Weather warings

[Dod101]

I am sure it is has been covered before now but I get very annoyed with the weather forecasters who solemnly announce 'Weather Warnings' and then say there might be a few snow showers which might cause some disruption. We have had none so far (of either) and it seems rather unlikely we are going to get any. Occasionally of course we get the symptoms of the boy who cried 'Wolf' but not very often. These 'over the top' warnings risk just this sort of thing.

Dod

[Mike4]

I very much agree. Here's an anecdote illustrating the damage done by this frivolous warnings.

I remember a few winters ago repairing a boiler for a lady on a chilly day, and idly chatting with her whilst writing out the bill. She mentioned she was a teacher, so given this was the middle of the day I said she hadn't needed to take the day off for me to visit, I could have called in after school finished. Her reply ghasted my flabber. She said no it was ok, as the local radio weather forecast that morning had said "there might be snow", so she decided to take the day off rather than risk driving in the snow.

As usual after these warnings it didn't snow that day, so she had inconvenienced her school and her 'learners' unnecessarily.

[bungeejumper]

Minus 7 this morning, down here in sunny Wiltshire, with 95% humidity, so the frost sticks. De-icer spray won't work at these temps. And the BBC weather forecast says it's only minus 1. Which might explain the lack of gritting on the roads. Inaccuracies can go in both directions! No snow yet, but ice is a bigger road hazard than an inch of snow around these parts.

Still, I've seen worse. During my student days in Berlin it hit minus 20, with a horrible howling wind coming straight in from Siberia. And it stayed at minus 20 for two weeks! By the end of that, the road surfaces were like four inches of coal. Ice, soot, ice, soot, ice. And all I had to heat my miserable flat was an upright coal stove that was temperamental and generally useless.

Why, we used to stand in the road, just to enjoy the heat from the car exhausts. But tell that to kids these days, and.....

BJ

[Dod101]

Wrote too soon. We now have a few flakes falling out of the usual ‘leaden’ sky.

Dod

[DrFfybes]

Minus 7 this morning, down here in sunny Wiltshire, with 95% humidity, so the frost sticks. De-icer spray won't work at these temps. And the BBC weather forecast says it's only minus 1. Which might explain the lack of gritting on the roads. Inaccuracies can go in both directions! No snow yet, but ice is a bigger road hazard than an inch of snow around these parts.
BJ

I'm surprised - the gritting forecasts are usually pretty conservative, based on ground surface and depth sensors, whether it is rising or falling, humidity levels, air temp and predicted air temp, etc. Any chance of a proper ground frost and they're out there. Ours were out in force on Tuesday night, even on the seconday and tertiary routes, as with no rain forecast for a few days it would have been worth getting some salt down.

Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/roads-council-will-grit to see if you are on a route It takes you to your local council whch for me leads to the rather informative https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/roads-and ... e-we-grit/
Doesn't say IF they gritted, but helps when planning a route.

Paul

[doolally]

Wrote too soon. We now have a few flakes falling out of the usual ‘leaden’ sky.

Dod

You should move south. Nice and sunny here, near Glasgow.
doolally

[Dod101]

A bit nippy out this morning. My outside thermometer is showing -9C, although I am interested to see that inside my main hallway, the temperature is showing 13C and there has been no heating on since about 10 pm last evening. That would I guess suggest that the insulation is not bad.

Dod

[pje16]

It's not just the weather
there are so many media outlets, and they all want to be the one to be noticed (yawn yawn yawn)

[Urbandreamer]

A bit nippy out this morning. My outside thermometer is showing -9C, although I am interested to see that inside my main hallway, the temperature is showing 13C and there has been no heating on since about 10 pm last evening. That would I guess suggest that the insulation is not bad.

Dod

Are you sure?

My central heating actually has a minimum setting. In my case, I have set it to 10C when "off". Hence, is does come on if the temperature drops below that.
Indeed, I can tell the fact as the towel rail was warm this morning, before the heating came "on".

Most central heating has at least a frost stat. As if your pipes do get to -9C, they will likely burst.

[Dod101]

A bit nippy out this morning. My outside thermometer is showing -9C, although I am interested to see that inside my main hallway, the temperature is showing 13C and there has been no heating on since about 10 pm last evening. That would I guess suggest that the insulation is not bad.

Dod

Are you sure?

