that. Being rude will get you nowhere here.

    I am more talking about stable and cloudy air masses, not frosty nights where there will be temperature differences over the distance.

    Regarding my location. I have already said I live east of Limavady, in Northern Ireland. I live about 3 miles from a 1200 feet+ area of land. It is to my Northeast. I am not divulging any further.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,238 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    The NW of Ireland is pretty hilly though, so temps are naturally going to fluctuate from place to place more than they would in flatter regions.

    New Moon



  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    I’m wondering if it’s lough foyle.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    I am more talking about stable and cloudy air masses, not frosty nights where there will be temperature differences over the distance.

    Firstly, I have seen no evidence to support the title that warm sectors are always warmer than forecast. That's not to call you a liar, just stating my opinion. If you have hard data, other than just a station or two, then by all means provide them so we can have a mature debate on the thread that you started.

    I live the following distances as the crow flies from these stations' instrument enclosures:

    Casement - 8.4 km
    Phoenix Park - 13.3 km
    Dublin Airport - 18.5
    Dunsany - 20.3 km

    I'm at 65 m amsl, Casement is at 92, Dublin Airport 75, Phoenix Park 48 and Dunsany 83 m. All pretty much the same altitude, but each station is in very different local topography. The Phoenix Park is poorly sited, being surrounded by buildings and high trees and also the undulating landscape of that end of the Phoenix Park.

    Casement is more open, but still has buildings and a large arpron and hangars to its west, north and northeast.

    Dublin Airport and Dunsany are the most open of all. I haven't been to the Dunsany site but the Dublin Airport one is on flat open grassy ground, a few km away from the airport buildings. Here's a thread I started on all stations, with exact locations.

    We all see greatly varying temperatures at each of these stations on any one night, It still doesn't imply anything about the larger synoptic temperature field of the warm sector, which you say is always warmer than average. Things get complicated when comparing coastal stations (Magilligan, Malin Head and Ballypatrick Forest) with those more inland (yours and then Lough Fea, which has the added complication of being 200 m higher and beside a lake).

    It basically is what it is, I'm afraid. We all know the local intricacies of our own areas and you will build up that picture of yours too, with time. Be carefult when comparing temperatures from your station, which, from the looks of it, seems fairly close to your house. It can, as has been already stated, be susceptible to some spurious readings in certain situations. We've been through this sort of debate ad nauseum before about stations such as Shannon Airport, for example, and the debate will go on and on.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Firstly, I have seen no evidence to support the title that warm sectors are always warmer than forecast. That's not to call you a liar, just stating my opinion. If you have hard data, other than just a station or two, then by all means provide them so we can have a mature debate on the thread that you started.

    I live the following distances as the crow flies from these stations' instrument enclosures:

    Casement - 8.4 km
    Phoenix Park - 13.3 km
    Dublin Airport - 18.5
    Dunsany - 20.3 km

    I'm at 65 m amsl, Casement is at 92, Dublin Airport 75, Phoenix Park 48 and Dunsany 83 m. All pretty much the same altitude, but each station is in very different local topography. The Phoenix Park is poorly sited, being surrounded by buildings and high trees and also the undulating landscape of that end of the Phoenix Park.

    Casement is more open, but still has buildings and a large arpron and hangars to its west, north and northeast.

    Dublin Airport and Dunsany are the most open of all. I haven't been to the Dunsany site but the Dublin Airport one is on flat open grassy ground, a few km away from the airport buildings. Here's a thread I started on all stations, with exact locations.

    We all see greatly varying temperatures at each of these stations on any one night, It still doesn't imply anything about the larger synoptic temperature field of the warm sector, which you say is always warmer than average. Things get complicated when comparing coastal stations (Magilligan, Malin Head and Ballypatrick Forest) with those more inland (yours and then Lough Fea, which has the added complication of being 200 m higher and beside a lake).

    It basically is what it is, I'm afraid. We all know the local intricacies of our own areas and you will build up that picture of yours too, with time. Be carefult when comparing temperatures from your station, which, from the looks of it, seems fairly close to your house. It can, as has been already stated, be susceptible to some spurious readings in certain situations. We've been through this sort of debate ad nauseum before about stations such as Shannon Airport, for example, and the debate will go on and on.

