Author: Eric Gilbert

With 8.56 hours of sunshine on Wednesday it was more like a spring day. The warm sunshine and winds from the west, now much lighter only gusting to 16mph rather than the 30’s, gave a maximum temperature of 9.3C at 13.45. A couple of degrees up on Tuesday but still 1.2C below the 34-year average.

No precipitation fell yesterday, the first dry day for a week with the UV level at its highest this month, equal to that reached on Monday.

Overnight cloud meant a minimum of 2.8C which had recovered to 5.9C at 08.00 today, which meant a frost free night, the first for a week.

This morning shortly after dawn there was transitory brightness but cloud soon thickened to blot out all sunshine.

Tuesday was a less sunny day than Monday, just 2.7 hours, but the slight change of the wind into a nor nor east direction and reduced wind strength allowed the temperature to rise to a maximum of 7.1C at 14.15. Although the warmest day for four days this was still 3.4C below the March average. Instead of winds gusting over 30 mph Tuesday’s peak was 22mph and the wind chill much less prominent although still dropping the feel of the ambient air temperature by a couple of degrees.

Overnight the thermometer slowly drifted downwards but not dropping below freezing until a few minutes after 3am. The minimum reached just before dawn was -2.4C but by the time readings were taken at 08.00 this had recovered to 0.9C.

Sun was evident as soon as it rose above the horizon and triggered the sunshine record (100 w/m2) just before 07.30 with the promise of much more during the day as the sky is mostly clear, just the occasional wisps of cloud.

The significant feature this morning, as regards our weather, is that the wind has at last backed from the persistent northeasterly direction to a gentle breeze from the west as the high pressure changes position.

The very high barometric pressure reached its highest since 23rd December with a reading of 1033.7mb just after midnight and the reason for a much calmer and sunnier day today.

Wednesday update at 11.30: with almost 4 hours of strong sunshine by 11.30 today, the thermometer has risen above the peak of Tuesday, reading 7.3C, and still rising although 3C below average.

Wednesday update at 14.00: with a maximum of 9.3C the thermometer peaked at 13.45. This is 2C up on Tuesday but still 1.2C below the 34-year March average.

Wednesday update at 16.30: 8.5 hours of strong sunshine today, which was the sunniest day since 25th February. Temperature falling away now as sun looses its strength with a current reading of 7.7C

Another significant fall of snow occurred Sunday night into Monday with the equivalent of 2.1mm of rainfall.

On Monday the thermometer slowly rose above freezing to register a maximum of 3.2C at 15.04, thanks to 5.8 hours of sunshine. However, The strong winds, gusting to 33mph, meant a wind chill factor all day. A significant feature was the highest UV reading since the beginning of October.

During Monday evening the winds initially gained in straight before falling much lighter in the early hours. This was due to the barometric pressure rising rapidly, to its highest reading this morning, which meant the isobars were much closer together and therefore a steep pressure gradient resulting in the strong winds

There was a slight fall of light snow overnight and between the gaps in the increased cloud cover, the thermometer fell to a low of -0.5C.

Tuesday has arrived with cloud much higher and thinner with occasional glimpses of the sun. After the slight and short air frost overnight the temperature recovered to read 2.3C at 08.00. The notable feature this morning is that the wind has backed from the northeast into the north and abated. Wind from this direction is less cold than that from Siberia, thankfully.

Tuesday update at 13.30: temperature struggled to reach a maximum of 6.4C at 13.15, just after a short burst of sunshine, which is in short supply today, less than half an hour at the moment. The brisk north to northeast wind is giving a wind chill so that it feels more like 3C.

Tuesday update at 15.00: late short burst of sunshine pushes thermometer to a maximum of 7.1C at 14.15, which was still 3.4C below the average. We still have several cms of snow around the bungalow, where drifts up to 40cms built up in the high winds, although most of the less deep snow has melted away.

Tuesday update at 19.30: temperature been dropping away for past three hours, now down to 3.7C and still falling slowly. It is likely to be a chilly night as the ground is still very cold (0.7C at 08.00 this morning)from the snow and frost of recent days. The thin cloud will do little to stop radiation of any ground warmth into the atmosphere.

There was no let up in the Siberian weather on Sunday as the thermometer refused to rise above freezing with a maximum of just -0.4C at 10.41 and then began to fall again.

The minimum was reached on Sunday evening at 21.50 with a low of -2.5C and at that time the wind chill made it feel more like -7.3C. There was a slight recovery in the early hours so that at 08.00 today, Monday, the thermometer read -1.4C.

More snow fell late evening giving a further 1cm in depth but drifting again in the strong northeasterly winds gusting to 25 mph.

Monday morning has dawned with the cloud thinner and higher but no sunshine and the wind still gusting to 22mph with wind chill of -7C.

Monday update at 10.50: temperature at last has risen above freezing with 0.1C and wind chill reduced to -4C.

Monday update at 12.30: temperature now +1.6C and wind chill reducing further to -3C. However, with strong sunshine breaking through a steady thaw is underway. The very dry air, humidity down to 66%,and still very strong wind, is rapidly drying the melt water from the snow.

Monday update at 14.30: maximum of 3.1C reached at 14.24, now beginning to fall away. The pesky wind from the north east is still very strong, gusting to over 25mph, so that even with the current temperature there is a wind chill that makes it feel like -2C. However, at this time we have enjoyed 3 hours of strong sunshine.

Monday update at 19.00: temperature fallen away to 0.9C and still dropping, but wind not abated, still gusting over 25mph, so that wind chill makes it feel like -4C.

Throughout the daylight hours on Saturday there were almost continuous light snow flurries that left little on the ground but what fell was swept along on the very strong northeasterly winds, gusting to 36mph at is peak.

Saturday started with a temperature of 0.8C but the thermometer continued to slowly fall away as the day progressed so that by nightfall the thermometer read -1.6C with a windchill making it feel like -7C.

Overnight a considerable fall of snow occurred with a depth of 6 – 8cm equating to 4.5mm of rainfall.

Sunday morning has seen the remains of the heavy snowfall petering out as the weather front eased northwestwards. The temperature has risen from its lowest point of -2.8C at 03.43 this morning, to -1.8C at 08.00. Since midnight the strong wind has been easing down with maximum gusts on Sunday at 08.00 of 15mph.

Sunday update at 11.00: air temperature risen to -0.5C but wind chill like -6C as wind has increased again this morning, gusting to 28mph. Snow falling ceased for last hour.

Sunday update at 14.00: maximum today of -0.4C at 10.41 this morning but drifted downwards before midday to -0.7C and currently at -0.9C with wind chill making it feel like-7C. Melted snow gave rainfall equivalent of 4.5mm for past twenty-four hours.

Sunday update at 19.30: temperature dropped to -2.2C with wind chill at -7C

Sunday update at 20.45: snowing again so my efforts at clearing paths this morning will need repeating tomorrow morning! Temperature now dropped to -2.4C.