The Year Britain Froze
 

Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big freeze."
--
MCC

The Year Britain Froze
 

isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:
Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big freeze."

The Year Britain Froze
 

On Jan 18, 8:53*pm, Western Sky wrote:
isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:



Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big freeze."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Started to watch this crapfest, soon identified it for what it is, and
switched to some baroque stuff on BBC4, instead. Much more
enlightening, by far.

CK

The Year Britain Froze
 

In article
,
Natsman writes:
On Jan 18, 8:53*pm, Western Sky wrote:
isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:



Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big
freeze."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Started to watch this crapfest, soon identified it for what it is, and
switched to some baroque stuff on BBC4, instead. Much more
enlightening, by far.

CK

It improved a lot after the first few minutes, which were all hype and
dodgy statistics. It had some genuinely interesting stuff (notably the
aviation expert on the difficulty of dealing with snow at airports), but
suffered from the usual fault of trying to cram in too much and so not
being able to cover any of the topics in the depth that they merited.
--
John Hall
"I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly,
will hardly mind anything else."
Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-84)

The Year Britain Froze
 

On Jan 18, 8:24*pm, Natsman wrote:
On Jan 18, 8:53*pm, Western Sky wrote:

isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:

Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big freeze."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Started to watch this crapfest, soon identified it for what it is, and
switched to some baroque stuff on BBC4, instead. *Much more
enlightening, by far.

In terms of "stuff" relevant to this year there was a satellite image,
quotes of several temperatures how cold it got and about 3 minutes
on the jetstream and how it was elsewhere which is why it got cold.
Most of it was more generic in terms of "coping with winter
weather" (de-icing planes, falling through ice) and nothing directly
to do with this/last winter.

I'm surprised the producers of this thoroughly below-average-in-
addressing-the-topic show didn't have 5-10 minutes discussing where
winters like these sit within a warming climate, as well as possible
longer-term winter feedbacks as a response to global warming (e.g. the
recent Arctic sea-ice report).

Richard

The Year Britain Froze
 

In message
,
Natsman writes
On Jan 18, 8:53*pm, Western Sky wrote:
isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:



Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big
freeze."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Started to watch this crapfest, soon identified it for what it is, and
switched to some baroque stuff on BBC4, instead. Much more
enlightening, by far.

Caught about the last twenty minutes, with the very brief mention of
the jet-stream, the aviation man the a Scots-based meteorologist which
all seemed perfectly good if much compressed. As John says, the aviation
man was very good.

The piece with an ambulance-man explaining that the collar-bone was
"designed" to break to protect the neck gave a good moment of human
interest.

Didn't feel inclined to watch from the start on C4+1.

It occurs to me to wonder if the Open University - or indeed anyone else
- has assembled serious video presentation on weather in general or
winter in particular?

Before I start trawling the web....


--
Peter Thomas

The Year Britain Froze
 

On Jan 19, 3:45*pm, Peter Thomas
wrote:

It occurs to me to wonder if the Open University - or indeed anyone else
- has assembled serious video presentation on weather in general or
winter in particular?

Before I start trawling the web....

This is where I post my usual "why can't we have a meteorological Sky
at Night"? Once-monthly, half an hour, dedicated to a specific topic.

Climate change, ocean currents, snow and its formation, thunderstorms,
local/regional winds, basics of extra-tropical cyclones, the list
could go on. No shots of rivers in full flood with dramatic strings in
the background, no lightning 1 mile away with simultaneous thunder, no
"and the worst is yet to come", no dramatic life-saving stories that
can be saved for some 999 programme, just a little bit of well-
informed science. Heck, I'd almost like to try and produce something
like this...!

Richard

The Year Britain Froze
 

Richard Dixon wrote:
On Jan 19, 3:45 pm, Peter Thomas
wrote:

It occurs to me to wonder if the Open University - or indeed anyone
else - has assembled serious video presentation on weather in
general or winter in particular?

Before I start trawling the web....

This is where I post my usual "why can't we have a meteorological Sky
at Night"? Once-monthly, half an hour, dedicated to a specific topic.

Climate change, ocean currents, snow and its formation, thunderstorms,
local/regional winds, basics of extra-tropical cyclones, the list
could go on. No shots of rivers in full flood with dramatic strings in
the background, no lightning 1 mile away with simultaneous thunder, no
"and the worst is yet to come", no dramatic life-saving stories that
can be saved for some 999 programme, just a little bit of well-
informed science. Heck, I'd almost like to try and produce something
like this...!


The programme could contain a general summary of the previous month's
weather and the main topics covered would relate in some way to events
during the month. Jan 2011 for example could explain orographic
rainfall as there was very persistent rain in Cumbria.
Dec 2010 would need a one hour special of course :)
--
Col

Bolton, Lancashire
160m asl

The Year Britain Froze
 

On 19/01/2011 09:22, Richard Dixon wrote:
On Jan 18, 8:24 pm, wrote:
On Jan 18, 8:53 pm, Western wrote:

isnt there one every year now!

this must be the 3rd one in a row.

On 18/01/2011 7:24 PM, MCC wrote:

Channel 4 this evening at 2000.
"A look back at the extreme weather conditions the country endured at the
start and end of 2010. As well as charting the chaos caused on the roads
and in the airports, the show tells heart-warming stories of survival
against the odds, and looks at the science behind last month's big freeze."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Started to watch this crapfest, soon identified it for what it is, and
switched to some baroque stuff on BBC4, instead. Much more
enlightening, by far.

In terms of "stuff" relevant to this year there was a satellite image,
quotes of several temperatures how cold it got and about 3 minutes
on the jetstream and how it was elsewhere which is why it got cold.
Most of it was more generic in terms of "coping with winter
weather" (de-icing planes, falling through ice) and nothing directly
to do with this/last winter.

Although deicing planes is actually very important - you don't want them
falling out of the sky due to ice on the wings or entering the engines.

And I thought the thin ice survival guide was very well done. So many
people a year get killed going in to rescue their dogs and knowing
exactly what to do might just give you the edge if you ever get into
that predicament. I think wearing the right survival gear would help. A
think heavy winter overcoat is a liability when soaking wet.

I'm surprised the producers of this thoroughly below-average-in-
addressing-the-topic show didn't have 5-10 minutes discussing where
winters like these sit within a warming climate, as well as possible
longer-term winter feedbacks as a response to global warming (e.g. the
recent Arctic sea-ice report).

I think they should have spent more on what a typical warm winter
weather pattern looks like and how this year was unusual.

Up here in N Yorks we have the clear cold Arctic air back again now!

Regards,
Martin Brown