{"id":26209,"date":"2023-01-25T08:30:55","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T08:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/?p=26209"},"modified":"2023-02-02T11:42:24","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T11:42:24","slug":"why-forecasting-snow-is-so-difficult-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/2023\/01\/25\/why-forecasting-snow-is-so-difficult-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Why forecasting snow is so difficult in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cold winter weather in the UK almost always brings with it talk of snow.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

British people tend to approach weather forecasts of snow with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Who doesn\u2019t like the sight of unspoilt snow glittering over the rooftops like a Christmas card? But not many people enjoy the aftermath \u2013 an ice slush nightmare, soaking up the dirt from our streets and roads.<\/p>\n

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Forecasting snow is tricky in Britain though. And predictions tend to be uncertain. By the time British people reach adulthood, particularly those who live in southern England, a lot learn to treat forecasts of snow with cynicism. You might go to bed delighted by forecasts of snow only to wake the next day greeted by rain.<\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s erratic winter weather is caused by two things: its location and the fact that small differences in temperature can cause dramatic changes to the forecast.<\/p>\n

The UK is located right where a\u00a0number of different global weather systems converge<\/a>. Unlike many places in the world, freezing weather in Britain is generally accompanied by northerly or easterly winds. But heavy precipitation (liquid or frozen water) is usually from the west. Colder weather in the\u00a0UK makes precipitation less likely<\/a>. Which is why if we see snow, it often arrives as a light shower or flurry.<\/p>\n

Thick snow usually happens when precipitation from the west hits cold air from the east or north.<\/p>\n