{Northern Regions Thread}Cold Week ahead, snow possible

snowjon

Gonzo wrote: »

I presume that the normal snow depth is melted/mostly gone by now in the north with only the snow drifts surviving the thaw?

At sea level, yes the snow is mostly melted apart from the piles left over from ploughing/clearing. The high ground is a different story - still loads lying on the ground. I drove home over the craigantlet hills the last 2 days and the drifts there are still about 8-10ft high at the sides of the road with snow still remaining on the rooves of houses and in the fields

Harps

Gonzo wrote: »

I presume that the normal snow depth is melted/mostly gone by now in the north with only the snow drifts surviving the thaw?

Not at all, not a lot left at sea level but get to just 50m or so and there's still 100% cover and still very deep with massive drifts and piles.

Here's a pic I took yesterday in Belfast with about a foot of snow still widespread

M.T. Cranium

On 2-3 April 1975 we had an enormous snowfall in central Ontario (at 44-45 N) that amounted to perhaps 60 cm level but after some strong winds this became more like 2 metre drifts separated by almost bare ground in places. It then remained clear and unseasonably cold for about ten days. That snow did not melt, it just sublimated into the dry air mass slowly day by day until just small patches were left two weeks later. There was some melting but I recall that about three-quarters of the snow just evaporated away. This may happen to the NI heavier snow cover, at least half of it may just sublimate in the coming days.

Something else that may be relevant to recovery operations in remote locations -- the snow drifts became semi-frozen like concrete with the daily freeze-thaw cycle under strong April sunshine. You couldn't shovel these drifts by about day three, they were frozen onto the landscape. This is why it's a very good idea to move as much of that snow as possible before that stage is reached because it may not be possible to move any of it soon.

Then for what it's worth the month of May 1975 was exceptionally hot and dry. The temperature anomalies were something like -10 C first half of April, -3 C second half of April and +5 C all through May.

That storm was the most anomalous weather event I have ever experienced in about half a century of fairly constant observation (at my own location, that is to say). The second place event for me was the derecho thunderstorm with near-tornado conditions (same region) observed at 0300h on 15 July 1995. And third place would go to the Great Lakes superstorm of 01-26-1978 with its massive wind gusts and temperature drop.

ardmacha

Here's a pic I took yesterday in Belfast with about a foot of snow still widespread

There were snow showers since the original fall, which topped up the whiteness.

ardmacha

This is a good demonstration of things last week (from Belfast Telegraph)


Carrigagh Road, Dromara, Co Down

from the map this seems about 240m elevation.

0ph0rce0

Just got attacked by a bee...

SUMMERS COMING :pac:

0ph0rce0

0ph0rce0 wrote: »

Just got attacked by a bee...

SUMMERS COMING :pac:

Yeah I'm amazed at how many insects there are hanging around despite the weather.

Conrach

ardmacha wrote: »

This photo of Dromara from ]shows the difference in a few Km. In Banbridge, there was feck all snow.

Very true. I live in Banbridge and despite some heavy snow showers none of it lay.
The other day I stood on my front step and watched the Irish Air Force and an RAF chinook drop fodder. I could literally see the fodder being rolled out of the choppers. So close and yet so far!!

I love my snow but I really never want that much.

On a side note: Watching the helicopters made me very sad. It reminded me of the foot and mouth crisis when I watched the army fly in materials for the pyres. I know we winge when the farmers winge but none of them deserve this!!!