Much colder, wintry showers, some of snow Easter Sunday 2021 onward

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 4:40pm

So how did many low lying areas manage to see snow on Friday past?

https://streamable.com/btxltz

Gaoth Laidir · 31-03-2021 4:49pm

I really fail to see the attraction of a few snow showers at this time of the year when all that's going to happen is it will turn to slop on the ground, which is really warming up this week and will continue to do so over the next few days. It would be a showery setup in a strong northerly flow, so repeated periods of 5 minutes of a hail/snow shower followed by around 30 minutes of strong sunshine. Really not worth the effort, apart from an academic point of view.

Little snowy old me · 31-03-2021 4:54pm

I honestly didn't think I'd be back before November or December as who'd have thought we could see some decent snow showers at Easter?

Hope everyone is well.

I was looking through the bit of a weather diary I keep and the last decent April wintry blast I can recall is 1998. I remember it was brilliant blue skies one minute and then big convective type showers that gave hail and snow at sea level in SW Donegal. Snow settled one of the nights also. Bitter cold in the wind. A real shock to the system for April.

Little snowy old me · 31-03-2021 4:56pm

Oh not really related to this thread but 1997 brought heavy sleet and hail showers here on the 6th and 7th May!! Some snow fell on the night of the 6th.

External Association · 31-03-2021 4:57pm

Little snowy old me wrote: »

Oh not really related to this thread but 1997 brought heavy sleet and hail showers here on the 6th and 7th May!! Some snow fell on the night of the 6th.

14 May 1993 here and on the ground all day.

Little snowy old me · 31-03-2021 4:59pm

External Association wrote: »

14 May 1993 here and on the ground all day.

Actually yes! That was a late blast alright. Now we didn't have snow here at sea level but I vaguely remember that day.... it had apparently the coldest May daytime temperature recorded..... 2 or 3 degrees if I recall correctly

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 5:02pm

I must be the only gullible one that is expecting a covering overnight.

I can only go on past April events... certainly not out of the question

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 5:17pm

Just for comparison, here is an example of some Spring months that brought lying snow here. (I don't have a book or record, I am going on my photos).

27th March 2013 brought an overnight covering of snow here:

850's were warmer than forecast

3rd March 2015:

18th March 2018:

The atmospheric conditions were all warmer than is forecast, so I am struggling to see how the forecasted parameters could not deliver a covering of snow??? Especially with frequent snow showers.

I think some are either overly pessimistic or live in regions that usually struggle to get snow.

Kermit.de.frog · 31-03-2021 5:53pm

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

With good reason:

That makes very little difference away from windward coasts if even.

Beefier shower potential too.

Doctor Jimbob · 31-03-2021 5:56pm

External Association wrote: »

Snow is more common at Easter than Christmas, regardless of whether Easter falls in March or up to mid April.

April snow. Off the top of my head from memory given my age, 2nd April 1987, first week of April 1992, early April 1994, 9-11 April 1998, 16th April 1999 in Rathfarnham for the am, early April 2008, and in early April 2010 it hung around much of Highland Leinster after the fall of 30/31 March.

Posts like 'snow in April can fcuk right off' show no knowledge of our climate. It has never done that. Eddie Graham's Dublin Weather diary is excellent on convective potential for snow showers in April.

I don't see how knowledge of our climate has anything to do with it. It wouldn't matter if snow at this time of year was an annual occurrence, I'd still be of the opinion that it can fúck off.

gerrybhoy · 31-03-2021 6:13pm

Bbq on Friday and Saturday followed by sticking the fire on Sunday and Monday,dontcha love the irish weather

Beechwoodspark · 31-03-2021 6:16pm

Sitting near celbridge lovely sultry almost Mediterranean evening here

Hard to believe we could have sub zero temps and snow

pauldry · 31-03-2021 6:26pm

And heres the weather for the next 5 days

Sun Cloud Rain Hail Sleet Snow Wind and Frost

Happy Easter Ireland

Storm 10 · 31-03-2021 6:27pm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Sitting near celbridge lovely sultry almost Mediterranean evening here

