Thursday 31st March 2016 – Sunday 3rd April 2016

Posted on Mar 30, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

March is coming to an end and although it has been a month with a lengthy dry spell, it has still been wet overall and cold. In fact the average day and night temperature is on a par with January. It has been quite lively recently with some thundery showers with hail and even some hill-snow but we’re heading into a slightly more settled spell.

Thursday sees a little ridge of high pressure over the region, meaning light winds and some sunny spells especially into the afternoon but with the odd shower. The morning could see some fog patches and a frost. Max 10°C but feeling pleasant in March’s strengthening sunshine.

A cold start to Friday, again some mist and a patchy frost possible. After early brightness it will cloud over and the wind will freshen from the south-west. Rain will slowly arrive late in the day. Max 8°C which is chilly for the time of year.

A south-easterly airflow over the weekend

A little uncertainty about the weekend. If things go to plan and our wind direction swings to a southeasterly then we could drag in some warmer air from the continent.

Early rain clears north-westwards on Saturday then brighter and hopefully even sunnier skies from the south and south-east for the afternoon. In areas that stay cloudy then we’ll see a max of 10°C but in any sunnier spots and with the milder airflow then 13°C may be possible.

Some warmer air from the continent possible this weekend especially towards the SE

Sunday will be mainly cloudy with a risk of patchy rain to start. Some bright spells breaking through and overall a drier afternoon. Mild again and it could feel warm in any sunshine. Max 12-14°C.

Looking ahead and into next week, and it looks like the cooler air will return from the west with plenty of showers. No real sign of any Spring-like warmth for us with temperatures approaching 20°C.

The Jet Stream looks set to return into next week – cooler & showery

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk

Forecast issued at 15:00 on Wednesday the 30th of March 2016

Thanks for reading,

Jon

The Easter Holiday Outlook

Posted on Mar 23, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

All change ahead. Someone is about to turn the tap back on after pretty much two weeks’ worth of dry, cool and mainly cloudy weather. The lack of rain has been a much needed spell of weather for all gardens and sport pitches.

Thursday sees the high pressure, which was established over the country for the prolonged dry spell, a distant memory as rain pushes in from the west. After a dry start a wet afternoon on the cards but the rain will ease into the evening. Max 8°C.

Change arrives Thursday as fronts pile in from the west

A temporary ridge of high pressure slips in for Good Friday so the best day of our holidays. Sunny spells and milder. Mainly dry too so not a bad day at all. Max 12°C.

Hmmmmm, I think the weather knows it’s not only the weekend but also a Bank Holiday one.

Rain during Saturday and windy too with gusts possible to 40mph for a time. Feeling cooler. The rain should turn showery later. Max 9°C.

A wet Saturday is on the cards as rain spreads east

A slightly better day on Easter Sunday. Bright spells and showers. The odd one could be heavy with thunder and lightning. Breezy. Max 10°C.

Quite an active low pressure could arrive on Bank Holiday Monday which would bring rain or showers after a dry morning. The windiest of the weather at the moment looks likely to stay further south but one to watch as details are still uncertain. Cool. Max 9°C.

An active low pressure possible for Monday – eyes peeled

Looking ahead and it will remain cool with showers at times. No sign of some Spring warmth yet.

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk, www.metoffice.gov.uk

Forecast issued at 14:15 on Wednesday the 23rd of March 2016

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Thursday 17th March 2016 – Sunday 20th March 2016

Posted on Mar 16, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

In my terms, we are in a pattern of settled but boring weather. Not too warm, not too cold, no frost, no snow, no rain, some dull days, some bright days but nothing to keep an eye on. The only positive, is it gives me a bit of a well-earned, much-needed rest.

With the settled pattern set to continue I will have a look at the outlook for Easter and give a ‘most likely’ forecast rather than the media tripe that has already been published.

A usual Daily Express headline rears its ugly head again – No signs of a heatwave

A chilly start on Thursday, and if we have had clear spells for long enough then perhaps a touch of frost and some fog patches. These will lift into low-cloud but sunny spells expected during the day. Max 8°C.

