Thursday 19th January 2017 – Sunday 22nd January 2017

Hi all,

This is one of the most benign forecasts I’ve ever written in my blog. The weather is stuck in a rut and the last few days have been depressing. Drizzle, mizzle, fog, low-cloud and darkness. Horrible. 

To top things off, as you know I’m a cold- and snow-lover, even Spain has been seeing snow today. 

The Polaris World Golf Resort in Condado de Alhama in Spain saw snow on Wednesday

 

@barrabest on Twitter: Xàbia (Jàvea) Beach on the Costa Blanca, just north of Benidorm, in Spain today. Photo via Patricia Smyth McKeown.

@GVA112 on Twitter – snow falling to sea level this morning on the Valencia Costa

 

Most of Europe has been cold and snowy and this cold air has extended to most countries bar the U.K. (the SE being an exception for once). 

This graphic from the BBC shows exactly where the cold has spread to across Europe.

So, are we into for a share of this widespread cold. Well we will all become a little colder towards the weekend but we won’t get any snow or anything resembling very cold conditions. 

We have high pressure in charge of our weather but for us it’s a ‘cloudy high’, which means we’ve dragged in a lot of cloud from the west which is ‘trapped’ and can’t escape. With the sun weak at this time of the year, there’s no strength in it to even attempt to burn off the cloud. This leads to a bland outlook. 

Oh, one thing this weather has done, is broken one of my records. The difference between the Max and Min temperatures during a day, is called the diurnal temperature variation. My previous record was 0.9°C in January 2013. This was beaten on Tuesday 17th January 2017 with the range being just 0.8°C thanks to the lack of sun and damp/dull/misty conditions.

See all records here; Chadderton Weather Records.

Thursday: Cloudy and dull, some local drizzle. Misty on the hills. Light winds. Max 8°C

Friday: Another cloudy day. Slightly cooler than yesterday. Again, we can’t rule out drizzle or mizzle. Max 6°C

Saturday and Sunday: An easterly airflow will drag in some slightly colder air so noticeably chilly across the region. There should be enough cloud-cover to limit any frost. Mostly cloudy during the day but a chance of some brightness especially on Sunday. Max 4°C

Looking ahead: Settled early next week before things look to turn unsettled from the west with rain and milder temperatures. Wanting snow and some ‘proper cold’…..then forget it until February

Keep up to date with my local forecasts on Twitter by following @ChadWeather

Thanks,
Jon

Forecast issued: Wednesday 18th January 2017 at 14:20

Images: From Twitter and credited above and BBC Weather

Thursday 12th January 2017 – Sunday 15th January 2017

Hi all,

Headline: Colder with snow for some of us.

Thursday: A very cold northwesterly wind in place which will bring some rain, hail, sleet & snow showers. Some of the snow will settle leading to tricky driving conditions with some ice later but this is expected to be in areas that are above 225M. You can reference the local elevation map or use the link to see what height you are above sea level. Max 3°C but feeling sub-zero in the wind.

wintry-showers-on-thursday

A bitter Thursday with rain, hail, sleet and snow showers in the mix. Snow settled above 200-250M

Use this link to see exactly how many metres you are above sea levelhttp://www.altitude.nu/ or for local locations see the image below.

heights-above-sea-level

Local locations with their height above sea level

Friday: Windy again with a brisk northerly airflow. Some more wintry showers around but they should be less frequent than what we saw on Thursday. Sunny spells in between the showers. Feeling very cold. Sharp frost overnight. Max 3°C

Saturday: Apart from the odd wintry shower, it looks mostly dry with sunny spells and a cold northerly or northwesterly breeze after a frosty start. It will turn frosty again later in the evening but it is likely to cloud over by morning.  Max 3°C

milder-from-the-nw

Milder air comes in from the NW during Sunday recovering temperatures

Sunday: There is still uncertainty about today but it seems that rain will topple in from the northwest which might, initially, fall as sleet or wet-snow on the higher routes. This weather front will also bring milder temperatures.  Max 6°C

Looking ahead: Mild initially but turning slowly colder from midweek with a chance of a cold easterly feed being established.

Keep up to date via my Twitter account, @ChadWeather.

Thanks,
Jon

Images: http://www.chorleyweather.com/, http://ukweatherforecast.co.uk and Oldham Council.

Forecast issued at 16:30 on the 11th of January 2017.

 

Thursday 5th January 2017 – Sunday 8th January 2017

Hi all,

Happy New Year and all the best for 2017.

The media have been at it again with their annual, or is it now weekly, lies about a Killer Freeze on the way with record low temperatures and more snow than we’ve ever seen before. 

Unfortunately some folk, especially the vulnerable still believe this tripe, so spread the word, never believe their headlines. I’ll be the first to let you know, if we are due any snow and plummeting temperatures. 