My central heating actually has a minimum setting. In my case, I have set it to 10C when "off". Hence, is does come on if the temperature drops below that.
Indeed, I can tell the fact as the towel rail was warm this morning, before the heating came "on".

Most central heating has at least a frost stat. As if your pipes do get to -9C, they will likely burst.

I am not certain but my boiler is a very basic oil fired one. I do not think it has a frost stat and my various pipes and radiators were cold this morning.

Dod

[XFool]

hHHhjUHhHhHHhh

I am sure it is has been covered before now but I get very annoyed with the weather forecasters who solemnly announce 'Weather Warnings' and then say there might be a few snow showers which might cause some disruption. We have had none so far (of either) and it seems rather unlikely we are going to get any. Occasionally of course we get the symptoms of the boy who cried 'Wolf' but not very often. These 'over the top' warnings risk just this sort of thing.

How's this OP standing up?

[Dod101]

hHHhjUHhHhHHhh

I am sure it is has been covered before now but I get very annoyed with the weather forecasters who solemnly announce 'Weather Warnings' and then say there might be a few snow showers which might cause some disruption. We have had none so far (of either) and it seems rather unlikely we are going to get any. Occasionally of course we get the symptoms of the boy who cried 'Wolf' but not very often. These 'over the top' warnings risk just this sort of thing.

How's this OP standing up?

The warnings have of course come true but nearly a week late and almost no snow. But to be of value they need to be timely. Like a stopped clock, in the winter they will almost certainly be correct at some point.

Dod

[XFool]

...Where did that "hHHhjUHhHhHHhh" come from!

[Nimrod103]

hHHhjUHhHhHHhh

I am sure it is has been covered before now but I get very annoyed with the weather forecasters who solemnly announce 'Weather Warnings' and then say there might be a few snow showers which might cause some disruption. We have had none so far (of either) and it seems rather unlikely we are going to get any. Occasionally of course we get the symptoms of the boy who cried 'Wolf' but not very often. These 'over the top' warnings risk just this sort of thing.

How's this OP standing up?

The warnings have of course come true but nearly a week late and almost no snow. But to be of value they need to be timely. Like a stopped clock, in the winter they will almost certainly be correct at some point.

Dod

In my part of Kent there were BBC weather service warnings of snow for late Sunday evening and Sunday night. But the actual online forecast kept changing from heavy snow showers to light, then back to heavy, then back to light. And the heavy snow actually came early, in the late afternoon. Which is why everyone, including my family, got caught out. BBC weather seem to have particular problems with getting snow right, for quite good reasons I think, but I would prefer a warning to be given, even if the chance of a wipeout isn't so likely.

[Bubblesofearth]

In my part of Kent there were BBC weather service warnings of snow for late Sunday evening and Sunday night.

Why does it need to be a warning? Why can't they just say there's a chance of snow? It's as if we can't connect the dots between the weather and the consequences of the weather so need to have it spelled out for us.

Amber warning, the ground could be slippery because of outbreaks of light drizzle. Tread carefully and stay indoors if unsure.

BoE

[pje16]

Why does it need to be a warning? Why can't they just say there's a chance of snow? It's as if we can't connect the dots between the weather and the consequences of the weather so need to have it spelled out for us.
BoE

Sadly things need to be dumbed down these days
Common sense is in short supply.....look around you

[Mike88]

As one Met Office employee said the Met Office is very good at retrospective forecasts.

[servodude]

Why does it need to be a warning? Why can't they just say there's a chance of snow? It's as if we can't connect the dots between the weather and the consequences of the weather so need to have it spelled out for us.
BoE

Sadly things need to be dumbed down these days
Common sense is in short supply.....look around you

I think you can trace the change in attitude in weather forecasting back to the 80s

Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!

- didn't work out too well

-sd

[JohnB]

BBC Weather <> Met Office weather, the former chose a different supplier some years ago, not that you'd guess that in the BBC coverage that alternate Met Office warnings (which are issued for free as part of the Public Meteorology Service) with BBC forecasts (provided by company MeteoGroup).

It could be worse, we could be bombarded with text messages from the national warning service that is being trialled this year.

[pje16]

I think you can trace the change in attitude in weather forecasting back to the 80s

Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!

- didn't work out too well
-sd

I was in the city that night
walking through an alley near St. Paul's Cathedral (on phones in those days) but it did seem a bit odd that I could lean forward into the wind at getting on for 45 degrees (not quite that, but you get the picture) and the wind stopped me from hitting the ground