"Keith (Southend)" wrote in message
...
What I do find interesting is that every year that has been mentioned
with similar Octobers seem to be followed by colder winters. I'm sure
someone can come up with one which throws that theroy out the window ?

That surprised me, I thought 1970 was a mild winter, I was wrong.

It'll all end in tears you know.
--
Keith (Southend)

'Weather Home & Abroad'
http://www.southendweather.net

Not sure how similar October 2001 was to the present month for you Keith?
But I recall it was very mild countrywide - and the following winter was
very mild, save for December.

I should add that in this part of the country there's certainly been no warm
days and very little sunshine so far, less than 15 hours sunshine from the
first 11 days. Early to judge, but if the rest of the month were similar
then it's more comparable with conditions in 1965, 1975 and 1983 here. No
outstanding pattern in the winters that followed those Octobers.
I really don't believe October weather is a pointer to the following winter,
and the threads so far may merely be showing up local coincidences.
Paul Bartlett (a bit of an expert on these matters) says cold, wet Novembers
are a relaible precursor to hard winters - I'm slightly more inclined to
believe this may be valid.

Alex