Weather winter 2010/2011

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Paddy,
I can only echo what other people wrote : glorious pix and the Robin is out of this world !!!
It could come straight from a David Attenborough documentary !! 

[johnw]

What were the chances of two severe-weather-event-type winters in a row, I thought?

It is truly bizarre. A good blanket of snow would help immeasurably.

What exactly is causing the cold snap in Europe?

I see a large high pressure system over Greenland that has stalled a low pressure system over us. They predict a daily 15mm of rain here for the next few days. And they had frost last night in northern Florida!

johnw

[Casalima]

-2 and fog when I woke up this morning - don't remember having seen that combination here before. But now it's up to nearly 10ºC. Forecast for Sunday is thunderstorms, strong winds from the SE (!!!!) and up to 16ºC!

The robin is absolutely lovely and already on my desktop. Perfect positioning even, with empty space on the left for where my (not that many) icons are. My desktop images tend to be a rolling celebration of SRGC photos - my "homage" to all the wonderful photographers on this site!

[Martin Baxendale]

What exactly is causing the cold snap in Europe?
johnw
[/quote]

A very cold and persistent airflow from Russia driven, apparently by a large, stalled low-pressure system in France. The extremely cold air is picking up moisture as it passes over the North Sea and then dumping it as deep snow over the UK and parts of Germany, Poland etc.

At least we only have the snow to worry about. Latest news from my wife's home village in Slovakia is that local people are worried about going up into the local hills for firewood because a bear has taken up residence there - it used to be a very small young bear but has quickly grown to over 150 kilos, has attracted a mate and now has cubs to protect, so much more dangerous if surprised.

[Roma]

-13 here last night and down to -7 in the greenhouse.  We can't get the gas heater to light.  I usually try to keep the temperature just above freezing.  When the heater is on all the snow usually slides off the roof but I hope there is enough remaining now to insulate it a bit without being too heavy.  I covered everything with newspapers a couple of days ago so hope most things survive.

2 pics of the garden followed by 2 of the greenhouse.
a rhododendron whose name I can't remember just now

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very impressive Roma !
Here's hoping the best for your plants !

[mark smyth]

a 24 feet green house  twice the size of mine.

[art600]

Must be getting better as DHL just delivered a parcel - not sure how.

TV off and probably until an engineer can make it through the snow.  Wanted to see the test match - not the same on radio.

Icicles seem longer this winter.  The longest measured 115cm.

[Stephenb]

What were the chances of two severe-weather-event-type winters in a row, I thought?

What exactly is causing the cold snap in Europe?

I see a large high pressure system over Greenland that has stalled a low pressure system over us. They predict a daily 15mm of rain here for the next few days. And they had frost last night in northern Florida!

johnw

Bizarrely it could well be caused by global warming. The disappearing arctic sea ice is changing the atmospheric circulation patterns leading to the present anomaly. Changes have been so fast in the Arctic that there isn't a long enough statistic to prove or disprove this. This was in the papers here a week or so ago. I found this link which explains more: http://www.reportingclimatescience.com/news-stories/article/global-warming-shares-blame-for-europes-cold-weather-says-climate-scientist.html

[Peter Maguire]

That's an fascinating website Stephen, is that where you get your interesting meteorological facts for the forum?

Incidentally thanks for the low temperatures you exported to us, I was thinking the other day that the temperatures hadn't been as bad here as was forecast, then last night came along...   
It only rose to -2ºC today by midday 

[Martin Baxendale]

Bizarrely it could well be caused by global warming.

Doesn't surprise me. Globally this year is set to have been the hottest on record, and an increase in extreme weather events around the world is an inevitable consequence. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Well, it is lovely to come in after an afternoon clearing snow and ice, have a nice dinner, sit for coffee and scones and find such lovely compliments on the two photographs I posted earlier in the day. Many thanks for all the flattering remarks. I think it was wise to have gone and taken a few shots as a good thaw set in this afternoon and there is far less snow here now. It is forecast to return over the weekend.

Now, here is a larger file of the robin shot for Paul T.

[Paddy Tobin]

Paul,
It took me several efforts to upload the image above as I tried it at sizes which were bigger than the system would allow. I have it now at 1000 X 717 which gets it in just under the allowed limit.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

And, Cliff, before you ask: that little glint in its eye is absolutely genuine, well, absolutely genuine after I added it in Photoshop. A bird just has to have a spot of light in its eye.

It was a very easy shot as the birds are so hungry they follow me around the garden for food. This one was only two to three feet from me.

Paddy

[Stephenb]

That's an fascinating website Stephen, is that where you get your interesting meteorological facts for the forum?

No, I don't know that particular web site and haven't studied what else is there, just there that a Norwegian site pointed me there (it was reported here as I said). I work with weather and climate, so it interests me (BUT I'M NOT A METEOROLOGIST so don't started blaming me  )