Cold Spell - Feb 7th to 13th 2021 - Chat

Nqp15hhu

We have graupel here!

Gonzo

Mac_Lad71 wrote: »

Why are grown adults so excited at the prospect of snow?

Most adults who get excited about snow have loved it since they were a child and this stays with them for life. It's also a break/distraction from the normality of mild, rain and drizzle throughout most winters. As such snow that sticks is fairly rare in Ireland, particularly in eastern areas that rely on a decent easterly to deliver snow cover. Unfortunately the current easterly is not really potent enough, we are on the edge of the cold and are missing instability. The same can be said for other weather extremes such as heatwaves and thunderstorms, these are very rare in Ireland but fascinating when we do get them.

Nqp15hhu

I am extremely shocked!

https://streamable.com/jo5qw2

DOCARCH

Nqp15hhu wrote: »

I am extremely shocked!

https://streamable.com/jo5qw2

Never turn your back on snow! Well done!

Kermit.de.frog

Nqp15hhu wrote: »

I am extremely shocked!

https://streamable.com/jo5qw2

Lift the camera up so we can have a good look :pac:

ffarrell7

Nice flakes in Dublin 15 now but no intensity..... We need proper streamers

Nqp15hhu

The graupel is not melting on the ground.

JDD

Had some graupel here in SoCoDu this morning, but nothing since then. It actually isn't as cold as it was yesterday - jaysus the wind would have sliced through you - so actually pleasant enough to walk around in as long as you're wrapped up. I keep checking out the window for anything else, but the clouds seem to be breaking up now.

Tyrone212

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2021/0208/1195722-dog-rescued-mountain/

TheFairy

Very light snow shower in Southern Fermanagh there, small flakes blowing around in the wind.

gerrybhoy

Getting a wee bit heavier here in D15

gerrybhoy

Tyrone212 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2021/0208/1195722-dog-rescued-mountain/

Great story

Rebelbrowser

DPs are -4 and -5 in the North and East at the moment but only -1 down here. We have constant v light showers but it's v wet snow really, not even graupel.

Gaoth Laidir

dm09 wrote: »

Just wondering are the current conditions wrong for proper snow, if the wet bulb temps or dew points are not right you get ice pellets instead of fluffy flakes ?

I've had Graupel from easterlies in the past in North Louth but in 2010/2018 we also had some very decent snow at times.
Here's hoping the conditions improve as the week goes on.

It's all very shallow convection, so any precipitation particles don't get bounced up and down through a deeper (colder) layer of the atmosphere and therefore remain small. It's akin to how drizzle forms in warmer weather.

piplip87

Light snow and Grapple here for the past few hours. No dusting very cold. Sky gone very dark all of a sudden.

Nqp15hhu

Lake up the hill is starting to freeze already lol. It has only been subzero up there for about 30 hours.

Lake has frozen four times this winter already.

Chalkitdown147

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

It's all very shallow convection, so any precipitation particles don't get bounced up and down through a deeper (colder) layer of the atmosphere and therefore remain small. It's akin to how drizzle forms in warmer weather.

GL, can the cloud heights increase to help this or will we be stuck with what we have????

Lip Out

Tyrone212 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2021/0208/1195722-dog-rescued-mountain/

That's awesome. Anyone who has been up on Lug during cold/snowy weather will know how extreme it can be with windchill easily into the minus double digits. Some effort to carry the dog down too and lucky she survived that long.

cameramonkey

Lip Out wrote: »

That's awesome. Anyone who has been up on Lug during cold/snowy weather will know how extreme it can be with windchill easily into the minus double digits. Some effort to carry the dog down too and lucky she survived that long.

nippy enough up there at the moment.
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Lugnaquilla/forecasts/925

JULESLEMON

Slight Graupel shower on Laois/Kilkenny border. Very light. felt colder yesterday IMO.

Gaoth Laidir

Chalkitdown147 wrote: »

GL, can the cloud heights increase to help this or will we be stuck with what we have????

There's no sign of cloud heights increasing upstream over England and the North Sea as of yet, so we're stuck with what we have for now.

dm09

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

It's all very shallow convection, so any precipitation particles don't get bounced up and down through a deeper (colder) layer of the atmosphere and therefore remain small. It's akin to how drizzle forms in warmer weather.

Great explanation, Thank you.

TheMilkyPirate

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

It's all very shallow convection, so any precipitation particles don't get bounced up and down through a deeper (colder) layer of the atmosphere and therefore remain small. It's akin to how drizzle forms in warmer weather.

So the higher the cloud tops the more the particles bounce around and pick up more moisture on their way down? Hence being bigger. Would be why thunderstorm rain are huge drops due to high thunder cloud tops?

Mac_Lad71

Hurrache wrote: »

Same way as some grown adults get so excited in hitting a little hard ball and walking after it.

Or watching over sized men getting paid to chase an oval bag of wind around an empty stadium.

Artane2002

it's sunny and graupelling at the same time in Dublin 5.

Kunta Kinte

Mac_Lad71 wrote: »

Or watching over sized men getting paid to chase an oval bag of wind around an empty stadium.

Or maybe even trolling on an internet forum.:rolleyes:

Donegal Storm

Light snow in Letterkenny at the moment, wasn't expecting anything here.

Are we seeing some land based convection at the moment? Very early in the year but looking at radar showers seem to be pepping up over land east of here

EMPotatohands

Sun is shining now in D10, not impressed

cyclops999

Bit of dandruff blowing in the wind around Athlone area.

Snowbie

Had a decent snow grain shower about 1hr ago.
Temp dropped to 1.6C Dp -3.8C

Snow is falling from stratiform clouds and is mostly pellets or grains with the odd flake. There is no deep convection over the Irish sea at the moment, but instability will gather later this evening. The cloud level is below freezing point water droplets are super cooled fall from cloud melt refreeze and bounce off the ground. Grains are like soft hail that notoriously fall from stratifom clouds

Looking out over the Irish sea, there are a few cumulus but mostly stratus.