The UK is in the grip of one of the coldest starts to December in more than 20 years

[giovonni]

Hang in there my Friends

Snow brings further travel misery

Travellers are facing further misery as airports, roads and rail continue to be badly hit by snow in parts of the UK.

2 December 2010 Last updated at 15:26 ET

updates and videos here;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11894853

[Ahkenaten]

If the Thames flash-freezes you are in for trouble, for sure! "Little Ice Age Redux!"

[giovonni]

Europe's deadly cold snap maintains grip

December 2010 Last updated at 08:14 ET

updates and videos here;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11907045

[sojorner]

Wasn't this predicted with the BP Oil spill? Wasn't it mentioned that the Gulf stream slowing down due to the BP Oil spill could cause an iceage for most of Europe?

I guess my thoughts are...is this weather man made?

(can't locate sources right now...not on my computer)

Soj

[Sabrina]

Posted by sojorner (here)
Wasn't this predicted with the BP Oil spill? Wasn't it mentioned that the Gulf stream slowing down due to the BP Oil spill could cause an iceage for most of Europe?

I guess my thoughts are...is this weather man made?

(can't locate sources right now...not on my computer)

Soj

Yes - info. on Gulf Stream here.

http://geraldcelentechannel.blogspot...n-heading.html


BBC Weather today said UK could have freezing conditions through to the New Year.

[irishspirit]

Author claims we're in the grip of a mini ice age

AFTER nearly two weeks of snow and sub zero temperatures rivaling those of Siberia, the old joke about global warming being a good thing has had a new lease of life. So what has happened to doom-laden predictions of the world heating up as glaciers melt? Mike Kelly reports.
A satellite image of the UK taken during last year's harsh winter

FIRST the good news. These bitter winters aren’t going to last forever. The bad news is that they will go on for the next 30 years as we have entered a mini ice age.

So says author Gavin Cooke in his book Frozen Britain. He began writing it in 2008 and it was published last year when experts were scratching their heads at the cause of the bitter winter of 2009/10 which brought England to a standstill. Some said it was a one-off event, with experts predicting snowfall becoming increasingly rare.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/nort...9310-27768699/

[Rocky_Shorz]

UK Snowstorm Traps Seven People In Pub For Eight Days

While Britain's recent snowstorms left businesses closed and travelers stranded, not all of the weather-related mishaps were quite so bleak. The BBC is reporting that a couple and five staff members enjoyed the ultimate lock-in when they were trapped inside one of Britain's highest pubs because of the heavy snow.

Though their cars were buried by snow drifts outside starting on Nov. 26, the confined group at North Yorkshire's Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge kept themselves busy by eating, drinking and playing games in a huge bar that normally serves up to 150 customers a night. The Inn, which stands 1,325 feet above sea level, also operates as a bed and breakfast, so the couple and staff were able to retire to its bedrooms, post-merriment.

story link

[irishspirit]

WEATHER: 35,000 DEATHS FEAR IN NEW ARCTIC BLIZZARDS
DEATH rates are set to soar “scandalously” this winter as a new Arctic blast batters Britain with temperatures on a par with Siberia.

Experts predict a dramatic increase in cold-related fatalities as we suffer the bitterest winter in a century, causing 12 deaths every hour.

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Britons face spiralling energy bills while the death toll this winter could reach 35,000.

There are also fears some mail may not reach its destination by Christmas Day because of the freeze.

Forecasters said temperatures could plummet to record lows in the run-up to Christmas, putting tens of thousands of vulnerable people at risk.

Charities warned of pensioners suffering “Dickensian” conditions, resorting to riding on buses or huddling in shopping centres just to keep warm.

Millions of Britons are being forced to turn down their thermostats as gas and electricity prices spiral.

Jonathan Powell, senior forecaster with Positive Weather Solutions, said icy conditions were on the way back by the middle of next week after a brief weekend thaw. He said plummeting temperatures could even surpass the -27.2C (-17F) recorded in Braemar in 1982 – the coldest temperature in Britain.

Studies show a drop in temperature of just one degree is followed by 200 heart attacks. People aged between 75 and 84 and those with a history of heart disease appear to be most vulnerable.

Last year the number of deaths linked to the cold weather reached nearly 28,000 in four months, sparking claims that the UK has the highest winter death rate in northern Europe.


Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/...#ixzz180c5ddns

[Fredkc]

Here yesterday, we had a break from our unusually cold weather.
Mid-80's (hi-20's C) outside. The Santa Ana winds blew, meaning we also had 30 mph winds (No smog).
Slept, last night, in short pants. Threw off the comforter, the sheets, and finally the dog. Too damned hot for all of them.

Wife's sister mailed us pictures of the record snow in Minneapolis (20 in. 50 cm in about 12 hrs), we mailed back beach pictures.

It's not that we're uncaring, but when 1/2 of southern california is ablaze, and people speak of us somehow 'deserving it'...
well, it does leave a mark
Fred

Best of luck to you brits living along the coast.

[irishspirit]

Fred,

People who say anyone deserves that are not normal. It is crazy to make such a statement. I stand with you on that my friend.

With respect to what the Brits and Irish are feeling just now, there is something not right about it. But then again, looking at the weather in parts of the states, we got it easy.

