TODAY'S PENNINE WEATHER

[Cathy]

Won’t ask for a pic..

Everybody get back in the warmth!

[Stanley]

Good advice Cathy! I'm sure Wendy has enough oil in her can to do that!
I went to the Co-op for a few bits and pieces and it was snowing, when I came out it was back to light rain so seeing as how I was already rugged up I took Jack for his short walk to have a pee. We are now inside and I'm cooking eggs bacon and tomato for breakfast. Then to bed for a couple of hours. I recommend that Wendy does the same.
One good thing, the wind has dropped a bit but I note that the glass is still tending to fall......

[Stanley]

Afternoon was bright and sunny but Jack and I managed to catch a major hail and sleet shower at 14:30! At 20:00 we had very light hail and it was cold. First thing this morning it started hailing/graupelling when we went out. Just looked out and we have steady light snow but it's not sticking. The glass fell to 990mb yesterday and is hovering on that now. The forecast is for these wintry showers to persist until noon. The constant moderate westerly wind is in WNW for much of the day giving a high of 4C and a low of 0C with a -5C wind chill. This means that we will percieve it to be sub-zero all day, as much as -5C at times. It's February.... Wrap up well.
06:00. Our walk started well, light wind and very light sleet/rain, Then as we progressed it changed and we got heavy snow, heavy enough to be covering the roads (including the salted main road) by the time we got home, getting slippery underfoot. The good thing is that the wind is still light. I fear Wendy will waken to a good covering again. (The forecast predicts that this snow will cease soon.)
07:00. It's stopped snowing.....

[Stanley]

Yesterday was a reasonably dry day in the end but that wind was so cold! At 20:00 we had a few scattered clouds, a NW wind and it was dry but very cold. This morning first thing, signs of a recent snow shower, light cold wind but dry. Just looked out and we have a light sleet shower. The glass rose a bit yesterday but fell during the night, still falling and on 992mb. The forecast is for wintry showers until about 08:00, then dry and murky but improving later with some breaks in the cloud. The wind starts as SW but soon strengthens to a stiff WNW giving a high of 3C and a low of 1C. The wind chill will be as much as -6C meaning that it will never feel warmer than -2C all day. Wrap up warm!
06:00. As we got ready for our walk it was sleeting so full Mother Russia and waterproofs. As soon as we left the yard it stopped so Jack has had a dry walk! Didn't expect that, no complaints. What wind there is is very cold. One bright note, as we got near home dawn light was showing in the East behind the cloud. The days are slowly lengthening!

[Wendyf]

A covering of snow here again.

[Big Kev]

There was a couple of inches on the car before I set off this morning, nowt over here in Chorley though.

[Big Kev]

Redoing the mastic under the upstairs window didn't work, still dripping when the rain is blowing against the front of the house. I took advantage of the break in the rain this morning and have been up the ladder, the troughing had moved away from the house by an inch so some of the rain was running behind it. There was also a split in the felt that's supposed to flash the bottom edge of the roof. A quick repair of the felt with some all weather gaffer tape and 'extreme' silicone has hopefully sorted that bit, I've pushed the troughing back and secured it with a wedge and a bit more of the extreme silicone. Not a permanent fix but hopefully something that'll stop the water ingress until the weather improves

I think I've found the problem, unfortunately not a DIY job from a ladder. The felt has failed at the eaves, the first 3 rows of slates will have to come off and the felt replaced. It's a common problem with underfelting, the felt 'sags' at the eaves as there's nothing underneath to support it and water 'pools' and rots it. I'm going to have rigid supports (off the shelf upvc) fitted to stop it happening again and a refurb on the gutters while the chaps are up there.

[Wendyf]

It's a pleasant morning despite the snow, the sun has some warmth and the curlews are calling.

87524928_2185852421451210_2332637755395276800_o.jpg

[Big Kev]

It looks lovely, Wendy. I wouldn't want to be out in it though

[Wendyf]

That threatening sky was moving off towards Skipton! It's unpleasant walking at the moment as the ground is absolutely soaking wet, especially on the watershed by the bottom of the "big dip".
Next door started putting lambs out in our field yesterday, they have little plastic coats on. Over 170 sheep lambed in the last three days! Lousy weather for it.