Thursday: A very cold and frosty start with temperatures of -4°C in some parts. A lovely, crisp winter’s day follows with plenty of sunshine. Make the most of it as all change ahead. Max 3°C

Fronts coming in from the west bring rain and milder air on Friday

Friday: Cloudy with rain coming in slowly from the west. Some of the rain will be heavy. A cold-feeling day but temperatures on the rise. Max 8°C

Not much sunshine at the weekend but not a washout. 

Saturday: A mild start with some fog and low-cloud over the hills. The latter could persist all day. Hopefully, most of us will get away with a cloudy and dry day but don’t be surprised to see some drizzle, especially on the hills. Max 8°C

Sunday: Little change. Cloudy, again there could be some low-cloud and drizzle towards hillier areas. No frost as temperatures on the milder side. Max 10°C

Wintry showers later next week?

Looking ahead and the following week does see slightly cooler or colder air return with showers, which might be wintry with snow on the hills. Now where’s that Killer Freeze? 🙂

December 2016 Stats

Max 13.3°C (7th)
Min -0.3°C (28th)
Wettest 16.4mm (8th)
Windiest 49mph (23rd)
Rain 46mm (40% of av.)
Rainy Days 19
Dry Days 12

Thanks for all your support on Twitter and with the blog in 2016. Here’s to an eventful weather year in 2017.

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter for the latest up to date forecasts. 

Thanks
Jon

Issued: Wednesday 4th January 2017 at 14:30

Images: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk; http://www.netweather.tv

Thursday 15th December 2016 – Sunday 18th December 2016

Hi all,

Not long until Christmas and with the big day in range of our long-term forecast models, we can start to get an idea of what the 25th will be like.

Latest suggestion goes for a mild start with temperatures of 8°C, with rain left over from Christmas Eve, clearing during the morning. More updates on Twitter as we approach the festitives.

xmas-day

A mild start to Christmas Day? Certainly no big freeze as per media stories

Thursday: Mostly cloudy and dull. Some rain at times with some drier spells now and again. Plenty of hill-fog and low-cloud. Something we have been used to lately. Max 10°C

Friday: Another cloudy day with low-cloud and some localised drizzle. Mostly dry in the evening as high pressure builds across the UK. Max 10°C

A mostly dry, cooler and settled weekend ahead but sunshine lacking.

Saturday & Sunday: Plenty of dry weather but also a lot of cloud after a cold misty start in places. Some brightness sneaking through, but with plenty of cloud trapped under the high pressure, don’t be banking on it. Cooler. Max 8°C

wind

Dry start to next week perhaps replaced by wind and rain towards midweek

Looking ahead: High pressure in charge for Monday and Tuesday with dry conditions. Wind and rain spreading from the west midweek. Around average temperatures. No sign of any snow.

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter for your local weather updates.

Thanks,
Jon

Forecast Issued: 15:35 on Wednesday the 14th of December 2016
Images: http://www.netweather.tv

Thursday 8th December 2016 – Sunday 11th December 2016

Hi all,

After a few weeks of relatively cold weather we are back to our more typical December set-up with mild southwesterly winds. I’m still expecting this winter to be colder-than-average but also not expecting any proper cold until we enter the new year. With a southwesterly airflow, rain will not be too far away over the next 48 hours, although the weekend isn’t looking too bad.

Thursday: Rain to start the day, some heavier bursts. It will tend to become drier as we approach lunchtime and the afternoon will remain mild and cloudy with some hill-fog and localised drizzle. Max 13°C

rain-for-thursday

A wet start to Thursday for all

Friday: Another cloudy day with some bright spells. The mild theme continues and some rain is expected as we head into the evening. Breezy. Max 13°C

A cooler but drier weekend ahead.

Saturday: A cloudy start with some rain knocking around from yesterday. The day should then become dry with bright spells but feeling a little fresher. Max 10°C

Sunday: Not a bad day at all. Sunny spells and feeling cool but with lighter winds it shouldn’t feel too bad. Max 8°C

 

lows-to-nw

Low pressures next week seem to affect the northwest of the UK the most

 

A mixed bag as we look ahead. Some cooler days and then some milder shots as we get some southwesterly winds again. Some spells of rain, mostly to the northwest of the UK, so more focus on drier and quieter for us. No sign yet of snow or proper cold. I’ll be tweeting some Christmas Day forecasts soon so watch out for those.

Follow @ChadWeather on Twitter for the very latest.

Thanks,
Jon

Forecast issued 13:45 on Wednesday the 7th of December 2016
Image: http://www.chorleyweather.com/

 

 

Thursday 10th November 2016 – Sunday 13th November 2016

Hi all,

So we’re about 10 days into November and some areas have already experienced a ‘winter’ feel with some snow falling on higher ground on Tuesday night and into Wednesday. This is much earlier in the year/season than we are normally accustomed to. As things stand, the ingredients are all there for this coming winter to be a colder-than-average one and possibly, in my opinion, the coldest since 2010/11. Time will tell.

