Pah! Only 6.8 hours of sunshine today, such a paltry amount after the
gloriously sunny days of this week. Still, managed 88.3 hours of the warm,
bright stuff this month so far, which is 72% of the total possible for the
first 11 days.

Temperatures are on the up, but really struggling. Haven't had a
double-figure job since the 5th March with today's maximum being 9.6°C.
Overnight minimum was a rather chilly 0.1°C.

No rainfall since the 28th Feb and everything dry. On a trip over to
Launceston this afternoon I noticed that parts of the moor on Dartmoor are
on fire.

Despite the below normal temperatures, Spring seems to be advancing with
celandines in flower in the more lowland, sheltered spots, and I even saw a
few hawthorn hedgerows coming into leaf. Still no frogspawn in the pond
(unusually late) but it is now full of pond life. Time to drain off some
'syrup' (more like sap really) from the silver maple tree and make some
maple syrup. Could be the best ever this year as the trees prefer a cold
winter (or so I am told).

(18:30), 5.2°C, RH 65%, DP -0.7°C, 1024 hPa (F), Wind 5 mph NNE.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

"Nick Gardner" wrote in message
...
Pah! Only 6.8 hours of sunshine today, such a paltry amount after the
gloriously sunny days of this week. Still, managed 88.3 hours of the warm,
bright stuff this month so far, which is 72% of the total possible for the
first 11 days.

Temperatures are on the up, but really struggling. Haven't had a
double-figure job since the 5th March with today's maximum being 9.6°C.
Overnight minimum was a rather chilly 0.1°C.


Haven't had double figures yet this year! Max. today +7.0C Min -1.5C.


No rainfall since the 28th Feb and everything dry. On a trip over to
Launceston this afternoon I noticed that parts of the moor on Dartmoor are
on fire.


Yep really really dry now on the tundra, we need some rain or snow. Soil
temperatures still just 2-3C and nothing growing.

But the fire is normal, it is called "swaling" and happens every late
winter/spring, it will be a controlled burn to keep down the gorse.

Despite the below normal temperatures, Spring seems to be advancing with
celandines in flower in the more lowland, sheltered spots, and I even saw
a few hawthorn hedgerows coming into leaf. Still no frogspawn in the pond
(unusually late) but it is now full of pond life. Time to drain off some
'syrup' (more like sap really) from the silver maple tree and make some
maple syrup. Could be the best ever this year as the trees prefer a cold
winter (or so I am told).

Like me! :-)

Eskimo Will (Haytor)
--

"Nick Gardner" wrote in message
...
Pah! Only 6.8 hours of sunshine today, such a paltry amount after the
gloriously sunny days of this week. Still, managed 88.3 hours of the warm,
bright stuff this month so far, which is 72% of the total possible for the
first 11 days.

Temperatures are on the up, but really struggling. Haven't had a
double-figure job since the 5th March with today's maximum being 9.6°C.
Overnight minimum was a rather chilly 0.1°C.

No rainfall since the 28th Feb and everything dry. On a trip over to
Launceston this afternoon I noticed that parts of the moor on Dartmoor are
on fire.

Despite the below normal temperatures, Spring seems to be advancing with
celandines in flower in the more lowland, sheltered spots, and I even saw
a few hawthorn hedgerows coming into leaf. Still no frogspawn in the pond
(unusually late) but it is now full of pond life. Time to drain off some
'syrup' (more like sap really) from the silver maple tree and make some
maple syrup. Could be the best ever this year as the trees prefer a cold
winter (or so I am told).

(18:30), 5.2°C, RH 65%, DP -0.7°C, 1024 hPa (F), Wind 5 mph NNE.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk
---------------------
I'm definitely thinking of "emigrating" to the West Country. Cold snowy
winters, hours and hours of Spring sunshine, dry summers.... - not like the
permanent cloudy, wet conditions of the South East. Don't believe all that
climate rubbish you read in the Geography books at school ;-(

Dave

"Dave Cornwell" wrote in message
...

"Nick Gardner" wrote in message
...
Pah! Only 6.8 hours of sunshine today, such a paltry amount after the
gloriously sunny days of this week. Still, managed 88.3 hours of the
warm, bright stuff this month so far, which is 72% of the total possible
for the first 11 days.