We have high pressure firmly in charge of our weather hence the dry and settled spell but as we enter Friday this will slip to sit to the northwest of Ireland meaning we drag in a cold northerly breeze. However, another dry day with bright spells is on the cards. Some areas may keep some stubborn cloud. Feeling chilly. Max 7°C.

High pressure that’s giving us settled weather drifts into the Atlantic

The weekend will be mostly dry but I can’t promise wall-to-wall sunshine.

Saturday and Sunday will be similar. A cool breeze from the north and with it plenty of cloud floating around. Some of this may be thick enough to bring some drizzle or light rain to unlucky spots but quite localised. It will remain feeling cold but pleasant in any sunshine. Overnight frost will be possible where we have clearing skies. Max 8°C.

Looking ahead and little change for most of next week but there are signs that we will see the high pressure drift away as we approach Easter. This will allow some rain to push in from the northwest followed by a chilly southeasterly breeze. No heatwave on the radar, with it even being cold enough for some frost over Easter Weekend. Of course look out for updates on Twitter as it is still 10 days away.

Possibly a frosty start to the Easter Weekend

A risk of rain on Easter Sunday

Predicted maximum temperatures for Easter Sunday – certainly no heatwave

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk, www.metoffice.gov.uk, www.netweather.tv

Forecast issued at 13:30 on Wednesday the 16th of March 2016

Thursday 10th March 2016 – Sunday 13th March 2016

Posted on Mar 9, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi,

One of my easiest forecasts for a while as the weather slips into a settled spell which is welcome news to most and rainfall totals will remain low in the next 5-7 days.

After rain in the past 24 hours there is a risk of some localised ice along with a frost on Thursday morning. Any morning sunshine should be replaced by more in the way of cloud from the east with some light rain showers or drizzle possible in places. Overall much drier in most areas after the rain of Wednesday. Milder. Max 8°C.

High pressure builds from Friday and lasts into the weekend bringing drier conditions

On into Friday and high pressure builds in across the UK and with it a lot of dry weather. Bright spells and feeling a little more pleasant. Just a risk of some hill-drizzle hanging around. Max 9°C. A big contrast compared to last Friday’s widespread snowfall.

A similar theme continues into the weekend. Winds are from a southwesterly direction so milder air covers England and Wales with temperatures into double-figures.

Out with the cold blues and in with the milder greens and yellows as temperatures rise

Saturday and Sunday looking dry across the region with a fair amount of cloud. Some bright spells are possible during the day and if we see them, we might have temperatures up to 12°C. Otherwise generally a Max of 10°C and with the cloud-cover it looks likely that we escape frost-free.

An easterly wind will peg temperatures back slightly next week

Next week it will turn slightly colder again as we drag in an easterly wind but the mainly dry theme continues with very little rain expected. Good news for Oldham Athletic’s football pitch which could do with a breather.

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk

Forecast issued at 13:45 on Wednesday 9th of March 2016

Thursday 3rd March 2016 – Sunday 6th March 2016

Posted on Mar 2, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi,

Well here we are; welcome to Spring. **ha ha**. After the weather of the past couple of days, you will be right in thinking that it is far from feeling like Spring. Storm Jake blew by today bringing hill-snow and some gusty winds over the tops.

Thursday doesn’t look too bad of a day across the region with bright spells and a scattering of showers, these likely early on. Cold and breezy. Max 6°C. Late-evening and into Friday morning there is a chance of some sleet or snow across the region which could give a covering in places. One to watch on my Twitter feed.

Another snow-risk, especially above 200M, Thursday into Friday

Friday itself will remain cold and cloudy with the morning rain, sleet and snow (especially above 200M) slowly fizzling out into the afternoon. There is a possibility of 5-10cm of snow above 250M which could be disruptive to travel. Feeling very cold under the doom and gloom. Max 4°C.

