In message , Dave Ludlow
writes
You'd think we were all in the middle of a cold March, from the daily
weather forecasts and press reports. No doubt some places are but not
here.

After the last two days with temperatures exceeding 10.0 deg C, I
have calculated the averages for Solent MRSC for the last week and
the last two weeks (thanks to Keith Harris's www.southendweather.net)
- they are closest enough to mid month to give a rough comparison.

Unfortunately there is no long term record for Solent MRSC or my own
location but there is for nearby Bognor Regis - which has a similar
seaside exposure as Lee-on-the-Solent. Comparisons are therefore with
the March averages for Bognor (taken from the Met Office website).

Feb 14 to Feb 20 2006 (Solent compared to Bognor monthly averages)

Mean Max 8.1; long term mean max 9.0; deficit 0.9 deg C.
Mean Min 2.4; long term mean min 3.5; deficit 1.1 deg C.
Overall mean deficit 1.0 deg C.

Feb 7 to Feb 20 2006 (Solent compared to Bognor averages)

Mean Max 7.7; long term mean max 9.0; deficit 1.3 deg C.
Mean Min 3.0; long term mean min 3.5; deficit 0.5 deg C.
Overall mean deficit 0.9 deg C.

The last week or two has been nowhere near what I'd describe as a
March cold spell - not down here anyway. How cold has it been
elsewhere?


Lurker here. This is somewhat veering off, but just in case it's of
interest to you and name forgotten of Romsey, there's another weather
enthusiast in the Hampshire area who has a weather station website at:
www.winchesterweather.org.uk

It looks as though the website has only been running from the beginning
of the year. Although I don't know anything about the software he's
using, or the recording equipment, I wonder if it might be useful as a
comparison with other weather stations in the area - but you'll probably
know that Winchester could well be a difficult area to capture anything
other than very local conditions because of its topography.

--
Elizabeth

Yes you are right Brian and thanks for pointing out the CET figure although
I was really looking at the period when there was instrumentation. However
1674 would certainly appear a severe winter month by today's standards.
With arctic sea ice much further south and nearer the British Isles
northerlies would have more bite to them in the latter half of the 17th
century than now.
Ian Currie-Coulsdon

"Brian Wakem" wrote in message
...
Ian Currie wrote:

The coldest March 1785 would be considered a severe winter spell by
today's standards.


1674 was colder, was it not?


--
Brian Wakem
Email: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/b.wakem/myemail.png

"Richard Slessor" wrote in message
oups.com...
It's been an exceptionally cold and snowy March here.

Statistics for the 1st to 20th March:

Mean max: 4.1C
Mean min: 0.1C
Overall mean: 2.1C

Snow/sleet falling days: 13, snow lying(50%) :11

1971-2000 averages for Dyce are 8.3C, 1.7C and 5.0C (for the whole
month) with 8 days snow falling and 2 lying.

Temperature has not reached 10C once - highest 9.2C on the 8th. Last
time March failed to reach 10C was in 1964. In fact only 4 Marches
since 1989 have not reached 15C (1994, 1996, 2001 and 2004).

If anything the mean will drop over the next few days so looks certain
to be the coldest March locally since 1969 possibly even 1962.

Also I would imagine that the accumulated snow depth I currently have -
162cm - is more than any other March, since the war, with the exception
of 1947 and possibly 1958. It's also likely to have been the highest of
any month since at least January 1984.

Richard Slessor,
Hazlehead, Aberdeen (98m. a.s.l.)


Any chance of any pictures Richard.

Gavin.

It's been persistently chilly in South Devon so far this March, sometimes
distinctly 'raw'. Milder the last couple of days.

Mean Max +8.5 deg. C
Mean Min +1.2 deg. C
24-hr mean temp +4.8 deg. C (departure from norm -1.4 deg. C)

And very dry...

39.6mm so far (-95.4mm deficit so far) and surfaces bear this out. The
countryside appears light brown rather than green, scorched by the
persistent and drying winds. However daffodils are out in perfused.
Snowdrops are well past their best.

Richard.

--
Dartington, South Hams, Devon.
100 ft AMSL.
50' 12N, 03' 24W.


"Dave Ludlow" wrote in message
...
You'd think we were all in the middle of a cold March, from the daily
weather forecasts and press reports. No doubt some places are but not
here.

After the last two days with temperatures exceeding 10.0 deg C, I
have calculated the averages for Solent MRSC for the last week and
the last two weeks (thanks to Keith Harris's www.southendweather.net)
- they are closest enough to mid month to give a rough comparison.

Unfortunately there is no long term record for Solent MRSC or my own
location but there is for nearby Bognor Regis - which has a similar
seaside exposure as Lee-on-the-Solent. Comparisons are therefore with
the March averages for Bognor (taken from the Met Office website).

Feb 14 to Feb 20 2006 (Solent compared to Bognor monthly averages)

Mean Max 8.1; long term mean max 9.0; deficit 0.9 deg C.
Mean Min 2.4; long term mean min 3.5; deficit 1.1 deg C.
Overall mean deficit 1.0 deg C.

Feb 7 to Feb 20 2006 (Solent compared to Bognor averages)

Mean Max 7.7; long term mean max 9.0; deficit 1.3 deg C.
Mean Min 3.0; long term mean min 3.5; deficit 0.5 deg C.
Overall mean deficit 0.9 deg C.

The last week or two has been nowhere near what I'd describe as a
March cold spell - not down here anyway. How cold has it been
elsewhere?

--
Dave
Fareham.

Gavin Staples wrote:

Any chance of any pictures Richard.

Gavin.

Yes I took plenty of pictures and uploaded some onto Photobucket.

