Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: MeganM on 06/02/2020 12:10:35
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Francisco asked this question about the UK's weather:
Thinking back over the past 10-15 years, and comparing them to my younger years, I think I've noticed a change in weather patterns. Before, the weather improve consistently from January to May whereas nowadays it seems that the year starts with a sustained increase in temperature, but then almost always drops below freezing somewhere between February and May. Am I wrong?
Any thoughts?
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For many years, I was always able to go cross-country skiing somewhere in Britain at Easter. Not highland alpine stuff, but a few inches of snow always seemed to fall on downland, the Cotswolds, or East Anglia for a couple of days in March or April. As Easter is a lunar feast, I guessed it was something to do with a tidal effect, but there are a few statistical "cold periods" in meterorological records.
Thermal inertia means that the northern hemisphere isn't coldest on the shortest day or hottest on midsummer day - it takes a while to reach min or max, so minimum temperatures in the USA generally occur in late January, and it takes a week or two for those weather systems to reach the British Isles.
Climate change may have reduced the dominance of the "arctic high" that produces clear skies, freezing temperatures and persistent morning fog in winter, with the Atlantic depressions becoming more dominant over these islands.
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My memories of Kent go back to 1940 when we had 6 weeks of freezing weather with the Medway frozen solid enough to walk on in parts. of course wartime fuel problem's made things worse but since then cold winters seem to occur every six or seven years with the last one I recall is1955 but this year not a trace of snow so far with no worries about frozen pipes or car radiators
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minimum temperatures in the USA generally occur in late January
The same thermal inertia means the hottest days in Australia are usually January or February.