Big Freeze Discussion [Happy New Year]

Mobhi1

mad DIY wrote: »

Unfortunately, according to RainToday any precip from those clouds seems to want to remain just offshore

I for one am happy for them to stay there for the moment. They only seem to want to give rain.

pistolpetes11

Winger_PL wrote: »

I can see these clouds over Dublin from Maynooth, they look fairly developed (vertically as well), quite an impressive sight with the base reflecting the orange lights of the city and the developed top beautifully illuminated by the moon. I wish I had a proper camera now...

Now, I'm a beginner in the whole weather stuff, but I'll be fairly surprised if that doesn't dump any snow over south Dublin and the likes of NE Wicklow/Kildare.

Hopefully so ,

DP at the M2 buoy is currently -1.1

dbyrne

Bond-007 wrote: »

Sure he is in charge of all snow shield maintenance. It is a full time job these days.

He must be trying to save the councils having to grit the roads... hands up anyone who saw a gritter actually spreading grit on the roads yesterday or today in dublin...... also just bought 2 sleghs in uk, very hard to get as alot of places are sold out, hope they will be here early next week. will store them in the attic untill it snows again.... hope it snows again this year.... ill be sad if it doesnt..

gonna buy some mentos and coke and blow up some snowmen if it snows again, Ihavnt laughed that much in a good while....

BigCon

PauloMN wrote: »

It does seem unreal that we've had the coldest spell that I can remember in my lifetime, and sustained cold at that, and after so much rain in November that we've had essentially no snow. Here in Trim, we've had a dusting around Christmas, and a dusting on New Year's Eve. Thankfully I saw a bit more in Dublin on New Year's Eve.

Same here. May well come yet, fingers crossed!

mickger

Big rise in Temps here in the last hour was -2.5c and has risen to -1.0c. We must be getting that milder air from the North.

inabina

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Hopefully so ,

DP at the M2 buoy is currently -1.1

why doesnt the met radar pick up these showers?

darkman2

I think that image is probrably wrong and a distortion because im near Malahide and there is nothing here. Just scattered cloud in the distance.

mad DIY

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Hopefully so ,

DP at the M2 buoy is currently -1.1

How did you get that frame I've been watching rain today but havent seen anything like that one recently. In fact the lastest frame shows those showers that were holding off the Dublin coast to be completely fizzled out. You're not by any chance on the pay version of RainToday ?

inabina

darkman2 wrote: »

I think that image is probrably wrong and a distortion because im near Malahide and there is nothing here. Just scattered cloud in the distance.

ye the 23.15 raintoday radar has them disappeared:rolleyes:

inabina

mad DIY wrote: »

How did you get that frame I've been watching rain today but havent seen anything like that one recently. In fact the lastest frame shows those showers that were holding off the Dublin coast to be completely fizzled out. You're not by any chance on the pay version of RainToday ?

the 23.00 raintoday does show them

pistolpetes11

Kinda has me baffled, as stated shows them gone at 23.15 but there back on the 23.30,

Not using the paid version , same as everyone else

jenzz

CroppyBoy1798 wrote: »

Ah well, at least your snowman had a natural death, unlike one of mine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXYZjgBonVA

PMSL :D:D:D

Su Campu

Here's a look at our source region of the Arctic airmass for late Monday/Tuesday. This is what will give us the wintry from Tuesday on.

At 12Z today we can see an extensive mass of sub-500dm thickness air centred between northeastern Greenland and Svalbard. This mass will is currently being advected southwards, the leading edge of which will reach us late Monday night.






There are two stations in the region that release weather balloons - Danmarkshavn (BODH, northeast Greenland) and Ny Alesund Ii (Svalbard, ENAS). These are located on the west and eastern fringes, respectively, of the airmass, so the soundings below are not 100% representative of the coldest part of the airmass today.



However, let's look at their Skew-Ts at 12Z today. This shows the temperature and dewpoint measurements taken by the weather balloon on its climb up through the atmosphere. Temperature on the right, dewpoint on the left. Temperature axis on the bottom, pressure (ie. altitude) on the left.

Danmarkshavn shows a very cold dry airmass, with a surface temperature of below -15°C and dewpoint of around -25°C, H850 of -18°C, H500 of -34°C, H500-1000 of 500dm. As it's showing northwesterly winds throughout, this station is likely to be affected by the Greenland glaciers to its west, hence the very low dewpoints.




Ny Alesund shows a slightly warmer sounding, and is less representative of the airmass than Danmarkshavn as it is further outside it. It shows a surface temperature of -8°C, dewpoint of -15°C, H850 of -19°C, H500 of -41°C, H500-1000 thickness of 504dm. There are predominantly southwesterly winds, due to its location on the eastern flank of the airmass.



