March – a month of weather contrasts

Winter seems to have hung on for quite some time this year with low temperatures, frost, ice and snow affecting many areas into late March. This isn’t altogether unusual as we are more likely to see snow at Easter than at Christmas. However, March 2012 was very different with plenty of sunshine and temperatures into the low 20s Celsius. How come?

Well, this time last year the UK was under the influence of high pressure. This gave us clear skies, plenty of sunshine and with a light southerly breeze, temperatures that were well above average. In fact, Scotland set an all time record maximum temperature with 22.8 °C at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire.

Visible satellite image from March 2012

This year, with a strong easterly wind bringing cold air from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, we have quite the opposite with eastern parts of the UK in particular seeing snow, ice and temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius lower.

Visibile satellite image from March 2013

The direction of the wind therefore plays a major part in what type of weather you and I will see, especially as we have the Atlantic Ocean to our west and continental Europe to our south and east. Different wind directions bring air with different temperature and moisture contents. Meteorologically, they are termed air masses and in March 2012 we saw a Tropical Continental air mass bringing dry and warm air from the Mediterranean. This year we have been affected by a Polar Continental air mass, bringing cold air from the east. The following video explains exactly what we mean by air masses.

With different air masses constantly affecting the UK, the weather is a particularly challenging thing to forecast, especially so in March. This is because in early spring the sun is starting to rise higher in the sky and the amount of daylight hours start to increase. This means we get more heat building up in the lower part of our atmosphere. The result is slightly more energy, which in turn can lead to heavier showers. We can also see more unstable air and more active fronts as a result of greater heating. With more moisture available in the atmosphere, we also tend to see heavier or more prolonged rainfall and if this mixes with cold air, more snowfall. It makes forecasting more complicated because the extra heat and moisture adds another aspect to the weather, which tends amplify the effects of different air masses.

You can find out more about forecasting snow on our website or on the following video:

Spring swing brings colder weather and snow

We’ve had some very mild conditions this week with welcome sunshine pushing temperatures into the high teens. However, in a classic spring swing, colder weather is on the way as we head into the weekend.

By Saturday, we will see a return of easterly winds which will bring in much colder air from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Snow is expected across some eastern parts of the country over the weekend. By the start of next week, most of the UK will see daytime highs in low single figures with some frosty and icy nights.

So how unusual is it to see cold weather and snow in March?

The UK’s weather is very much at the mercy of where our winds come from, and throughout spring we can see sudden swings in the weather conditions. If we look back to last year we had very high temperatures at the end of March as the UK was under the influence of high pressure and light south-easterly winds. This year, this week’s south-easterly winds are now giving way to colder easterlies.

What about snow?

Statistics show that snow is more likely in March than around Christmas. As we know, heat from the sun increases as we head towards summer and this can lead to some interesting weather in March. With more heat from the sun the ground warms up more quickly and gives very unstable air, which can lead to a greater number of showers. Warmer air also holds more moisture so showers can give heavier rainfall. If this combines with cold air we can potentially see some heavy snowfall. However, easterly winds tend to be dry and so substantial snow fall is not expected over the next week.

As always, the Met Office will be working with different agencies to keep Britain on the move, and to keep people safe and well during periods of cold weather. The latest forecasts and warnings can be found online, through our mobile apps and through TV and radio broadcasts.

It’s cold but why is there no frost?

There’s no denying that we have seen some cold weather this winter with plenty of frost, ice and in many cases, snow. However, the last week has been cold – arguably perhaps feeling colder than any other time this winter – but we haven’t seen any evidence of this on the ground in the way of frost. So how is this possible?

For a classic frosty night we need a few ingredients: low temperatures, clear skies, calm winds and moisture. A clear, calm night gives excellent radiation conditions – by this we mean that the heat absorbed by the Earth’s surface during the day escapes readily back into space and allows temperatures to fall. If the temperature falls to the dew point (the temperature to which air must cool for it to become saturated with water vapour) moisture will condense and form droplets on the ground’s surface. When temperatures fall below freezing the droplets freeze and we get frost.

So what about the last few days? They have been cold but there hasn’t really been any prolonged or hard frost. How come? Well, much of Scotland and Northern Ireland has had the required ingredients and been frosty, but the rest of the UK has only had low temperatures. Much of England and Wales have seen a fair amount of cloud and some brisk winds.

Surface pressure chart from 25 February 2013

Cloud acts as a blanket and although temperatures have fallen during the night-time, cloud cover has stopped them falling well below freezing and therefore made it difficult for a thick frost to form. The wind is also important as it mixes the lower part of our atmosphere. Rather than having cold air pooling in one place and causing low temperatures, the wind can bring less cold air from another location or even bring it down from the upper atmosphere. This also helps to keep temperatures from falling too low. However, easterly winds this week have certainly made it feel very cold indeed!