[Tizer]

..the ground is absolutely soaking wet.

Same here. The stake on one of our young trees had become loose in the ground due to the recent gales. I put boots on and trod hard on the ground around the stake to compress it. Water shot up into the air!

[Tripps]

I like that posting photos as an attachment seems to have caught on - even amongst those who can do it the gallery way. Two clicks on that photo to blow it up,and I almost started to shiver.
You can also 'hover' and see how many views there have been.

[Wendyf]

I like that posting photos as an attachment seems to have caught on - even amongst those who can do it the gallery way. Two clicks on that photo to blow it up,and I almost started to shiver.
You can also 'hover' and see how many views there have been.

I use attachments now because it's so much easier when I'm using my tablet rather than laptop. The photos I take on my phone are huge and I would have to reduce the size to get them in the gallery. Mind you I have just discovered that if I upload them to Facebook from my phone I can then download them to my tablet and they have been conveniently resized! Does any of that make sense?

[Tripps]

I rest my case. It's just easier. I found the hard thing was to choose the category in the gallery.

Photos taken on the mobile are usually too big to upload to here. I've managed to get an app called 'Photo and Picture Resizer' which does what it says on the tin. It reduces the size to an acceptable amount. It keeps both the original and the resized pictures. I only discovered that yesterday - when I used an app called 'Camera Roll'.

I reduce it, then email it to myself, then download it to my PC. Sounds complicated, but actually it isn't.

[PanBiker]

I use Irfanview which is a graphics manipulation program, (free download version). It has a batch conversion mode which is quite useful if you want to resize a selection of images

[Cathy]

What a palava, I just add attachment, select photo, place in line, done.

[Stanley]

Nice pic Wendy.
Yesterday was not as bad as the forecast predicted. At 20:00 it was clear as a bell, dry, light breeze and cold. Same first thing this morning. The glass is rising and is on 1005mb. The forecast is for it to be overcast and dry until noon when rain comes in and extends into Saturday morning. The wind is a moderate southerly which gives us a warmer day, high of 7C and a low of 3C with a -5C wind chill. The outlook is for similar but with less rain perhaps.
06:25. We had a dry walk to the butcher's but.... The wind is bitter and I was surprised to find that any wet pavements were shot ice, some very slippy patches here and there. However, as we got back home, despite the overcast, it was coming light. Lovely!
So, if you are walking be careful on the pavements and wrap up well!

[Stanley]

I was listening to a forecaster on R4 yesterday talking about the Jet Stream which is very fierce at the moment and this is what is dragging in the Atlantic Storms. I have noted frequently of late that the incoming red-eye flights into Europe are flying at around 40,000ft and have a ground speed not far short of 600mph. Nice to have my own observations confirmed.
Yesterday the rain came back in and was heavy until about 16:00. By 20:00 we had a stiff breeze, a mostly clear sky and it was cold and dry. First thing this morning it was breezy, cold and we had light rain. It was still the same when we went out for our Valley Gardens Walk but was very variable. at times almost calm and very light rain and then a sudden blast of wind and heavier rain. On the whole not too bad. The glass has plummeted during the night, it is below 970mb and still falling, not a good sign! The forecast is for the heavier rain to persist until about 08:00 then showery conditions until about 16:00 when it will get heavier and possibly wintry with sleet and snow for a while. That band of rain will persist until midnight. The mainly westerly wind starts brisk and gets stronger with gusts getting up to 60mph later. This gives a high of 5C and a low of 1C. The wind chill starts moderate at -4C but by this evening will be about -7C. The effect is that from 08:00 onwards it will feel like below freezing reaching as much as -6C later.
Tomorrow will be drier but colder still with a strong wind. From then on it settles a bit to drier colder weather with broken cloud. The message is wrap up warm!
(This storm has a Spanish name, 'Jorge'. I was having difficulty and had to look it up because it's pronounced 'hawhey'.)

