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If you don't mind me asking, what is your elevation above sea level? It seems that snowfall in the UK is highly dependant on elevation, like the highlands of Scotland, etc.
Yes, snowfall varies a lot depending on elevation. Take last winter as an example, I had 6-8 inches of snow in late March with 2-3 feet drifts, some of which lasted until April, and I am at 282 feet, yet in the Vale of York, generally 33 - 66 feet, they had hardly anything or nothing at all. I remember seeing pictures from York showing green grass while we were getting plastered with heavy snow. This is only 19 miles away.
Just in case people have misinterpreted my post I'maware SE england is less snowy than NI but that changes flthe further North you go. Like NE England for example.
Wouldn't the Penines and the Scottish Highlands absorb a lot of the snow that would have otherwise made it across the Irish Sea anyway? Or is there some kind of local lake effect snow because of the Irish Sea, considering that your cold fronts blow in from Norway?
Wouldn't the Penines and the Scottish Highlands absorb a lot of the snow that would have otherwise made it across the Irish Sea anyway? Or is there some kind of local lake effect snow because of the Irish Sea, considering that your cold fronts blow in from Norway?
Yes, the Pennines do tend to kill snow showers coming in from the North Sea, so areas further west miss out, although most of our snow comes in the form of fronts and they often arrive from the SW, when milder air collides with colder air. A lot of the time, the milder air may have 'won out' in NW England and they may get rain, while snow falls across NE England under the colder air.
NE winds tend to be colder too so even though they occur less frequently than NW winds, they'll typically provide more snow and cold. A NW wind isn't always very cold - it may just bring cold rain showers or hail, or sleet or wet snow that doesn't settle away from high ground.
Yes, snowfall varies a lot depending on elevation. Take last winter as an example, I had 6-8 inches of snow in late March with 2-3 feet drifts, some of which lasted until April, and I am at 282 feet, yet in the Vale of York, generally 33 - 66 feet, they had hardly anything or nothing at all. I remember seeing pictures from York showing green grass while we were getting plastered with heavy snow. This is only 19 miles away.
I totally agree with you there. I remember leaving York to work in Leeds and there would be either no snow, or very little, then I'd get to Leeds and I'd be like wtf! I was always amazed how little snow York got, but if you travelled 15 miles east or west it would be completely different.
Wouldn't the Penines and the Scottish Highlands absorb a lot of the snow that would have otherwise made it across the Irish Sea anyway? Or is there some kind of local lake effect snow because of the Irish Sea, considering that your cold fronts blow in from Norway?
Are you foreal? My weather comes from the north west not the north east.
We get the snow and cold before them.
Yes, the Pennines do tend to kill snow showers coming in from the North Sea, so areas further west miss out, although most of our snow comes in the form of fronts and they often arrive from the SW, when milder air collides with colder air. A lot of the time, the milder air may have 'won out' in NW England and they may get rain, while snow falls across NE England under the colder air.
NE winds tend to be colder too so even though they occur less frequently than NW winds, they'll typically provide more snow and cold. A NW wind isn't always very cold - it may just bring cold rain showers or hail, or sleet or wet snow that doesn't settle away from high ground.
As i've said northwest wind brings alot of snow above 300m.
I totally agree with you there. I remember leaving York to work in Leeds and there would be either no snow, or very little, then I'd get to Leeds and I'd be like wtf! I was always amazed how little snow York got, but if you travelled 15 miles east or west it would be completely different.
Yup, Leeds is higher in elevation than most cities once you get away from the Air Valley, and most of the city has around 10-20 days of snow lying on average. I'd only place Bradford and Sheffield as better cities for snow within England, maybe Newcastle too.
Yes. It does. If you live above 300m it snows alot and in marginal conditions you can get lots of snow.
I am at 50m but about 1 mile from 1100 feet ground where snow is pretty common.
Man, I'd sure feel frustrated if I lived at 160 feet, one tiny, teensy, little mile from a 1100-foot hill...lol. I bet there are days you can stand out in your yard in the rain and see snow falling up on the hill nearby, huh?
This is the kind of thing I was looking at during my trip up to the Keweenaw (one of the places I hope to move to once I leave Atlanta) - the larger town of Houghton is at 600 feet, while a smaller town 12 miles away is located at 1225 feet - guess where I'd rather live? lol. I asked one of the locals if there was a big difference between 600 feet and 1200 feet, they indicated that while both locations get a huge amount of snow, being 600 feet higher does help, due to the orographic lift of lake effect snow. In my dream world, I'd raise that up to about 2500 feet, but alas, there is no place in Michigan that exceeds 2000 feet (1979', to be exact). But then again, I'd be moving from a place that averages two (2) inches a snow a year - so I shouldn't be getting too greedy, huh?
Are you foreal? My weather comes from the north west not the north east.
We get the snow and cold before them.
Hmm I'm not sure about that. Our really cold weather comes from the East, which means you'd naturally get it after us.
Is there anywhere that shows snow depths in UK cities? Anywhere reliable that is.
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