Winter 2013

[Pluggy]

A good day for the solar panels yesterday, (for January) , Days that generate more than 4 kWh at this time of year are very few and far between. In fact its been a good January so far.

[Stanley]

Not bad so far and we had a pleasant walk. The promised mist and fog has not materialised. Barlick, nearer to heaven than Gloria and blessed with good weather! (This is not winter as we know it....)

[Sunray10]

I appear to be back on after a year's abscence thanks to PanBiker. Thanks. Its funny weather really, just rain and more rain with a day or so dryer, colder in between. Don't know whether we will get any snow - its over in Scandinavia at the moment!

[Whyperion]

Hi Sunray , been thinking of you and worried how / where you were , as we often have had to pass through Nelson to get to further points east from current base in Burnley.

Weatherwise, wet, but thankfully not too much so in S Yorks where the latest family funeral was on Friday (it was a cold , bright day with stiff breeze but always is at that particular cemetary , though the birds were out in force, including a trio of young phesants running around the older graves, twittering in the sunlight from the taller bushes and trees , and have managed to take some advantage of some bright patches of sun to dry out a few bits and carry on clearing in-laws wonderful collection of things that might come in useful ( but have not and wont really earn their future keep ).

[Stanley]

Damp flags, cool and a bit of breeze first thing. Glass fallen to almost 28.6". Forecast is for an overcast day with light wind and a high of 4C and perhaps a shower late in the afternoon.

[Sunray10]

Hello Ian, yes I finally got back on OGFB, after that spot of trouble. Stanley's still in full flow I see. The weather is showery again tonight over in Nelson (TPRP) The Peoples' Republic of Pendle. I should be in full flow very soon. Let me know when you want a coffee or pint if you're over this way, or an arrangement can be made.

[PanBiker]

Thanks for your comments Ray all part of the service, may see you up at the Clarion at some time.

[Stanley]

Yesterday's forecast was correct, light shower midday and then more persistent rain in the evening. It's not raining now and the flags are damp but I think drying. Glass dropped a bit yesterday but is now back up at 28.9" Forecast is for a spell of rain early in the day but not too bad later. Wind getting a bit gusty and the high of 4C will feel like freezing so wrap up well!
06:30. Pitch dark and horrible heavy cold rain. Deep Joy!
07:45. Still hard cold rain. The lodger cat is using its head and is ensconced under the bench in his padded box. I don't blame him! No such luxuries for me and Jack, his bowels demand that we go out in the cold so it's full wet weather gear and up periscope! We may not do the full walk round the town.... Jack is a brave lad but no point in freezing him to death!

[Stanley]

Interesting day in Barlick yesterday. The forecast was correct and we had a dry spell at midday but at 15:30 there was a clap of thunder and what can only be described as a five minute white-out that left us with a couple of inches of soft hail/snow. A complete surprise and I'll bet it was even worse up at Wendy's! The glass has risen slightly to 29" and at the moment it's dry and calm outside. The forecast is for it to be dry and close enough to a frost to cause icy roads until dinnertime. This evening the chance of rain increases and the wind strengthens.

[Wendyf]

I saw it coming Stanley and wondered if I had time to fetch the ponies in from down the field. I dashed into the barn, put some food in the mangers and grabbed headcollars but by the time I reached the door it was obvious that I wouldn't make it so I stood at the barn door to watch. The next second there was a flash of lightning and a huge crack of thunder then the storm hit. I was very relieved I wasn't down the field trying to hold on to 2 ponies!

[Stanley]

It caught me totally by surprise. I had just taken Jack out for his afternoon pee and he was eating his daily meal. There must have been another shower in the night because it wasn't until I got outside this morning that I realised that the roofs were still covered by a light coat of snow and ice. Mind you, it was bitter cold out in that wind yesterday dinner-time. Nice to see that the weather and ground conditions are good enough for the horses to get outside for some fresh air!

[Gloria]

We were in Wigton yesterday and came through every type of weather on the way home. Snow, sleet, rain, bright sunshine, then on the way towards Blackburn on the M65 about 4-30pm there was a bright flash which lit up the sky in front of us. All quite spectacular.
Today it is windy and very cold here nearer the sea than Barlick.

[Moh]

We had the flash of lightning but as we had visitors we did not hear any thunder, we only had about 5 mins. of fine hail. Very cold today.

