The cold Arctic airmass bottled up over the North Pole for most of the winter has finally been let loose and is causing death and disruption across Eastern Europe with some places having their most severe cold spell for 30 years, temperatures of -20-30 have recorded in many places.
The icy fingers of that deep cold pool has stretched to the UK but thanks to the warm North Sea acting to insulate this island those extreme temperatures are not being experienced here.
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| severe temperatures over europe |
But that doesn't mean that winter has not arrived because it most certainly has. After almost record breaking mild weather so far this winter this weeks temperatures have barely raised the Mercury and has certainly caused a shock to the system!
So,we have the cold but what about the snow? so far this cold spell has failed to deliver for fans of the white stuff, quite frustrating given that the frigid continental air has come from the coldest source and has crossed the warm (in comparison) North sea!
And so to the West we must look for our moisture, warm Atlantic lows are on a collision course with the freezing Siberian highs that are giving us temperatures 4c lower than average so far this month, and where these two systems meet then significant, prolonged snowfall will result, and for the lucky ones, should equal or better December 2010.
The current prediction is that Kent should see the most snowfall but all areas of England are under Met Office yellow alert for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but as usual some areas could get plastered and some will miss out.
Will we get some here in North Kent?..I think so..