Hard to believe we could have sub zero temps and snow

Lucky you rained all day in the West

Storm 10 · 31-03-2021 6:28pm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Sitting near celbridge lovely sultry almost Mediterranean evening here

Hard to believe we could have sub zero temps and snow

Lucky you rained all day in the West temp never went above 12 degrees

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 7:40pm

4c for Belfast on Monday and snow showers, no mention of 7c. BBC Newsline forecast

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2655984

External Association · 31-03-2021 8:06pm

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

I don't see how knowledge of our climate has anything to do with it. It wouldn't matter if snow at this time of year was an annual occurrence, I'd still be of the opinion that it can fúck off.

I understand. But the weather doesn't give two fcuks about your opinion, or mine.

External Association · 31-03-2021 8:19pm

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

I really fail to see the attraction of a few snow showers at this time of the year when all that's going to happen is it will turn to slop on the ground, which is really warming up this week and will continue to do so over the next few days. It would be a showery setup in a strong northerly flow, so repeated periods of 5 minutes of a hail/snow shower followed by around 30 minutes of strong sunshine. Really not worth the effort, apart from an academic point of view.

I suppose people might like to see records broken etc. It's like hitting 18c in January. Could we see low lying snow in daytime April.

I don't mind cold in April as this early in the year warm spells are generally followed by a big dip in temperatures. Then they rise again. As March is many weathers, April is often too.

In July 1998 we maxed out at 11c in Ireland, it was a record low max. Now that annoyed me, it was just so unseasonal.

Oneiric 3 · 31-03-2021 8:30pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

That makes very little difference away from windward coasts if even.

Beefier shower potential too.

Increased convection at sea also helps transport ocean heat into the upper atmosphere. Showers are literally bubbles of warm air! Still, maybe some good thunderstorm potential for northern coast lines in the flow, with the likes of Donegal Storm and NQP being in line if sharp enough troughs develop in the flow.

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 8:32pm

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

Increased convection at sea also helps transport ocean heat into the upper atmosphere. Showers are literally bubbles of warm air! Still, maybe some good thunderstorm potential for northern coast lines in the flow, with the likes of Donegal Storm and NQP being in line if sharp enough troughs develop in the flow.

When the freezing level is low, convective showers will drag temperatures close to 0c or lower.

The marine affect will be limited in this setup, due to the convective nature of the showers and the associated strong downdrafts. Wereas with light drizzle or showers the downdraft will be minimal enabling more influence from an onshore flow.

I find the marine affect is only an issue with polar maritime air masses coming from the west with <-7c 850hPa. Living on a northern coastal (well 10 miles from the coast) I don’t face marginality in northerlies, at all.

Anyway, there will be no issues with marginality here:

And look at the cold front gradient!!! From 500 metres freezing level to 2500 metres freezing level over a few miles!!

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 8:39pm

External Association wrote: »

I suppose people might like to see records broken etc. It's like hitting 18c in January. Could we see low lying snow in daytime April.

I don't mind cold in April as this early in the year warm spells are generally followed by a big dip in temperatures. Then they rise again. As March is many weathers, April is often too.

In July 1998 we maxed out at 11c in Ireland, it was a record low max. Now that annoyed me, it was just so unseasonal.

Snow started to lie here at points last Friday, so it’s definitely possible we could see laying snow on Monday as the airmass will be colder. We just need a constant flow of showers.

Maybe above 300 metres the snow would stay all day. As that’ll be the freezing level.

Tyrone212 · 31-03-2021 8:47pm

I checked the records for April.

Lowest, -8.5 Killylane Antrim, 10th April 1998. I remember that time, was snowing around the GFA.

Lowest in Republic, -7.7 Markee Sligo, 15th April 1892.

For lowest maximum I can't find any such details on Met Eireann. For the North I can find 3 joint records but they appear to be above 300m.

Black Mountain and Divis Mountain recorded a high 0.0c on the 15th of April 1966. Divis Mountain once again recorded a high of 0.0c the following day.