Thursday: An improvement on recent days with bright spells and milder. Some showers expected which could be heavy. Drier into the evening. Max 8°C

Friday: A little cooler again so a fresh feel but better with bright spells and mostly dry conditions. Rain will be trying to push in from the west overnight. Max 7°C

Not a great start to the weekend.

Saturday: Rain heavy at times makes slow progress across the region and slightly milder, showery weather follows. Breezy. Max 10°C

Sunday: Any showers should ease away and an improvement during the day. Bright spells and hopefully most places dry into the afternoon. Max 9°C

A slice of milder air into next week but cooler air should return

Looking ahead and next week looks milder but possibly only for several days then the cooler air returns. Whilst mild, expect some showers or longer spells of rain.

Keep up to date with your local weather forecasts by following @ChadWeather on Twitter.

Thanks,
Jon

Images: http://www.netweather.tv
Forecast Issued: Wednesday 9th November 2016 at 12:20

Thursday 28th April 2016 – Monday 2nd May 2016

Hi all,

Yes it’s nearly May, yes the Bank Holidays are coming, yes it is still cold, so where is the warm weather? The search continues…….

Another Arctic blast of cold air gave some wintry showers this week with plenty of hail, sleet and even snow showers peppering the region but as we head into this forecast, the northerly air supply is set to be cut off as the weather pattern changes.

It will be a cold start on Thursday and as well as a frost in places there is a risk of some localised sleet or snow around, especially above 200M. This will ease away quickly to give a dry slot with bright spells. The cloud will increase into the afternoon and into the evening and overnight there will be some rain with a chance of this turning to sleet and snow on the hills. One to watch and a late bite from the current cold spell. Max 8°C.

The low pressure bringing the rain, sleet and snow will be in charge of the weather on Friday. A cold windy day with further wintry showers which will tend to turn more to rain as the day progresses. Max 8°C.

Low Pressure for Friday

Low pressure in charge this Friday

The good news about the weekend is that temperatures will start to recover and we will get a reasonable day out of it.

A chilly start on Saturday with a ground frost, but hopefully a good day ahead with plenty of sunny spells and mainly dry conditions. We’d be very unlucky to catch a shower but with the ridge of high pressure only weak, they can’t be ruled out. Slightly milder and with the sunshine’s UV levels now at 5 it will feel pleasant. Max 11°C.

All change on Sunday. The Atlantic returns as cloud thickens from the west bringing outbreaks of rain, some heavy. Max 10°C.

Rain arrives into Sunday

It’s looking wet on Sunday with rain from the west

As for Bank Holiday Monday it looks showery, as do the following few days, with temperatures slowly returning to normal. It looks likely that another cold spell won’t arrive, ruling out the chance of any snow in May! That’s my thinking anyway! 🙂

Long-range there is a sign of some warmth, week commencing the 9th of May, especially later on in the week, with temperatures getting close to, or into the 20s. Watch this space.

Finally some warmth

A long way off – but is this our first warm spell?

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

 

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

Forecast issued at 13:25 on Wednesday the 27th of April 2016

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Thursday 21st April 2016 – Sunday 24th April 2016

Hi all,

It’s a late blog today because I’ve spent the day enjoying the warmest day of the so far with some strong Spring sunshine. Is it going to continue? Of course not. No more topless sunbathing for me!

Thursday will be a dry day and again warm with plenty of sunny spells. The sunshine will tend to turn hazy later on as high-cloud arrives. Max 15°C.

A change as we go into Friday. It promises to be a cloudier day with some bright spells but the temperature will be much lower as we’ve picked up a north-easterly breeze. Feeling chilly and just maybe some light rain later on. Max 10°C.

colder air again

Another cold Arctic plunge this weekend and the cold lasts into next week

It will turn even colder as we enter the weekend. High pressure builds to our west, low pressure to the east and this allows another cold Arctic feed of air to develop over the country. Similar has occurred recently. It is a set-up we wanted back in late-winter to bring us the snow we all (well me!) wanted.

Both Saturday and Sunday will be cold with a keen north to north-westerly wind. Bright or sunny spells are expected but also some showers, which could, at times, give some hail or sleet or wet-snow to higher ground. A big contrast to earlier in the week. The nights will also become cold with frosts returning. Max 8-9°C.

frosts

The cold nights with frost return this weekend

Looking ahead it looks likely to remain cold with temperatures below average, some showers and a risk of localised frosts. Not what we want to hear as we head towards May!

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

 

Photos/Data: http://www.ukweatherforecast.co.uk; www.tropicaltidbits.com.

Forecast issued at 19:30 on Wednesday the 20th of April 2016

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Thursday 3rd March 2016 – Sunday 6th March 2016

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.

Risk of Snow

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.

Northerly Winds

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

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.

NEW Thu AM

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.

high pressure

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.