    I am just commenting on the fact that mild or “warm sectors” here at my location often end up being milder than predicted, or forecasted.

    As I said, we were due to reach 6c yesterday and had rose up to 7c. There isn’t much else I can say, you are asking me to provide hard evidence but won’t allow me to use the local weather stations.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    I am just commenting on the fact that mild or “warm sectors” here at my location often end up being milder than predicted, or forecasted.

    As I said, we were due to reach 6c yesterday and had rose up to 7c. There isn’t much else I can say, you are asking me to provide hard evidence but won’t allow me to use the local weather stations.

    0.1 of a degree can be the difference between 6 and 7 degrees (e.g 6.4 and 6.5). I wouldn't lose any sleep over a degree or so discrepancy. It's impossible to be that accurate for a point location, unless using some extremely hi-res local model, to which none of us has any access (if one even exists). Models have topography built into them, which becomes more and more accurate the higher the resolution, however they will never 100% capture every little detail.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    I am more talking about stable and cloudy air masses, not frosty nights where there will be temperature differences over the distance.

    Regarding my location. I have already said I live east of Limavady, in Northern Ireland. I live about 3 miles from a 1200 feet+ area of land. It is to my Northeast. I am not divulging any further.

    It is a bit of a bowl you're in alright. Surrounded by hills on one side, flat coastal plane to the west. I can see how things get complicated a bit there alright.

    https://www.google.ie/maps/@55.0501935,-7.0268229,11.31z/data=!5m1!1e4


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭Danno


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    I’m wondering if it’s lough foyle.

    Just went on Google Maps and switched to streetview where the Terrydoo road joins the B66 route east of Limavady. I'm guessing you're not very far from this junction. Not only is it quite exposed to the south, southwest, west and northwest (any cold air will be shunted away quickly) it is also rather elevated when compared to Limavady town also.

    Judging by that area/district the main weather advantages there would be:

    * Decent spot to experience during storms
    * Some snowfall potential owing to altitude and proximity to the cold northern Atlantic, does good in a northerly
    * Occasional summertime heat spot in a SSE or SE airflow

    However there are disadvantages:
    * Poor site for cold pooling
    * Higher rainfalls than say Coleraine further east and probably Dungiven to your south.
    * Despite higher amounts of sunshine in a summertime NW'ly or N you'd be cold at around 14c or 15c.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    My station and the local station. The middle one is always far colder.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Even now that middle station is 2c colder than mines.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    Danno wrote: »
    Just went on Google Maps and switched to streetview where the Terrydoo road joins the B66 route east of Limavady. I'm guessing you're not very far from this junction. Not only is it quite exposed to the south, southwest, west and northwest (any cold air will be shunted away quickly) it is also rather elevated when compared to Limavady town also.

    Judging by that area/district the main weather advantages there would be:

    * Decent spot to experience during storms
    * Some snowfall potential owing to altitude and proximity to the cold northern Atlantic, does good in a northerly
    * Occasional summertime heat spot in a SSE or SE airflow

    However there are disadvantages:
    * Poor site for cold pooling
    * Higher rainfalls than say Coleraine further east and probably Dungiven to your south.
    * Despite higher amounts of sunshine in a summertime NW'ly or N you'd be cold at around 14c or 15c.

    SNAP!


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    It is a bit of a bowl you're in alright. Surrounded by hills on one side, flat coastal plane to the west. I can see how things get complicated a bit there alright.

    https://www.google.ie/maps/@55.0501935,-7.0268229,11.31z/data=!5m1!1e4

    Yes... wondering what affects may occur


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,221 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    This is looking out due west from the Keady Hill quarry, almost due east of Limavady, 200 m amsl, with Limavady just left of centre. It's actually fairly flat landscape, by the looks of it. Nice area!


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Danno wrote: »
    Just went on Google Maps and switched to streetview where the Terrydoo road joins the B66 route east of Limavady. I'm guessing you're not very far from this junction. Not only is it quite exposed to the south, southwest, west and northwest (any cold air will be shunted away quickly) it is also rather elevated when compared to Limavady town also.

