2014/2015 Snow & Winter Weather MegaThread

[alternageek 10]

It's still snowing in Bents Green/Ringinglow, I thought the forecast was for it to ease off this afternoon and become milder by tomorrow.

Why/how do the forecasters get it wrong and keep their jobs.

 

I use the met weather app/website and thats proven to be muchmuch more reliable than the beeb and other tv reports.

 

 

BTW we're all mushy sleety snow here in Meersbrook and it IS icing over.

Be careful walking back from work on the paths.

[DUFFEMS 56]

I suppose it's difficult for them to focus on each area and get it right everywhere, there's so many micro-climates to take into account that locally affect systems as they pass over. So they just issue blanket forecasts that are generally OK but not specific really for anyone.

 

I stopped listening to the Met Office years ago when it comes to snowfall, times and amounts.

 

I understand that but, having seen a forecast for "Sheffield" today it tells us that it's stopped snowing, turning warmer and milder tomorrow.

We're Sheffield but, it's still snowing, no sign of stopping either let alone becoming warmer.

[AndrewC 307]

Why/how do the forecasters get it wrong and keep their jobs.

 

I understand your frustration but I hate this attitude.

 

Weather forecasters are attempting to give everyone an overview of the likely weather over quite large land areas based on the climate patterns that have been observed and our knowledge of what to generally expect afterwards.

 

The general public seem to expect detailed, minute-by-minute fortune telling for each square foot of their own back gardens, and complain when they don't get it.

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2015 at 17:11 ----------

 

I understand that but, having seen a forecast for "Sheffield" today it tells us that it's stopped snowing, turning warmer and milder tomorrow.

We're Sheffield but, it's still snowing, no sign of stopping either let alone becoming warmer.

 

I have seen forecasts which say that it was going to continue snowing up until about now. Which is exactly what it has done. Overnight temps to stay around 1c

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2015 at 17:12 ----------

 

I use the met weather app/website and thats proven to be muchmuch more reliable than the beeb and other tv reports.

.

 

This ^^

 

If the television companies aren't specific enough then go straight to the source, the Met Office. People like Twirler are very adept at reading weather patterns straight from the raw data. At the end of the day, that's all the media are doing.

[Dannyno 19]

It's still snowing in Bents Green/Ringinglow, I thought the forecast was for it to ease off this afternoon and become milder by tomorrow.

Why/how do the forecasters get it wrong and keep their jobs.

 

They're dealing in percentages and likelihood.

 

The Met Office discuss their accuracy here:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/who/accuracy/forecasts

[Wildcat 10]

PUBLIC TRANSPORT....

 

Supertram

 

full network running but subject to delay due to other road traffic on the street running sections.

 

Stagecoach buses

 

...........

 

88 Smithywood - City - Bents Green

Operating normal route but terminating at Hunters Bar

 

...

 

Worse than useless when the information they give out is wrong. If they had said diverted along Barnsley Road which they were it would have saved me and many others wasting time waiting at bus stops for non-existent buses and we would have got to work on time.

[LeMaquis 10]

I understand that but, having seen a forecast for "Sheffield" today it tells us that it's stopped snowing, turning warmer and milder tomorrow.

We're Sheffield but, it's still snowing, no sign of stopping either let alone becoming warmer.

 

You said that the forecast said it will turn warmer and milder tomorrow. It isn't tomorrow yet and won't be till tomorrow.

 

It always snows more on higher ground. When forecasters say it will snow in Sheffield it doesn't mean every inch, just that there will be snow in Sheffield. And they were right. It was still snowing this afternoon in the higher parts of S8. There wasn't much left on the ground in the city centre at the time.

[Dannyno 19]

I cant believe that the gritters were clearing and gritting the pavements around the University on Western Bank, they should have been concentrating on getting the side roads done so as people can get out and about in their cars instead of blocking a lot of the main routes with their cars i.e. Walkley Lane. Any one any idea why they would be doing the pavements round there instead of some of the side roads around Crookes and Walkely?

 

Well, this is what they say:

 

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/roads/travel/winter/grit-salt-roads.html

 

Once the Priority 1 and 2 routes are all clear we will then prioritise snow ploughing and salting on other roads off the gritting network. We will begin salting the roads ahead of the next day’s black bin collection.

 

and

 

We do not grit/salt or clear snow from all pavements, all cycle lanes, cycle ways or cycle paths.

 

We only grit/salt and clear snow from our busiest pavements including some of those in the city centre, around the train station; hospitals and around the main shopping areas.

 

So they will only do non-priority routes when the priority routes are clear, and they will then prioritise bin collection areas.

 

They only clear certain pavements: the ones around Western Bank obviously fall into the category of "busy", are near the city centre and shopping areas, and are also around the very busy University and the hospitals.

 

If I was making decisions about where to deploy resources, without dramatically increasing costs, I'd probably make a similar call.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

It always snows more on higher ground. When forecasters say it will snow in Sheffield it doesn't mean every inch, just that there will be snow in Sheffield. And they were right. It was still snowing this afternoon in the higher parts of S8**. There wasn't much left on the ground in the city centre at the time.

** And in S11, just about all day.

[alternageek 10]

 

This ^^

 

If the television companies aren't specific enough then go straight to the source, the Met Office. People like Twirler are very adept at reading weather patterns straight from the raw data. At the end of the day, that's all the media are doing.

 

Yeap.. I just have basic knowledge in how to read the weather from an Earth Science course.. It not that hard to see if we have an 80% of rain with super low temps, that theres a good chance we will have snow

[rockonvynil 10]

Thanks for that. Don't think I shall attempt Bishopscourt!

 

Very wise,not like the idiot in the red car thats been all over the news, should be charged with gross stupidity at the least.

Bishops court road is the steepest in sheffield quite hard to walk down nevermind try to drive a car down in snow.

[EmmaJNation 10]

 

In the past, I've linked to a private weather station and cameras somewhere in the Greystones area. I can't connect to it now to place a link, but you can probably find it with a google search.

 

It would be useful if people and businesses with cameras in suitable positions would stream their view online, for just these sort of situations.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/ has several local personal weather stations and webcams

[stevehunt 10]

I have a little question. Why is it that some drivers think its acceptable to drive on the road with half a ton of snow on the roof of their car and their lights and number plates covered in snow? I got on the M1 this morning at J36, and most of the cars around me were as described above. Do drivers not realise that this excess snow falls off straight onto the road. Seems pointless gritting it if people are just too lazy to clear it from their cars.