Author: Eric Gilbert

With the air mass circuiting clockwise around the anticyclone to the west of the UK bringing mild, moist air from mid Atlantic, it was not surprising to see the thermometer steadily rise to a maximum of 10.8C at 14.12. This made it the warmest day since 29th December being 3.8C above average.

It was a dry day with some brightness around midday.

Overnight remained cloudy with a minimum of 6.6C, which was 5.3C above average.

Saturday arrived with low cloud, drizzle and very light winds.

The precipitation for January now stands at just 19.3mm, being 73mm below the 35-year
average.

Update on Saturday at 20.30: another above average day with a maximum of 9.3C (+2.3C) with heavy rain late afternoon.

Thursday saw such little movement of the air with the maximum speed of just 8mph whilst there were many periods when we were becalmed.

The thermometer eased a little higher than on Wednesday with a maximum of 5.4C at 15.17, still 1.6C below average.

Overnight the thermometer initially fell to 2.5C at 01.05 but the influence of a warm weather front crossing the area meant that the thermometer began to rise again. It reached 7.2C at 08.00 on Friday morning, which arrived with thick cloud and a low base limiting visibility to 1,100m and covering the Marlborough Downs.

Update on Friday at 10.20: The air mass circulating clockwise around the anticyclone to the west of the UK is bringing mild and moist air from mid Atlantic. Temperature currently 8.5C, which is 1.5C above average and rising.

Update on Friday at 17.50: maximum temperature of 10.8C at 14.12 makes today the warmest day since 29th December, being 3.8C above average.

After early morning cloud the sun broke through and gave us 5.8 hours of strong sunshine that melted snow but not that in the shade. The wind, now from the north west, meant a cold day with the thermometer struggling to reach just 3.1C, which was 4C below average.

Overnight the thermometer fell quickly under clear skies to a minimum of -3.4C giving a hard frost at 02.13, then advancing cloud lifted this to -0.8C at 08.00 the morning (Thursday).

Thursday morning arrived with 7/8ths cloud cover so not much possibility of sunshine but the temperature easing upwards.

Update on Thursday at 17.46: change in wind direction as it backed from north west to west, and a little brightness, allowed the temperature to ease upwards a little to 5.4C, up 2C on Wednesday but still 1.6C below average. A dry day.

Tuesday saw sleet showers at 13.15 mixed with rain but then from 13.45 to 14.10 heavy snow fell with large flakes. The temperature rose to a maximum of 5.4C, which was 1.6C below average, but allowed the snow to melt on hard surfaces during the late afternoon.

Overnight there was another dusting of snow that brought the precipitation for the past twenty-four hours to 4.0mm.

Just before midnight the barometric pressure was at its lowest since 20th December with a reading of 997.2mb.

Wednesday arrived with variable cloud after a minimum of -1.1C at 03.05, which was 2.4C below average. The wind has now veered from the south west into the north west.

Update on Wednesday at 14.50: thermometer struggled to reach a maximum temperature of just 3.1C at 14.29 after overnight frost and additional light snow shower, which was almost 4C below average. Limited melting of snow in sunshine but not that in shade.

at 17.55: temperature now falling below freezing at -0.2C

Monday gave us 2.7 hours of sunshine but the thermometer resolutely refused to get near a normal temperature for late January with a maximum of 4.4C, which was 2.6C below average.

During the evening a rain band arrived with precipitation starting just after 22.00, although there was a brief shower at 18.40, with a rainfall total of 6.7mm. This was the wettest day since 20th December and raises the January rainfall to 14.8mm, still 77mm below the January 35-year average.

As the rain band cleared in the early hours of Tuesday, and the cloud eased away to the east, the temperature dropped to -0.4C at 07.47 giving a brief frost.

Tuesday morning saw the sun shining at dawn with the promise of more from, at the moment, a mainly clear sky.

Update Tuesday at 13.50:-
Sleet mixed with rain started to fall at 13.20 followed by heavy snow with large flakes at 13.45 – 14.10 leaving light covering.

Update at 15.20: snow melted on hard surfaces but lingering on grassed areas with temperature currently 1.9C.