    Judging by that area/district the main weather advantages there would be:

    * Decent spot to experience during storms
    * Some snowfall potential owing to altitude and proximity to the cold northern Atlantic, does good in a northerly
    * Occasional summertime heat spot in a SSE or SE airflow

    However there are disadvantages:
    * Poor site for cold pooling
    * Higher rainfalls than say Coleraine further east and probably Dungiven to your south.
    * Despite higher amounts of sunshine in a summertime NW'ly or N you'd be cold at around 14c or 15c.
    I don’t live there but in a similar location. We actually seem to be in a bit of a rain shadow as the average here is only 800mm.

    It is interesting to note in the summer that we are often warmer than areas east, as the Ne winds are blocked by the hill. However, the west wind comes straight through us and this is what I have been wondering about in relation to the warm sectors.

    I have personally recorded 30c here in the summer of 2018 and multiple 20c days this year. It must’ve been over 30, 20c+ highs this summer.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭Danno


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    However, the west wind comes straight through us and this is what I have been wondering about in relation to the warm sectors.

    That is your culprit right there, in colder weather the Foyle Lough will be seeping heat upwards into the calm sky, the minute a west breeze kicks off, it blows eastwards to you and rises your temperatures quickly.

    I've noticed similar differences here between here and Kilkenny city in a westerly based airflow, StratoQ has a station there and posts to www.kilkennyweather.com

    Often his station will drop quickly in the calm air whilst I have a light westerly or northwesterly. I've seen up to 3c differences between here and there early in the night, however often by dawn the breeze drops off here and my station's temperatures will occasionally drop up to 1c cooler than Kilkenny's minimum.
    The reverse then happens if a morning breeze sets in - my station will get back up above 0c quicker than Kilkenny's.

    I'd say in your location that under fairly high pressure on clear sky evenings, you'd get a SSE or E breeze as the cold air sinks down from the hills to your east, combining with an offshore breeze?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Danno wrote: »
    That is your culprit right there, in colder weather the Foyle Lough will be seeping heat upwards into the calm sky, the minute a west breeze kicks off, it blows eastwards to you and rises your temperatures quickly.

    I've noticed similar differences here between here and Kilkenny city in a westerly based airflow, StratoQ has a station there and posts to www.kilkennyweather.com

    Often his station will drop quickly in the calm air whilst I have a light westerly or northwesterly. I've seen up to 3c differences between here and there early in the night, however often by dawn the breeze drops off here and my station's temperatures will occasionally drop up to 1c cooler than Kilkenny's minimum.
    The reverse then happens if a morning breeze sets in - my station will get back up above 0c quicker than Kilkenny's.

    I'd say in your location that under fairly high pressure on clear sky evenings, you'd get a SSE or E breeze as the cold air sinks down from the hills to your east, combining with an offshore breeze?

    I don’t know. The warm days this summer all had NE/SE winds. I will have to watch for that wind direction.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭Danno


    Nqp15hhu wrote: »
    I don’t know. The warm days this summer all had NE/SE winds. I will have to watch for that wind direction.

    Suspiciously like a Fohn effect where you are looking at the geography of the area.

    It's often something that's overlooked is the very important relationship between geography and the weather, especially in a localised sense.

    The lads in Kerry and near the Wicklow Mtns know this only too well!

    I often note a poster on this forum from around the Bray area and he/she remarked on how they'd get consistently good or prolonged sunshine and warmth during those Irish summer days when the southwesterlies bring in alot of cloud.

    It is all down to the mountains and the fohn effects in that particular area of SE Dublin and NE Wicklow.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Danno wrote: »
    Suspiciously like a Fohn effect where you are looking at the geography of the area.

    It's often something that's overlooked is the very important relationship between geography and the weather, especially in a localised sense.

    The lads in Kerry and near the Wicklow Mtns know this only too well!

    I often note a poster on this forum from around the Bray area and he/she remarked on how they'd get consistently good or prolonged sunshine and warmth during those Irish summer days when the southwesterlies bring in alot of cloud.

    It is all down to the mountains and the fohn effects in that particular area of SE Dublin and NE Wicklow.

    Yes as I said, often we will drive over the hill to Coleraine and it will be 3-4c colder. Temperatures would rise rapidly coming down the hill on the way back.

    But oddly it doesn’t appear on the Met office maps.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Nqp15hhu


    Warmish days this summer.


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