Storm Ciara - Strong Winds & Potential Snow **TECHNICAL DISCUSSION**

This all just proves how difficult it is to get real snow from a westerly. It takes a while for the cold air to filter in and when it does filter in there are warm sectors at every turn.

It needs proper winds to bring the showers across the country and very unstable air to bring a more prolonged section of snow showers as long as there isn't a warm sector involved.

The downside of the high winds is any showers don't last very long and once showers are finished, snow melt sets in rapidly as daytime temperatures rarely stay lower than 3C or 4C in a showery westerly. The higher windspeeds may also make it more difficult for ice to form which can also gradually melt any lying snow, even at night.

For lying snow and a decent chance of getting proper snow showers, a -10C temperature @ 850hpa offers a more realistic chance of seeing snow fall which sticks properly, getting this from a westerly or even north-westerly is difficult to say the least with 2,000km of warm seas modifying the air. The current cold snap is getting the -7 or -8C uppers over us, which is borderline/marginal but even this is good going from a westerly.

This is why for me an unstable northerly or proper easterly are the only real snowmakers for lower ground with a fraction of the sea track, much colder wind direction, often much colder uppers, less warm sectors, much better dp's and the possibility of ice days.

Sadly we often spend 8 or 9 winters trying to chase down one of these rare easterly's/northerly's during winter. At this stage I would say we are overdue a proper winter easterly, it's been 10 years. The Beast From The East/Storm Emma was more of an early Spring event as it crossed over into March.