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Old February 11th 13, 12:29 PM posted to uk.sci.weather
Jennik[_3_] Jennik[_3_] is offline
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First recorded activity by Weather-Banter: Mar 2011
Posts: 22
Default Sunday Evening Snow Heath-Row to Suffolk

Landed at LHR 10/1930 Reasonable visibility with Light Rain and Snow
(Sleet?) reported.

Noted on Aircraft Display on descent/approach temp at 5000 FT MS01 and PS02
from 3000FT to landing.

We left car park and hour later in all snow - large flakes which quickly on
reaching the M4/M25 junction became moderate small flakes. Headed East
around the N part of the M25 with no let up in this moderate small flake
snowfall, blowing like smoke in a strongish wind. In places the carriage
ways were completely slush covered and after Watford occasionally the fast
lane was completely whitened.
NO salt spreading seen at all on M25 despite each roadside sign stating it
was happening.

Worst from M11 junction to just past Stansted. For much of the time whole
motorway was covered completely, traffic fairly light so maintained a well
spaced 30mph generally though the few large lorries and coaches tore along
in outer lanes making a smoke like whirl of snow completely obliterating
forward vision. 3 gritters in convoy seen heading south.

On reaching Cambridgeshire the road had obviously received better attention
and was less covered. 12 miles N of Stansted the snow became v slight and
there was nothing obviously lying at all. No snow lying to Bury St. Edmunds
, but to East and 8 miles onward soon 2 cm or so lying. (Overnight this was
topped up to 5CM here at 0900Z this morning - now half depleted.)

Home thankfully, after taking double the normal time for this journey. This
was the nearest I'd seen to a blizzard for several years, and for all those
people who moan that they've only had a cm. so be it, I found it caused
quite a struggle and would happily have missed it if possible.
I thought the advanced UK based forecasts for this event were excellent,
Only a few days ago the GFS was holding temperatures around 5C or more in
the Southern precipitation.

NSS Mid Suffolk