The weekend is set to remain very cold with low pressure to the east dragging northerly winds down across the country but an improvement on Friday. Therefore, we remain under a pool of cold air. So in summary, both days will be cold with a chance of some hail, sleet or snow showers but generally a drier theme overall. Night-times will see some ice, where showers have fallen, and localised frosts. Max 5°C with a biting breeze especially on Saturday.

A cold northerly airflow this weekend bringing a bitter breeze

Looking at next week and it looks to remain cold with some wintry showers and overnight patchy frosts. Although it looks a touch milder towards the end of the week, there is no sign of Spring and I can see March panning out to be a cold month overall.

February 2016 Stats

Av. Temp: 4.3°C
Max Temp: 12.6°C (21st)
Min Temp: -2.8°C (16th)
Wettest Day: 31.4mm (8th)
Highest Gust: 51mph (1st)
Rainfall: 119.2mm
Rainy Days: 21

Remember to follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share.

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk and http://www.netweather.tv

Forecast issued at 2:20pm on Wednesday 2nd of March 2016.

Thursday 25th February 2016 – Sunday 28th February 2016

Posted on Feb 24, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

OK, I’m not getting the snow I’m hanging desperately on to this winter for, but at least it feels more like winter now, with frosty mornings and some wintry sunshine.

It looks like the current cold spell is set to continue into March with just the odd milder day thrown in, so this keeps the door open for a snow-risk.

Thursday will start with a widespread frost and some rural spots may have had their coldest night of the winter with -6°C possible. There is also a risk of some patchy dense freezing fog, so something to be aware of on the roads in the morning. Once this clears we’ll have a day of sunny spells and it will be dry. Cold though. Max 4°C.

A freezing start to Thursday – coldest temperatures of the winter possible

Another frosty morning possible on Friday but not as severe as cloud is expected to push in from the west. Chance of some wintry showers later in the day from the south-west but the focus remains on a mainly dry picture but with more cloud than yesterday. Max 5°C.

Finally a weekend without a washout day and non-stop rain. I promise.

Saturday and Sunday similar actually, with a lot of dry weather around as high pressure builds over the UK. It will also introduce a bitter easterly breeze at times. OK, we might see the odd sleet or snow flurry, or spot of rain but overall it will be dry with sunny spells and some frost to start the mornings. Max 5-6°C.

Settled Conditions – A ridge of high pressure over the UK at the weekend

Looking ahead and as we enter March, meteorologically-speaking the start of Spring, it remains cold at first, but there are some signs that the Atlantic will try to come back to bring slightly milder conditions and some rain. If so, it could be preceded by some snow. One to watch next week.

Remember to follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share.

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.netweather.tv

Forecast issued at 2:00pm on Wednesday 24th of February 2016.

Thursday 18th February 2016 – Sunday 21st February 2016

Posted on Feb 17, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

Welcome to another weather outlook for across our region.

Finally we managed some dry weather. Last Friday (12th) to this Tuesday evening we managed almost 5 dry days. Quite an achievement after 19 days of consecutive registered rainfall, but as I write this, we are again plagued by persistent rainfall.

The weather is heading back into a topsy-turvy flow with the Jet stream back in charge as we head towards the weekend and then introducing colder air when it dips away to the south next week.

After we experienced a miserable, wet and cold Wednesday, we will see a much improved day on Thursday. However, with clear skies to start the day we must be aware of ice after all of yesterday’s rain. During the day, plenty of sunny spells with the risk of a light afternoon shower but well-scattered. Max 6°C.

A chilly start to Friday with another localised frost but cloud will soon thicken, and rain, some heavy is expected to arrive as the day progresses giving us a wet afternoon. Temperatures will lift as winds turn south-westerly introducing milder air. Max 9°C.

Milder air returns from Friday and into the weekend

We head into the weekend with grim prospects.

Any early brightness on Saturday doesn’t last long and rain will move in from the Atlantic. It will also be mild and breezy at times. Max 10°C.

