After a visit yesterdays up to the heads of the valleys - the main trunk
road has a 1350' summit I can report the following snow data.

From the Rhigos eastwards there were large patches of snow in evidence,
which decreased for a while as we followed the main road from Hirwaun to
Brynmawr. As we approached Tredegar we could see large areas of snow on
the road-side embankments - not all north facing interestingly. Towards
Brynmawr there were larger areas of snow.

The town itself had experienced a light fall of snow last Tuesday (I
think) but all that remained were the larger dumps of snow and ice that
the road-clearing folks had accumulated. The previous 7' pile in the
main Asda car park was still about 4' high. Temperatures were around
+7C.

Coming down to Abertillery I was amazed to see on west facing hillsides
great long swathes of snow cornices and beds - easily hundreds of yards
long, and some patches almost level with the top of the town. The
easterly winds had obviously deposited a large amount of snow over the
western edges of the mountains.

An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's waiting
for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to fail!!

Nevertheless, it looks as if with the colder weather returning many of
these patches will survive for a good deal longer.

Cheers

James
--
James Brown

In article ,
James Brown writes:
snip
An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's
waiting for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to
fail!!

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)

"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
James Brown writes:
snip
An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's
waiting for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to
fail!!

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.

Seems like a reasonable piece of weather lore.
It appears to be saying that if it sticks around there has
been no return to raging zonality which as we all know
once it sets in can last for many weeks.
If it stays semi-cold like it has done since mid Jan, then
it wouldn't take much to return to cold & snowy conditions.
--
Col

Bolton, Lancashire
160m asl

In message , John Hall
writes
In article ,
James Brown writes:
snip
An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's
waiting for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to
fail!!

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.

Ah - thank you for that John - I will relay that to the MIL when next we
speak,

Cheers

James
--
James Brown

On 05/02/2010 18:58, James Brown wrote:
After a visit yesterdays up to the heads of the valleys - the main trunk
road has a 1350' summit I can report the following snow data.

From the Rhigos eastwards there were large patches of snow in evidence,
which decreased for a while as we followed the main road from Hirwaun to
Brynmawr. As we approached Tredegar we could see large areas of snow on
the road-side embankments - not all north facing interestingly. Towards
Brynmawr there were larger areas of snow.

The town itself had experienced a light fall of snow last Tuesday (I
think) but all that remained were the larger dumps of snow and ice that
the road-clearing folks had accumulated. The previous 7' pile in the
main Asda car park was still about 4' high. Temperatures were around +7C.

Coming down to Abertillery I was amazed to see on west facing hillsides
great long swathes of snow cornices and beds - easily hundreds of yards
long, and some patches almost level with the top of the town. The
easterly winds had obviously deposited a large amount of snow over the
western edges of the mountains.

An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's waiting
for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to fail!!

Nevertheless, it looks as if with the colder weather returning many of
these patches will survive for a good deal longer.

Cheers

James

We still have some left from the heavy snowfall 3 weeks ago. That is, at
the points where we had the massive snow drifts. The mountain also shows
snow in the crevices but that is normal for here.

--
Howard Neil
(western end of the Brecon Beacons National Park, at 235 metres asl)

On Friday 05 Feb 2010 19:11, John Hall scribbled:

In article ,
James Brown writes:
snip
An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's
waiting for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to
fail!!

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.

It was also a common saying in Northamptonshire when I was a lad.

Something else that my dad would say in a cold spell when we had a whiter
frost was that it was a sign of a change to mild weather.

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks., UK. E-mail: newsman not newsboy
"I wear the cheese. It does not wear me."

"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
On Friday 05 Feb 2010 19:11, John Hall scribbled:

In article ,
James Brown writes:
snip
An old valley saying apparently is that if it hangs around 'it's
waiting for more' though obviously at some point the saying has to
fail!!

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.

It was also a common saying in Northamptonshire when I was a lad.

Something else that my dad would say in a cold spell when we had a whiter
frost was that it was a sign of a change to mild weather.

Higher dew points and more moisture in the air perhaps.
Compared to those -5C mornings when the grass is
barely white but the soil is frozen solid.
--
Col

Bolton, Lancashire
160m asl

On 5 Feb, 19:11, John Hall wrote:

It's more widespread than that. My father, who spent his childhood in
Hampshire and Surrey, used to quote the same saying.

Hi, All,

I think it's pretty much a nationwide saying.
Copley folk put great trust in it. It works reasonably well in my
experience.

Ken