[Fredkc]

Hey Irish;
I have a friend who lives up by Isle of Skye.
I remember him telling of a storm they had about 5 years ago up there. 100+mph onshore winds, too cold to snow. The winds pelted the coast with both freezing rain, and freezing waves.

I remember he describes what things looked like after the storm broke. The coast was literally covered by a thick coat of ice. Boats tossed up on the shore, frozen to the rocks.

With respect to what the Brits and Irish are feeling just now, there is something not right about it.

It seems the predictions concerning the absence of a Gulf Stream Current weren't idle, after all. IMO this seems to be affecting the entire northern hemisphere, the current weather in the US attesting. I know that here in California, and all along the west coast of US, we started getting January weather about November 1st. The current 'break' we're having is simply a normal one, when the winds shift.

What we have been seeing is, the normal wind patterns here have all shifted about 800 miles to the north. Which means that the normal air feeding storms headed onshore are pulling from much colder climes. Hence what the rest of the country is seeing.

I think we're in for a helluva winter.
Fred

[Ba-ba-Ra]

I posted this elsewhere, but applies here as well.

Another factor besides the absence of Gulf Current: As the Arctic summer temps warm (as they have by several degrees in the past few years) the mountains of ice begin to melt and these mountains of ice in the past have held the cold Arctic winter winds in the Arctic. Now that those mountains of ice have been reduced, the Winter Arctic winds can come down to us, which makes our winters colder. California has also been experiencing colder winters, however, colder in California is a far cry from what England is experiencing. I'm a native of New England, so I know what cold is. brrr - I send you all warm huggs.

Here is an article from NOAA which explains better and in more depth about relationship of cold winters in N. Hemisphere to arctic warming.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...tic-melting-/1

[norman]

Posted by Fredkc (here)

I think we're in for a helluva winter.

The weather forcasters here in UK are now telling us it's going to hit us again even harder at the end of this week. My reserve lifeline has taken a hit too. When I can't get out in the car I was hoping I could order a delivery of groceries from one of the major supermarkets. I did that once last winter. I've just heard on the radio news that 3 of them, and Royal Mail Parcel Force, are cancelling some of their delevery services until further notice due to a backlog and the impending 'weather', that is, they're not even taking orders. I wonder what they've been told that the rest of us are only supposed to guess at.

Here's a TIP! for anyone with a condensing Combi Boiler (gas). Mine, which is only 2 years old, stopped working last week and freaked me right out. After a panic, a neighbor gave me a number for a gas engineer. I called him and he was very busy ( of course ) but he advised me to pour a kettle of hot water on the external drain pipe from the condenser. I did that and water gushed out of the pipe into the drain ( it was frozen - because of the drip-drip nature of the moisture in that pipe ). I reset the boiler and fired it up. It's worked perfectly since.

[Ammit]

I actually live 1/2 mile from the southern coast in the UK, temps here are lower then normal and last week I was able to make a snowman and woman with my yougest son, but, we are lucky compared to the rest of the UK.
At this moment in time, we are lucky enough to have a wind chill of -5.5 and a temp of 0 degs c, lowest temp so far being about -9 so i am told.

Blessings

Ammit

[irishspirit]

[QUOTE=Fredkc;80231]Hey Irish;
I have a friend who lives up by Isle of Skye.
I remember him telling of a storm they had about 5 years ago up there. 100+mph onshore winds, too cold to snow. The winds pelted the coast with both freezing rain, and freezing waves.

I remember he describes what things looked like after the storm broke. The coast was literally covered by a thick coat of ice. Boats tossed up on the shore, frozen to the rocks.

Hi Fred,

My wife is from Broadford in the Isle of Sky.

I can remember my mother in law telling me about that storm. The place was a wreck. The thing about the Islands are simply that when they get it bad, they get it bad. When the winds are at their worst, the Island is not the place to be. It is impossible to even open your front Door without getting taken off your feet.

[irishspirit]

Posted by Ammit (here)
I actually live 1/2 mile from the southern coast in the UK, temps here are lower then normal and last week I was able to make a snowman and woman with my yougest son, but, we are lucky compared to the rest of the UK.
At this moment in time, we are lucky enough to have a wind chill of -5.5 and a temp of 0 degs c, lowest temp so far being about -9 so i am told.

Blessings

Ammit

The worst about this my friend, is that it is not over. I have been hearing reports that come Thursday and Friday opf this week, we are in for massive snow fall again.

[taliesin]

I am just wondering of we are still in a solar minimum? I know that there are sun spots etc but i tried to find the definition of a solar minimum and couldn't. This might be something to do with it. Though the idea that the Gulf Oil disaster has somehow diverted or weakened the gulfstream to the extent that it can't battle with the polar winds and just gets pushed aside resonates with me.

[Rocky_Shorz]

the weather was messed up before the oil disaster...

San Diego didn't have a summer this year, didn't break 80 once on the beach until this fall...

Viking and others had been keeping track of the strange weather back on Av1 and continued on in this forum...

earth updates-2010

[Carmody]

my personal record is -57F. Standing outside at night, in the still and the quiet......listening to trees explode.

[Rocky_Shorz]

I used to live in Northern Minn and we used to look at Alaska in the Winter as a warm getaway...

I always liked sitting in the fish house listening to the thunderous Boom of 4 Feet of solid ice breaking across the lake...

Semi's used to take short cuts across the lake during heavy ice periods...