Visible satellite image from 25 February 2013

Lastly, the air near the surface has been relatively dry. This is important because it means the temperature of the air must fall very low in order to reach its dew point. The cloud and wind has stopped this from happening easily and therefore reduced the risk of frost.

Cold weather, then, brings lots of different tastes of winter, especially to the UK, and we have seen nearly all of them this season. More information on all types of weather can be found here.

Cold weather across UK

The start of this week was relatively mild and sunny but we have seen a change to colder and cloudier weather during the course of the week.

High pressure became established to the north-east of the UK and this dragged in colder air from Scandinavia. It took some time for the cold air to filter across the whole of the UK but over the last couple of days daytime temperatures struggled to rise to 3 °C in some places. Brisk winds across England and Wales made it feel much colder, and we saw a few snow showers across eastern parts of the country.

Will Lang, Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: “This is a different taste of winter to the snow and ice we have seen of late. These largely dry, settled and cold conditions may not be as disruptive to travel but they do present concerns surrounding the health and well being of the elderly and vulnerable.”

The Met Office issued a level 3 Cold Weather Alert in light of the widespread and prolonged cold conditions. These alerts give advance warning of adverse weather conditions, which enable people to take extra precautions to keep safe and well.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Severe cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young or very old or those with chronic disease. You can find advice on how to reduce your risk or that of somebody you know on the NHS Choices website, ringing NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or contacting your local GP or pharmacist.

“The NHS is well prepared for the winter and we are providing an extra £330 million to the NHS and social care services to help cope with the added pressure that the winter brings.”

With high pressure remaining in place, cold and largely settled weather looks set to remain across the UK until the end of February at least, and you can find the latest information from our forecasts and warnings, our mobile apps and through broadcasts on TV and radio.

Infographic: what to do when it snows

With further warnings for snow in the UK our latest infographic covers what to do before, during and after snow fall.

See our website for the latest severe weather warnings. To find out more about when warnings are issued and what they mean see our guide to warnings.

Related articles

• What to do when heavy snow is forecast (metofficenews.wordpress.com)
• Snowfall in the UK (metoffice.gov.uk)
• Forecasting snow (metoffice.gov.uk)
• How is snow formed (metoffice.gov.uk)

Latest UK snow depths Monday 21 January

Following further snow yesterday in the central and eastern areas of the country, snow depths over the UK were as follows at 9 am this morning:

Location	Area	Elevation	Snow depth (cm)
Albemarle	Northumberland	142	19
Lough Fea	Londonderry	225	19
Sennybridge	Powys	307	18
Redesdale Camp	Northumberland	211	18
Little Rissington	Gloucestershire	210	17
Wittering	Cambridgeshire	73	16
Bingley	West Yorkshire	262	15
Waddington	Lincolnshire	68	13
Wattisham	Suffolk	89	13
Dunkeswell Aerodrome	Devon	252	13
Nottingham, Watnall	Nottinghamshire	117	12
Gutersloh	Germany	70	12
Cranwell	Lincolnshire	63	12
Coleshill	Warwickshire	96	12
Leek, Thorncliffe	Staffordshire	298	11
Liscombe	Somerset	348	11
Spadeadam	Cumbria	285	10
Filton	Avon	59	10
Middle Wallop	Hampshire	90	10
Aboyne	Aberdeenshire	140	10
Aviemore	Inverness-Shire	228	9
Eskdalemuir	Dumfriesshire	236	9
Marham	Norfolk	21	9
Coningsby	Lincolnshire	6	9
Larkhill	Wiltshire	132	8
Scampton	Lincolnshire	57	8
Brize Norton	Oxfordshire	82	8
Hereford, Credenhill	Hereford & Worcester	76	7
Valley	Gwynedd	10	7
Bedford	Bedfordshire	85	7
Shawbury	Shropshire	72	7
Charlwood	Surrey	67	6
Manston	Kent	49	6
Boscombe Down	Wiltshire	126	6
Northolt	Greater London	33	6
Glenanne	Armagh	161	5
Heathrow	Greater London	25	5
Herstmonceux, West End	East Sussex	52	5
Dyce	Aberdeenshire	65	4
Hurn	Dorset	10	4
Leeming	North Yorkshire	33	3
Linton On Ouse	North Yorkshire	14	3
Leconfield	Humberside	7	3
Shap	Cumbria	252	3
Hawarden Airport	Clwyd	11	3
Rostherne	Cheshire	35	3
Odiham	Hampshire	118	3
Benson	Oxfordshire	57	2
Strathallan Airfield	Perthshire	35	2
Drumalbin	Lanarkshire	245	2
St Athan	South Glamorgan	49	2
Camborne	Cornwall	86.85	1

Satellite image of the UK this morning, cloud is covering the UK which prevents us from seeing the areas covered by snowfall.