I wish I could say something better about Sunday but I can’t. More rain is expected and windy for a time too. The exact timing of the rain over both weekend days is not nailed on but it’s not a weekend that will be remembered for decent weather. Later in the day, the rain is likely to move away towards the south-east and be replaced by much colder weather and wintry showers, with snow on the hills above 250M. Again, some uncertainty on timing and it might not even happen until we enter Monday. Max 12°C.

Colder later on Sunday and into Monday; could mean hail, sleet & snow showers to follow

A lot of rain fell today (Wednesday the 17th) and with more rain between Friday and Sunday; there could be a concern again for local football matches to have waterlogged pitches.

Another inch of rain expected between now and Monday

Looking ahead and next week will be colder than the mild weekend with wintry showers at times and some chilly nights with a risk of localised ice and frost.
Remember to follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk; http://www.netweather.tv and http://www.weatheronline.co.uk

Forecast issued at 15:00 on Wednesday 17th of February 2016

Thursday 11th February 2016 – Sunday 14th February 2016

Posted on Feb 10, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hello again,

Another week has gone by and more rain has fallen across the region. In fact, Monday (8th Feb) was the 4th wettest day since my records began here in August 2012, with 31.4mm of rain recorded. This all came from Storm Imogen which brought almost 100mph gusts to the south coast. Although we didn’t feel much impact from the winds [41mph recorded Monday night] it never stopped raining.

All this wet weather led BBC Radio Manchester to get in touch, as they had a feature on the show this morning (10th) regarding the non-stop wet weather we have been having. I was unable to attend as I was on the school run but it did give me the opportunity to dig out some statistics for them.

We are today (10th) likely to have our first dry day for 17 days!

Since November the 1st 2015 we have had 635mm (25 inches) of rain and in that time 90% of the days recorded rainfall. That’s 6mm a day on average.

We have only had 10 dry days since the end of October 2015.

The Jet stream is now slightly further south so we are experiencing some colder air and some welcome sunny spells. Not only does it look like today will be dry, Thursday and Friday could follow suit.

The Jet stream has dipped south into the back end of this week

A cold start to Thursday with local fog and frost, so you could be deicing before work. A mainly dry dry to follow with sunny spells and a low risk of a fleeting wintry shower. Max 6°C.

Similar on Friday, cold start, some localised frost but more cloud is expected later in the day. Beforehand, plenty of bright spells and again we should escape with a dry day. A cold easterly breeze arriving. Max 5°C.

Now into the weekend, Saturday, it gets a little tricky.

Saturday will be cold with a mainly cloudy picture across the region. There is a risk of rain coming in from the south-west, the track of this and how far north it gets is still uncertain. It could turn to snow in places as the milder air meets the cold air. My feeling is that it will stay further south but one to watch for updates via Twitter and I should know more by Thursday evening. Bitter easterly breeze. Max 4°C.

A risk of rain turing to snow on Saturday – where, is still uncertain

Snow could occur where the mild air meets the cold air

The low pressure and its mix of rain or snow moves away south into Sunday allowing the winds to switch from an easterly to an Arctic northerly bringing the risk of scattered hail, sleet or snow showers but sunny spells as well. A low windchill. Max 4°C.

Both nights over the weekend will be cold with a risk of ice and frost.

Sub-zero windchill of -5 by the end of Sunday

Settled, drier but frosty as we head into next week

Looking ahead and early next week sees some settled weather with sunny spells by day and cold frosty nights. Later in the week it looks likely that the winds will return to bring the Jet stream back over us and with it some wetter milder weather but there is some question mark over the timing of this. For now though, the good news is, no significant rainfall or another named-storm on the cards.

But when will that Jet stream and the wetter/milder weather return?

Remember to follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk; http://www.netweather.tv and http://www.theweatheroutlook.com

Forecast issued at 14:15 on Wednesday 10th of February 2016

Thursday 4th February 2016 – Sunday 7th February 2016

Posted on Feb 3, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

Two named-storms in a short period of time and even some snow showers last weekend confirms our weather remains in an unsettled state. As we enter the final meteorological winter month, I am still hopeful of some prolonged cold during mid-February and we can also always rely on March to bring us some wintry weather; so don’t put your sledges away yet.