[Stanley]

The forecast was accurate except for the fact the wind never felt like 60mph but then we are sheltered down here in the town. At 20:00 we had a strong wind and falling snow (graupel actually). First thing this morning we had a wind, broken cloud with clear patches and it was dry. Still the same now. The glass fell a bit more yesterday but is rising now and on 969mb, a very low value. The forecast is for a dry day with perhaps the odd light shower at any time. The constant WSW wind is strong and gusts to 50mph but overall is reducing in strength. The high will be 5C and the low 0C with a wind chill that starts the day at -7C and gradually reduces to -5C this evening. The effect is that it will feel like well below freezing all day so wrap up warm! The outlook is for calmer, drier but colder weather for the next week at least. I suppose we can say that March has come in like a lion, let's hope it goes out like a lamb.
Today marks the start of meteorological Spring, Astronomical Spring starts March 20th.
05:50. Yes, we were out in good time. We've had a dry walk under broken cloud with stars peeping through. That's not the story though, it is very windy with gusts strong enough to make an old bloke stagger and it's cold! I was in my Crombie and balaclava and I was glad of both. I got back with warm ears, never mind what I looked like! Not a bad walk but it's time this wind dropped, it's very wearing.

[Cathy]

Autumn for us and nothing over 24C for the next week and a bit. Let’s hope they have got it right.

[Stanley]

I edited my first post before I saw yours Cathy. Very windy and cold but at least it's dry!

[Wendyf]

Two years ago we were in the grip of the Beast from the East, huge snow drifts and temperatures way below freezing. Makes it look quite pleasant today!
No sign of rain in the forecast till Friday......

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

As Wendy pointed out yesterday, it wasn't a bad day apart from the strong wind and wind chill, it was bitter! Last night at 20:00 we had a clear sky still windy but dry and cold. First thing this morning it was the same and I have just looked outside, Calm, cold a bit more overcast and an occasional isolated spit of rain. The glass is up on 976mb and rising very slowly. The forecast is for a changeable day, mainly dry and at times some sun but always a chance of an occasional wintry shower, later perhaps even snow. The wind is still WSW, light to moderate all day and giving a high of 4C and a low of 1C with a wind chill that reaches -5C later this afternoon and ensures that it always feels like below freezing. The big story is of course the drop in wind speed and being WSW it is actually quite mild. Now we have to keep an eye open for the East wind which often happens at this time of the year. The croci and narcissus on the Green are a splash of colour, the daffodils haven't made it yet but I do note that we are seeing fresh buds on the trees. Spring is on the way! Look forwards to the clocks changing on March 29th and a full moon on March 9th.
06:05. Best walk for a while. There's a frost and a light wind. Big breaks in the cloud and best of all, dry. I had great fun with my new toy and was able to walk up the inside path of Valley Gardens for the first time this winter. I promise I won't say it again but the light emitted by this small torch is incredible and what's more it gets warm and warms your hand! Not sure how long a charge will last from the Lion battery but it doesn't matter, it's on charge now.
Thanks Ian, it's a revelation.
09:00. Second walk in a hail shower.

[Stanley]

We got the occasional short showers yesterday, rain in the morning and graupel in the afternoon. At 20:00 it was damp but not raining, broken cloud and a light breeze. Same first thing this morning but since then we have had a shower of rain. The glass rose slowly all day yesterday and is on 987mb, still rising slowly. The forecast is occasional light showers, perhaps wintry during the morning but then dry and overcast for the rest of the day. The westerly wind veers between NW and SW all day and is moderate giving us a high of 6C and a low of 0C tonight. The wind chill starts at -6C and is never less than -4C all day making it feel very cold.
The thing to watch is the jet stream. It has been hitting us square on from the west for the last few weeks and bringing us the Atlantic Lows hitting further south than usual, the cause of all the rain and consequent flooding. If it moves North, and that is common at this time of year, it can take the lows and the westerly winds North of Scotland encouraging relatively high pressure systems to build over Northern Europe and Russia, this reverses the wind in the southerly parts of the UK and was the cause of the 'Beast from the East'. That East wind can depress new growth and some years it delays proper Spring. So cross your fingers and wrap up warm today.
06:05. We had a Crombie walk and were lucky, calm, cold but dry with well broken cloud, some stars visible. One little puzzle, two cars passed me heading for Gisburn that were covered with snow. As we got back home we had a clear sky and it was coming light. The days are lengthening!