Further snow is forecast in some parts, and ice continues to be a hazard in areas that have already seen snow. Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings for your area on our website.

Related articles

• Overnight lows and the latest snow depths (metofficenews.wordpress.com)
• Latest snow depths Friday 18 January (metofficenews.wordpress.com)
• UK snow depths and overnight lows (metofficenews.wordpress.com)

Overnight lows and the latest snow depths

As forecast temperatures fell well below zero across the UK last night and the heaviest of the snow started to ease in most areas.

The lowest temperature recorded at a Met Office observing station was Edinburgh, Gorgarbank, at -4.3 C and at 9am this morning the deepest snow cover was 27 cm at Lough Fea, Londonderry.

Lowest temperatures overnight 18 to 19 January 2013:

Location	Area	Temperature (Celsius)
Edinburgh Gogarbank	Midlothian	-4.3
Lake Vyrnwy	Powys	-4.3
Pennerley	Shropshire	-4.0
Tredegar Bryn Bach Park	Gwent	-3.5
Crosby	Merseyside	-3.4
Libanus	Powys	-3.4
Leek, Thorncliffe	Staffordshire	-3.3
Little Rissington	Gloucestershire	-3.3
Sennybridge	Powys	-3.2
Carterhouse	Roxburghshire	-3.1
Salsburgh	Lanarkshire	-3.1
Keele	Staffordshire	-3
Emley Moor	West Yorkshire	-2.9
Astwood Bank	Hereford & Worcester	-2.8
Winterbourne	West midlands	-2.8
Aviemore	Inverness-shire	-2.7
Bingley	West Yorkshire	-2.7
Liscombe	Somerset	-2.7
Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest	North Yorkshire	-2.7
Spadeadam	Cumbria	-2.7

Snow depths at 9am Saturday 19 January 2012:

Location	Area	Elevation	Snow depth (cm)
Lough Fea	Londonderry	225	27
Sennybridge	Powys	307	22
Little Rissington	Gloucestershire	210	20
Loftus	Cleveland	158	16
Liscombe	Somerset	348	16
Filton	Avon	59	16
Brize Norton	Oxfordshire	82	12
Hereford, Credenhill	Hereford & Worcester	76	11
Nottingham, Watnall	Nottinghamshire	117	11
Larkhill	Wiltshire	132	11
Albemarle	Northumberland	142	10
Cranwell	Lincolnshire	63	10
Benson	Oxfordshire	57	10
Leconfield	Humberside	7	10
Redesdale Camp	Northumberland	211	9
Middle Wallop	Hampshire	90	9
Boscombe Down	Wiltshire	126	8
Aboyne	Aberdeenshire	140	8
Wittering	Cambridgeshire	73	8
Coningsby	Lincolnshire	6	7
Leek, Thorncliffe	Staffordshire	298	7
Northolt	Greater London	33	7
Leeming	North Yorkshire	33	6
Marham	Norfolk	21	6
Shawbury	Shropshire	72	6
Bingley	West Yorkshire	262	6
Waddington	Lincolnshire	68	6
Odiham	Hampshire	118	6
Eskdalemuir	Dumfriesshire	236	5
Hurn	Dorset	10	5
Scampton	Lincolnshire	57	5
Charlwood	Surrey	67	5
Coleshill	Warwickshire	96	5
Wattisham	Suffolk	89	4
Boulmer	Northumberland	23	4
Dyce	Aberdeenshire	65	4
Bedford	Bedfordshire	85	3
Trawsgoed	Dyfed	63	3
Church Fenton	North Yorkshire	8	3
Linton on Ouse	North Yorkshire	14	3
Heathrow	Greater London	25	3
Edinburgh, Gogarbank	Midlothian	57	3
St Athan	South Glamorgan	49	3
Herstmonceux, West End	East Sussex	52	2

The cold weather is set to continue for the remainder of the weekend and ice is expected to be a major hazard, keep up to date with your local forecast for the latest update.

How the ‘pest from the west’ will beat the ‘Beast from the East’

There was much talk at the end of last week about the ‘Beast from the East’ being set to bring some cold and wintry conditions to the UK this week. However, the balance in the atmosphere has changed and the current cold weather looks set to be replaced by milder, wetter weather by the end of the week.

So what has happened in the atmosphere to bring such a dramatic change in the forecast?

As expected at the end of last week, we do have winds blowing from the northeast, tracking across the North Sea from Scandinavia and bringing scattered showers to eastern parts of the country as shown on the chart below. So, we can expect a couple of days of cold and mainly dry weather with a few showers in eastern counties, sharp frosts and some freezing fog at night.

The atmosphere is always finely balanced and for the ‘Beast from the East’ to really ‘bear’ its teeth the high pressure area over Greenland would need to develop and draw the wind in from Europe. It now looks like this is not going to happen and instead the depression to the west of the UK is going to win the atmospheric battle and bring heavy rain and strong winds to us all from Thursday.