The chart below shows the heart of the airmass with H850s of around -25°C.



So what can we expect will happen to this airmass as it tracks some 25 longitude degrees (2,800 kms) southward towards us in a stiff northerly wind? The first 1000kms or so will be over sea ice, so airmass modification will be minimal. Only the last 1000kms or so will be over 5°C seas or warmer, so that's when we'll see the modification kick off, in the shape of increased temperatures and dewpoints in the lower km of the airmass. A good indicator will be the 00Z and 12Z Torshavn (Faroe Islands, 06011), and Lerwick 12Z soundings Monday. What we want to see are the temperature and dewpoint curves still well below 0°C, for them to be much closer together or touching in the lower atmosphere (meaning saturation or near saturation at low levels), and for them to be vertical or leaning slightly from top left to bottom right (meaning good low-level moisture and lapse rates, crucial for convective generation further down the road).

Sea-surface Temperatures




One to keep an eye on.

mad DIY

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Kinda has me baffled, as stated shows them gone at 23.15 but there back on the 23.30,

Not using the paid version , same as everyone else

I have it figured. If you zoom out, you will see a radar return is missing for 23:15.

TheMilkyPirate

Wow, Great summary Su, Well done.

pistolpetes11

Would anyone know what's the lowest sea temp ever recorded in Irish waters ?

Cant seem to find it here :

http://www.met.ie/marine/marine_climatology.asp

Sierra Oscar

Its getting a little breezy here at the moment, doesn't seem to be freezing as hard as last night - thats for sure.

SpitfireIV

Just back from a walk with the dog, tis a little bit chilly out there!!

The earlier light sprinkle of snow we had has struck around and is by this stage well frozen and thus gives a nice crunch when you're walking! The roads are like glass in places where the snow has worn away!

The temps are continuing to drop here, currently -1.6c and a DP of -2.4c. Breeze from the NW.

darkman2

CroppyBoy1798 wrote: »

Breeze from the NW.

Not for long...;) Breeze is picking up quite a bit here. I think most of our snow and ice is almost gone at this stage. Only sheltered areas it remains.

Villain

Yep NNE but only 5km/h here

SpitfireIV

darkman2 wrote: »

Not for long...;) Breeze is picking up quite a bit here. I think most of our snow and ice is almost gone at this stage. Only sheltered areas it remains.

I went outside there now to poke me wind vane with a shhtick! Just to make sure it wasnt frozen. Its still pointing NW (not enough breeze to change it, its almost calm out) but I d see the clouds are coming from a NE'ly direction now.

darkman2

Light rain here atm. The breeze pretty much ensures both no frost or ice tonight and everything currently there will melt. Not bad for a coastal location in Ireland though to have snow and ice on the ground for two days. Hoping for a better repeat come Tuesday.

Elmer Blooker

It appears to be clear to the NE at the moment and its now a bright moonlit night. The showers in the Irish Sea are now disappearing. The clear skies should put a stop to the slow thaw of the last few hours as ground temps fall below freezing although the strengthening breeze will keep air temps a little above freezing along the east coast

ninebeanrows

I anticipate some snow showers may develop around the east coast in coming hours, cloud seems to be bubbling up in the Irish sea.

Dewpoints seem to be in place for precip of reasonable intensity to fall as snow.

Much colder air is now arriviving over the Irish sea, should bubble up something i think.

smilgy

Snowing in Enfield right now

knoximus

A bit of development far north of Scotland too. Must be quite cold air.!

Deep Easterly

-0.6c here in an increasing breeze. Some windchill effect out there!

pistolpetes11

Weathercheck wrote: »

I anticipate some snow showers may develop around the east coast in coming hours, cloud seems to be bubbling up in the Irish sea.

Dewpoints seem to be in place for precip of reasonable intensity to fall as snow.

Much colder air is now arriviving over the Irish sea, should bubble up something i think.

DP on the m2 buoy seems to be coming along nicely

M2
62091 3 Jan
1:00 1022.4 70 22 temp5.2 dp-0.7 66 6 2.7 sea temp10.2

pauldry

Hovering around the zero mark here in Sligo at the moment. This truly is a substantial freeze compared to recent years. There appears to be no end in sight for the coming week at least with an Easterly airstream the established direction bar a few variables to the N or NW.

Night temps will be below freezing every night until 9th January at least in some part of Ireland. I like variable weather so Im kind of hoping for some mild weather to come along soon.

Trogdor

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

DP on the m2 buoy seems to be coming along nicely

M2
62091 3 Jan
1:00 1022.4 70 22 temp5.2 dp-0.7 66 6 2.7 sea temp10.2

Hah i may as well be out it the sea then:p temp 4.7C here dp -0.5C