First album shows the first day with snow lying - 28th February:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a34/ri...dn/Snow280206/

These are from the 1st and 2nd March:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a34/ri...SnowMarch2006/

These are from the 3rd March when the snow was at its deepest - 26cm at
9am with more where drifting had occurred:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a34/ri...now3March2006/

From the 4th March
http://photobucket.com/albums/a34/ri...dn/Snow040306/

and the 5th March
http://photobucket.com/albums/a34/ri...dn/Snow050306/


Richard.

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:22:18 -0000, Gavin Staples wrote:

I have had just 1 double figure max this month. It was so quick if I
blinked I'd have missed it.

Not been in double figures since Dec 11th and like you id I'd blinked I'd
have missed it. Previous to that is the first half of November for temps
10C.

This month has been below 5C since the evening of the 9th. The average
since then can't be far from 0C. We have reasonable sized drifts from the
snow that fell well over a week ago. It's now looking to be colder again,
currently -1C, the moderate snow showers of this afternoon have finally
started to leave a light covering since about 1700 when the air temp
dropped below freezing.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:25:24 -0000, "Philip Eden"
philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:


"Dave Ludlow" wrote in message
.. .

Unfortunately there is no long term record for Solent MRSC or my own
location but there is for nearby Bognor Regis - which has a similar
seaside exposure as Lee-on-the-Solent. Comparisons are therefore with
the March averages for Bognor (taken from the Met Office website).

Ooooh, I think that's something of a leap of faith. So far this month
the mean max at Lee/Solent is 7.8°C, at Thorney Island, 7.0°C, and
at Bognor 6.8°C. I'd always had a feeling that Lee was a particularly
warm spot without ever being quite interested enough to investigate ...
but now, looking at the geological map, I note that Lee sits on marine
gravels while there are patches of boulder clay above chalk at
Thorney Island and boulder clay above London clay at Bognor.
Fareham looks geologically complex so without knowing exactly
where you live it's not possible to say whether you're more like
Lee or Thorney.

Thanks for the words of caution, Philip; and to everyone replying to
this thread. It does seem that here, we have had less cold conditions
than most and very much less cold conditions than some.

I am surprised at the difference in mean max this month between Lee
and Bognor. My own mean max is 8.0 deg C (1st to the 20th) very close
to the Solent MRSC mean max - although I do, occasionally, see some
surprising differences and I've commented on this a few times.

The soil here in West Fareham is light and stony - ideal for
strawberry growing, for which the area was well known. But I do not
know how the geology compares to Lee; I suspect it is very similar and
I would be interested to know if it is. I am located 11 KM due North
of Castle Point, East Cowes; 3.3 KM North East of the mouth of the
Hamble.

--
Dave
West Fareham.
41m. amsl.

Richard Slessor wrote:

Also I would imagine that the accumulated snow depth I currently have -
162cm - is more than any other March, since the war, with the exception
of 1947 and possibly 1958. It's also likely to have been the highest of
any month since at least January 1984.

It's amazing how much more snow you've had over there than we've had
here, I guess the proximity to the North Sea makes the difference? The
first 8cm of the spell at the beginning of the month here actually fell
in February, so for March my figures a total snowfall 35cm, max level
depth 32cm.
--
Steve Loft, Glenlivet. 200m ASL
Weather and webcam:
http://www.livet.org.uk/weather

"Dave Ludlow" wrote:
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:25:24 -0000, "Philip Eden" wrote:

but now, looking at the geological map, I note that Lee sits on marine
gravels while there are patches of boulder clay above chalk at
Thorney Island and boulder clay above London clay at Bognor.
Fareham looks geologically complex so without knowing exactly
where you live it's not possible to say whether you're more like
Lee or Thorney.

The soil here in West Fareham is light and stony - ideal for
strawberry growing, for which the area was well known. But I do not
know how the geology compares to Lee; I suspect it is very similar and
I would be interested to know if it is. I am located 11 KM due North
of Castle Point, East Cowes; 3.3 KM North East of the mouth of the
Hamble.

Right, Dave, you have the same geology as Lee ... post-glacial marine
gravels
above Tertiary beds of sands and gravels. I misread the maps re Bognor
and Thorney Is which have a superficial cover of brick earth, not
boulder clay. (Boulder clay along the south coast, dear oh dear!)

You can also see roughly where the wx station is at Lee on
Google Earth (high res image shows the MRSC compound very
clearly ... lots of asphalt, not much grass) whereas in Locks Heath
you're still low res.

Philip

Steve Loft wrote:
Richard Slessor wrote:

Also I would imagine that the accumulated snow depth I currently have -
162cm - is more than any other March, since the war, with the exception
of 1947 and possibly 1958. It's also likely to have been the highest of
any month since at least January 1984.

It's amazing how much more snow you've had over there than we've had
here, I guess the proximity to the North Sea makes the difference? The
first 8cm of the spell at the beginning of the month here actually fell
in February, so for March my figures a total snowfall 35cm, max level
depth 32cm.
--
Steve Loft, Glenlivet. 200m ASL
Weather and webcam:
http://www.livet.org.uk/weather

Actually I think you have had more snow. By accumulated depth I meant
the accumulation of the totals at 9am:

1st 14cm
2nd 18cm
3rd 26cm
4th 24cm
5th 25cm
6th 22cm
7th 19cm
8th 9cm
9th 4cm
12th 1cm
13th 1cm

Total: 162cm

The total snowfall that fell during March was probably around 25-30cm
(with a further 8cm on 28th Feb). The rainfall equivalent from the 27th
Feb to 7th Mar was 30.6mm and there was 6.4mm on the 12th which was all
snow.

The max snow depth was around 28cm late on the 3rd March. There was
about 6cm late on the 12th that largely disappeared by the 13th due to
rain.

Richard Slessor,
Hazlehead, Aberdeen.