Met Office forecasters will be monitoring this developing weather situation throughout the week and have already issued warnings to give advanced notice of the potential impacts from the heavy rain in some parts of the country.

The latest forecasts and warnings can be found on the Met Office website, on our mobile apps and through TV and radio broadcasts on the BBC and ITV.

Related articles

• The meteorology behind the ‘Beast from the East’ (metofficenews.wordpress.com)

The meteorology behind the ‘Beast from the East’

Update: See how the weather situation for the coming week has developed over the weekend: How the ‘pest from the west’ will beat the ‘Beast from the East’

The ‘Beast from the East’ – not the Grammy nominated live album of 1988 from heavy rock band Dokken - but the phrase being used to describe what looks set to be some cold and wintry conditions to the UK next week has been mentioned in many newspapers today.

But what actually is the meteorological situation and what is the outlook for next week?

Strictly speaking our weather is not expected to be coming directly from the east next week, but more from the northeast, tracking across the North Sea from Scandinavia, bringing cold north to northeastly winds to our shores. As this cold air moves over the relatively mild North Sea, the air will pick up moisture and become increasing unstable, bringing scattered showers to eastern parts of the country as shown on the chart below.

The showers are most likely across eastern parts of Scotland and northern England on Monday.

Although next week will certainly be very cold, especially compared to a brief respite from the cold conditions over the coming weekend, at the moment it is not expected to be as cold as the bitter conditions we saw back in December 2010 when temperatures fell to -21.3 deg C on 2nd December at Altnaharra in Scotland, which was the lowest December temperature recorded in the UK since 13th December 1995.

Met Office forecasters will be monitoring this developing weather situation throughout the weekend and will update forecasts and warnings. This will ensure the public has access to the latest weather forecasts that will help them prepare, plan and protect themselves from the impacts of the snow and icy conditions expected next week.

Met Office Cold Weather Alerts have been issued for the whole of England as the forecast weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients.

The latest forecasts and warnings can be found on the Met Office website, on our mobile apps and through TV and radio broadcasts on the BBC and ITV.

Related articles

• How the ‘pest from the west’ will beat the ‘Beast from the East’ (metofficenews.wordpress.com)

• Cold weather clue in upper atmosphere (metofficenews.wordpress.com)

• Snow Alert: Cold Weather ‘Beast’ To Hit UK (news.sky.com)
• London to freeze as ‘beast from the East’ weather front moves in (standard.co.uk)
• Get ready for the ‘Beast from the East’: Siberian winds to blast Britain with ice, snow and freezing temperatures after weekend’s respite (dailymail.co.uk)

Cold weather continues across the UK

The drier, colder and frosty weather currently affecting the UK has given some significant relief to those who have been hit by the heavy rain and floods over the last week or so. However, cold weather presents its own problems to the public too, not just from frost, ice and snow, but from its impact upon our health.

The link between the onset of cold weather and its effects on health is documented extensively in research journals, in the UK. Older people are particularly at risk as they do not feel the cold until their body temperature falls. People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) also have a significantly increased risk of ill-health and hospitalisation during periods of cold weather and high levels of circulating respiratory infections. So many people are affected by the wider impacts of cold weather.

From 1 November 2012, the Met Office launched its Healthy Outlook® service, which is a telehealth alert service, available to patients through participating GP practices. Upon registering, patients receive a pack full of useful tips and contact information to keep them well during the winter months. Each registered patient will also receive a recorded voice call when conditions are forecast that are expected to increase the risk of symptoms becoming worse. The alert aims to give COPD patients sufficient advance warning to avoid the cold weather and keep well. The service aims to minimise the likelihood of a COPD-related exacerbation for patients and the consequential hospital admittance.

Katie Russell, Business Health Manager at the Met Office, said: “Even short periods of extreme cold temperature can cause serious illness for COPD patients. The Met Office has created Healthy Outlook® to help people with COPD take control of their own health. We monitor environmental conditions and warn people when their health is likely to be affected, giving them the opportunity to take action to stay well.”

As well as our standard service, we are also trialling Healthy Outlook® in selected high street retail pharmacies across the UK. This trial of the service will allow people to still take advantage of Healthy Outlook® even if their primary care trust (PCT) has not signed up. Healthy Outlook® is also available for the first time, online, through an e-pharmacy, giving further reach and support to those suffering from COPD.

Jane Devenish, Clinical Services Pharmacist at The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “Offering Healthy Outlook® online means those who may be unable to leave the house can have access to this simple, yet effective service to help them prepare for periods when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and so they can reduce the risk of their condition flaring up.”

Forecasters at the Met Office are predicting more unsettled weather during next week but it looks like it will remain on the cold side, so it is important to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings.