On Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 6:42:12 PM UTC, Dave Cornwell wrote:
One thing I've noticed with this ridiculously mild winter is that the
computer models haven't thrown out any of their usual "surprise" bitter
cold scenarios. Usually they have a few distant projections of -12C
850's and bitter easterlies - such charts being referred to as "eye
candy" by the coldies. None of that this winter and the models seeming
to verify the mildness quite accurately.
The good news is the excesses of the Express have been kept to a minimum
because of this!
Dave

I also noticed this, as when the eye candy appears, it has been the first glimpse of a genuine cold spell on the way and finally materialising.
I wondered whether it's a case of improvements in the computer modelling that has helped iron these out.
Either this or the models are actually a genuine influence on the outcome and lack of cold forecasts has resulted in a lack of cold outcomes. If only!