Temperatures are on the up, but really struggling. Haven't had a
double-figure job since the 5th March with today's maximum being 9.6°C.
Overnight minimum was a rather chilly 0.1°C.

No rainfall since the 28th Feb and everything dry. On a trip over to
Launceston this afternoon I noticed that parts of the moor on Dartmoor
are on fire.

Despite the below normal temperatures, Spring seems to be advancing with
celandines in flower in the more lowland, sheltered spots, and I even saw
a few hawthorn hedgerows coming into leaf. Still no frogspawn in the pond
(unusually late) but it is now full of pond life. Time to drain off some
'syrup' (more like sap really) from the silver maple tree and make some
maple syrup. Could be the best ever this year as the trees prefer a cold
winter (or so I am told).

(18:30), 5.2°C, RH 65%, DP -0.7°C, 1024 hPa (F), Wind 5 mph NNE.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk
---------------------
I'm definitely thinking of "emigrating" to the West Country. Cold snowy
winters, hours and hours of Spring sunshine, dry summers.... - not like
the permanent cloudy, wet conditions of the South East. Don't believe all
that climate rubbish you read in the Geography books at school ;-(

Dave


Er no Dave.

The snow is reserved for areas above 700 feet. Below that it gets less and
less to practically none at sea level. Above 700 feet add 5 days of snow
lying for every 300 feet of ascent.

Rainfall is high in the west and south with huge amounts over Dartmoor. The
rain shadows in Exeter and the Otter Valley are much drier though and the
coast gets most sun. Dartmoor and other inland hilly areas can have a lot of
cloud in the warmer season.

Will
--

Rainfall is high in the west and south with huge amounts over Dartmoor.
The rain shadows in Exeter and the Otter Valley are much drier though and
the coast gets most sun. Dartmoor and other inland hilly areas can have a
lot of cloud in the warmer season.

True. The Devon weather is very variable depending on location.

Here, 10 miles ESE of Exeter and 6 miles from the sea, going on the last 5
years:

Annual rainfall 700 - 900 mm.
Annual sunshine 1750 - 2000 hours.
Virtually frost-free from April to beginning of November.

Just a few miles further inland and higher up such as the Blackdown Hills,
it's another world. Dunkeswell isn't too far from here and the weather there
is often dramatically different to here, as is the weather in mid-north
Devon and Dartmoor.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

On Mar 11, 8:41*pm, "Nick Gardner"
wrote:
Rainfall is high in the west and south with huge amounts over Dartmoor.
The rain shadows in Exeter and the Otter Valley are much drier though and
the coast gets most sun. Dartmoor and other inland hilly areas can have a
lot of cloud in the warmer season.

True. The Devon weather is very variable depending on location.

Here, 10 miles ESE of Exeter and 6 miles from the sea, going on the last 5
years:

Annual rainfall 700 - 900 mm.
Annual sunshine 1750 - 2000 hours.
Virtually frost-free from April to beginning of November.

Just a few miles further inland and higher up such as the Blackdown Hills,
it's another world. Dunkeswell isn't too far from here and the weather there
is often dramatically different to here, as is the weather in mid-north
Devon and Dartmoor.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

I agree with Will's summary on Devon's climate.
Here on the coast in the SW corner of Devon it is pretty decent in the
summer and not too foul in the winter.
If the wind has an easterly component then we are laughing, Glorious
sun usually, as we have had recently, and generally this winter.
Dartmoor helps, but cloudy anticyclones run out of cloud when they get
to us after such a long land track.
Annually of course we have more rain than those on the eastern side of
the country. About 950 mm on average each year. But the bulk of this
comes in the winter.
If you do not like rain and still want to live in the SW, then you are
advised to live on the coast, as annual rainfall increases by about 75
mm per 100ft rise in altitude.

And summer sea breezes mean the temp. usually keeps below 25C, while
up country people swelter.

Len Wood,

Wembury, SW Devon, 275 ft, 83 m asl

On Mar 12, 10:31*am, Len Wood wrote:
On Mar 11, 8:41*pm, "Nick Gardner"





wrote:
Rainfall is high in the west and south with huge amounts over Dartmoor.