[Stanley]

Wind rose and it was bitter cold here as well Glo. Pavements icy first thing. Cold rain during the night but it's stopped now, more wind than yesterday and a bad shipping forecast in the North. Glass stationary on 29". Forecast is for mild overcast till mid morning then increasing chance of rain, rising winds and getting colder. No mention of snow but it wouldn't surprise me.... Wendy, my advice is to get the horses in before dinnertime!

[Tizer]

Meanwhile, down here on the Somerset Levels...the floods that came before Christmas are still here and we're told to expect them to continue for another 6 weeks. There are estimated to be about 1,000 farmers with land on the Somerset Levels, representing around 170,000 acres, and the outlook for their 2014 crops is looking bad. Some major roads are still flooded and blocked and in places the land is under 4 or even 6 feet of water. Floods are nothing new here, it's the extent and depth that are new, and the decisions made by the Environment Agency to end centuries of dredging and managing the Levels. About 800 years ago the area was marshy and not suitable for farming but the clever Glastonbury monks (who, not surprisingly, owned all the land) realised that if they could drain the marshes there was a lot of money to be made from farming. They built the first `drains' - artificial rivers - and did the first dredging out of natural rivers. From then onwards the land could be used in summer as rich pasture for cattle or sheep. Each winter, some controlled flooding was allowed, just enough to put another layer of rich silt on the farmland. During summer the dredging was carried out to make sure the rivers and drains could carry away the excess water in winter. Everyone here knew which land flooded and which stayed dry so they could plan where to safely (and drily!) build their houses. And so it continued for 800 years until, guess what, the Environment Agency stopped dredging a few years ago and the last two winters have seen major flooding problems on a scale almost never seen here before.

[Sunray10]

There was some bad weather conditions in Nelson early to late afternoon with rain, hail and sleet, combined with a colder, blustery wind. Dryer this evening, but more rough, possibly Wintry weather for tomorrow and next week. Batten down the hatches.

[Stanley]

I saw yesterday that Muchelny and similar flooded villages have been designated as disaster areas by the Council. Expect a visit from Cameron soon.....
I was wrong about the snow yesterday in Barlick but very cold and blustery later on. Glass is steady on 28.9" at the moment and it's dry and cold outside. Forecast is for a cold day (below freezing all day with wind chill) and warnings of snow for almost the whole of the day.
08:24. We've had our walk and it's a lousy morning. Cold rain and gusty wind. If this doesn’t turn into snow I'll stand locking up!
09:00. Just popped back in to observe that the glass is dropping like a stone and it's not properly light yet. It's down at 28.5" and still falling. Jack and I may have seen the best of the day!

[Gloria]

Awful out this morning. Was out around 8am and it is no lighter now. Cold, very windy, wet and one of those days when it doesn't come light. Not nice at all here---nearer the sea than Barlick.

[Wendyf]

I had an unpleasant drive over to Leeds this morning in non stop rain & sleet. Brighter & quite sunny for the journey back but now there is hail lashing against the windows on a strong SW wind.

[Stanley]

No snow yesterday but a morning of hard rain and very cold but no snow. Glass fell all day, it was down at 28.2" at teatime and is further down at 28.1" this morning. So not a lot of change about in my book. The low is due to start filling gradually and be replaced by a high from Scandinavia so the winds will swing into the east later in the week and we can expect a cold spell. Forecast is for a showery day with a high of about 4C but it will feel like freezing all day in the wind. A touch of winter!

[Gloria]

Cold and blustery here, feels like it should be sleeting but thankfully it isn't.
Had some serious bursts of hail on the windows last night.

[Stanley]

Jack and I were lucky, the rain abated for our walk so Jack didn't get soaked. The bad news is that the glass is still falling and at the moment is below 28.1". No respite in sight!

[Wendyf]

A miserable sleety morning with a light covering of white stuff on the ground. The ponies are stuck indoors as the field is too wet. I'm hoping for a good cold spell with frozen ground.

[Cathy]

Feeling for you all. Sending you some warmth and sun
Mid 30C's here, a bit too far the other way.

[LizG]

Same here. About 37 today and the next few days are about the same. Not quite as hot as Adelaide but what's a few degrees between friends?