Mark Hunt’s Weather Assessment
11th – 17th January 2010
This week we will have a slow thaw in the snow on the ground, which should make driving easier, however I think they'll still be a little sting on the tail mid-week before it starts to depart in earnest with some colder air bringing lower temperatures and night time frosts again. Tuesday and Wednesday could possibly bring the threat of heavy snow to Ireland and the South West, though this could fall as rain / sleet, it's difficult to say and well beyond my capabilities to be honest.
The milder air will begin to come in from Friday as the jet stream takes a hike up north (which stops colder air coming in) and the wind direction changes to the south-west. This mild air will reach South West Ireland first and then move easterly reaching the U.K. on Saturday / Sunday.
The milder air will come in the form of rain and packed isobars so it will be extremely windy over Ireland on Saturday in particular, with the rain reaching England over the weekend, though more central and south, than north. This will of course bring some flooding, but at least we'll be able to see grass again.
Thereafter, we will have a short period of quiet weather, with night frosts, before the next low moves in from the Atlantic, due to reach the U.K. in the middle of next week. The only question mark on this relates to how stubbornly the cold air refuses to depart from the continent, because this could bring snow where the two weather systems meet.
After February 2009, this is one of the longest spells we've had of snow cover and the longest for frozen ground in recent times, probably close to a month in some places. I will be interested to see how the turf comes out of this, if there's been any significant disease activity (Snow Mold), because last year most courses came out looking healthier than they went in. This may be different if the thaw is slow.
Mark Hunt
Technical Director
Headland Amenity Ltd
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