Cold Second Half of January?

The best forecasters I know have predicted a cold snap in the second half of January. Naturally, as forecasts go, this is something of a shot in the dark still – but we’re beginning to see the first indications of cold weather in the longer-term model runs. A lot of this is driven by an event called “sudden stratospheric warming”, and while this is a relatively new area within weather forecasting, the thinking is that a warming event in the stratosphere can cause cold weather in the mid-latitudes of the northern (or, presumably, southern) hemisphere.

This isn’t at all certain yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. These islands can get severe wintry weather right up to March and early April, and many of the heaviest recorded snowfalls have been in January and February. If there are stronger indications, then it might be worth reviewing my post on How To Cope With Being Snowed In

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