Rain and milder conditions arrive once again on Thursday after recent cooler conditions. With this comes rain, initially heavy, but easing later on. Hill-drizzle may remain into the evening. Max 11°C.

Max Temperatures for Thursday – back to double-figures

The flip-flop pattern continues into Friday as cooler air comes in from the north-west. This doesn’t look like arriving until later on into the late-evening, after a mainly cloudy day with some showery rain and hill-drizzle. Max 10°C.

A cold front will sink SE slowly on Friday bringing rain then cooler air

The weekend will be chilly and windy with showers at times and some cool nights. To be honest forecasting this weekend has been a bit of a headache with several what-if scenarios to deal with.

For Saturday, bright spells and some showers early on and it will feel colder than recently. Later on there is a good chance rain will spread in from the west and winds increase. Max 7°C.

Bright spells and showers on Sunday after early rain clears. If anything, maybe feeling a little cooler, especially in the fresh wind. Again, more general rain and wind later or overnight. Max 7°C.

Looking at early next week it seems to remain chilly with some showers, which could be wintry at times over the hills. The week looks breezy throughout and there is a good chance we will see some more windy weather later on; perhaps another named-storm?

Another named-storm later next week – Storm Imogen?

If the stormy weather comes off it could be followed by much colder Arctic air

January 2016 Stats

Av. Temp 5.3°C
Max Temp 13.2°C (24th)
Min Temp -2.7°C (16th)
Wettest Day 13mm (27th)
Highest Gust 45mph (27th)
Rainfall 129.8mm
Rainy Days 26

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter to catch all the latest weather updates for Manchester and its surrounding boroughs.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk

Forecast issued at 16:30 on Wednesday 3rd of February 2016

Thursday 28th January 2016 – Sunday 31st January 2016

Posted on Jan 27, 2016 by Oldham Weather

Hi all,

It’s wet and wild whilst I write this blog. Not dissimilar to yesterday when ex-storm Jonas, which brought parts of the U.S. 2-3 feet of snow, rattled across the UK. This is a sure sign that the Jet Stream is back in charge of our weather, depressing news for proper cold- and snow-lovers.

The next few days sees an up-and-down trend in temperatures across the region as we swing from one side of the Jet Stream to the other.

A powerful Jet Stream still controlling our weather

After a mostly wet, windy and mild Wednesday we sit on the cold side of the Jet Stream on Thursday. A cold start with a rural frost; so perhaps some deicing before work for some. Feeling much colder with sunny spells but cloud increases during the day with some rain or showers expected into the afternoon, some heavy. Winds will again increase; gale-force gusts overnight. Cold during daylight hours but temperatures rising again into the evening. Max 8°C.

Again it is milder into Friday but it will not feel so with very windy conditions. Gusts to 55mph in exposed places is likely, especially so during the morning. Showers at times on the westerly wind and more general rain overnight. Max 12°C.

I did say a few days ago that we won’t see any more snow in January. Saturday will be cold enough for some wintry showers so we could see some hail and possibly some sleet or snow showers in areas above 350M. Not exactly a major snow-event but a reminder that it’s winter and enough for the Met Office to issue a warning for further north. Max 5°C.

Wintry showers with some snow to higher ground is possible on Saturday

Warning for snow and ice issued for Cumbria showing winter is still close by

Overnight into Sunday and it looks like rain will return from the south-west and with it milder temperatures once more. Certainly weather that can’t make its mind up. Max 11°C.

After a colder Saturday; milder air returns from the south-west during Sunday

Looking ahead and next week could start with more gales on Monday. After that, sunshine and showers with tempertures back down into single-figures. I’m still going for a chance of some decent cold and bitter temperatures from mid-February. As always, no-one knows and this is just my hunch.