The coldest maximum in the UK for April is -1.1c on the 1st of April 1917. The date of the big snow storm in Ireland if I remember correctly. I imagine some areas stayed sub zero that day here, lack of stations is still a problem over 100 years later.

Harry Palmr · 31-03-2021 8:56pm

ECM airmass charts for next 10 days suggests this is not going to be the sustained cold spell that I feared was coming. A rude chilly few days but nothing more by looks of it.

Oneiric 3 · 31-03-2021 8:57pm

Coldest mean April maxima (just for the last 45 odd years or so) came to 5.0c back on April 1st 2013. Next lowest is 5.5c which occurred a bit later in the month on April 10th 1978. Syran without doubt would have more detailed longer term stats on this.

Donegal Storm · 31-03-2021 9:18pm

There was lying snow in Belfast in April 2013, can't recall the date but I was in the city for a few days with a lot of snow on the ground

That said, I'd echo the general theme of this thread that the cold can politely f**k off until next winter at this stage. After a dark, overcast month I'm craving being able to sit out in some warm sunshine

Billcarson · 31-03-2021 9:29pm

I know snow in April is pretty useless but I do like the extra novelty factor seeing snow fall in April.
I remember the cold spell of April 98 and waking up to an inch or two of snow ,which I think was courtesy of a polar low overnight. Felt really odd and special. It was pretty much all gone by lunchtime but a nice weather memory.

Oneiric 3 · 31-03-2021 9:47pm

The -7.7c min at Markee Castle on the 15th April 1892 followed a daily max of +6.7c. which isn't that extraordinary all things considered. That mid period of April 1892 was very cold overall though with several consecutive nights of severe frost. The lowest Markee April maxima I can find is the +1.7c which occurred on April 1st, 1917.

Data: Met Eireann.

Nqp15hhu · 31-03-2021 10:02pm

This is exceptionally low thickness values? No? Have we recorded anything like this in April before? I don't think we see this most winters!

sryanbruen · 31-03-2021 10:15pm

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

Coldest mean April maxima (just for the last 45 odd years or so) came to 5.0c back on April 1st 2013. Next lowest is 5.5c which occurred a bit later in the month on April 10th 1978. Syran without doubt would have more detailed longer term stats on this.

A selection of the lowest April maxima (<3.0C) from old stations and some synoptic stations.

Not a one to one comparison however as early 20th century values were based on maxima recorded between 09-09 whilst those from synoptic stations are midnight to midnight. So this should be kept in mind.

The Blacksod Point value of -0.6C also seems very skeptical given its location out at sea and not far from Belmullet so I would personally disregard it. The Malin Head 0.6C also seems skeptical. Clones' 1.6C on 15 April 1966 probably the most reliable low max.

Oneiric 3 · 31-03-2021 11:59pm

sryanbruen wrote: »

A selection of the lowest April maxima (<3.0C) from old stations and some synoptic stations.

Not a one to one comparison however as early 20th century values were based on maxima recorded between 09-09 whilst those from synoptic stations are midnight to midnight. So this should be kept in mind.

The Blacksod Point value of -0.6C also seems very skeptical given its location out at sea and not far from Belmullet so I would personally disregard it. The Malin Head 0.6C also seems skeptical. Clones' 1.6C on 15 April 1966 probably the most reliable low max.

Just terrific stats Syran. Thanks a million.

I would share your scepticism on that Blacksod low, but at the same time, I'd not rule it out either. A supplement that came with the Met Eireann April 1986 climate summary focused on the snow storm of early April 1917 and according to it, west Mayo was hit particularly bad with some incredible amounts falling in relatively short periods of time. Not sure if this supplement is attached to the online version of that monthly summary, but I am sure I have a hard copy of it here (somewhere!) that I kindly got from Met Eireann themselves years ago. I'll try and root it out and post a snap shot of it here if no online version is available.

Much colder, wintry showers, some of snow Easter Sunday 2021 onward

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