Trying to find an example of particular track of a low
 

On Wednesday, 13 January 2016 18:19:20 UTC, John Hall wrote:
In message , N_Cook
writes
Another sideways input from an ex-polar researcher
snip
Polar lows were (I think) unknown until satellite imagery showed their
existence. Prior to that, ones which came south (rather than forming
and decaying in the Iceland/Faeroes region) would probably have been
classed as secondary lows, i.e. developing further South rather than in
the area where they originally developed.

I don't think that's true. Gordon Manley in his "Climate and the British
Scene", which pre-dates satellite imagery, I think uses the term "polar
low" and he describes them pretty well.
--
John Hall
"Honest criticism is hard to take,
particularly from a relative, a friend,
an acquaintance, or a stranger." Franklin P Jones

John

I had a look in my copy of the Manley book that you mentioned, but could not see the term "polar low" mentioned either in the index or in the chapter on air masses. What we need is an old forecaster that predates thr early days of satellite imagery, I did know a few but they've all gone by now. They obviouslly occurred, and I bet theres a Met Mag with an article into one from the 1950's.

Bruce.

Trying to find an example of particular track of a low
 

On Thu, 14 Jan 2016 11:35:12 -0800 (PST), xmetman
wrote:

On Wednesday, 13 January 2016 18:19:20 UTC, John Hall wrote:
In message , N_Cook
writes
Another sideways input from an ex-polar researcher
snip
Polar lows were (I think) unknown until satellite imagery showed their
existence. Prior to that, ones which came south (rather than forming
and decaying in the Iceland/Faeroes region) would probably have been
classed as secondary lows, i.e. developing further South rather than in
the area where they originally developed.

I don't think that's true. Gordon Manley in his "Climate and the British
Scene", which pre-dates satellite imagery, I think uses the term "polar
low" and he describes them pretty well.
--
John Hall
"Honest criticism is hard to take,
particularly from a relative, a friend,
an acquaintance, or a stranger." Franklin P Jones

John

I had a look in my copy of the Manley book that you mentioned, but could not see the term "polar low" mentioned either in the index or in the chapter on air masses. What we need is an old forecaster that predates thr early days of satellite imagery, I did know a few but they've all gone by now. They obviouslly occurred, and I bet theres a Met Mag with an article into one from the 1950's.

Bruce.


Hey Bruce, There's still some of us around :-)

Trying to find an example of particular track of a low
 

In message ,
xmetman writes
I had a look in my copy of the Manley book that you mentioned, but
could not see the term "polar low" mentioned either in the index or in
the chapter on air masses. What we need is an old forecaster that
predates thr early days of satellite imagery, I did know a few but
they've all gone by now. They obviouslly occurred, and I bet theres a
Met Mag with an article into one from the 1950's.

Hunting through my copy of the Manley book, I found on p250 (if you have
a different edition then the page number might differ), in the chapter
entitled "Snowfall and Snow-cover", the following: "Occasionally too the
rather rare development of what is called a polar-air depression gives a
heavy snowfall attaining its greatest depth in somewhat unexpected
places, for example north-west Ireland in April 1917 and the Lancashire
Pennines in May 1935. (See also Fig. 36, p. 146, 10 May 1943.)" (I must
admit though that Fig. 36 doesn't look much like a polar low to me.)

I have the Fontana Library edition, 5th impression printed in 1972, but
I'm pretty sure that the text was never updated after it first appeared
in the Fontana Library in 1962, since I've never found a reference in
the book to any weather event later than that, not even the 1962-3
winter.
--
John Hall
"Honest criticism is hard to take,
particularly from a relative, a friend,
an acquaintance, or a stranger." Franklin P Jones

Trying to find an example of particular track of a low
 

On Thursday, 14 January 2016 20:08:28 UTC, John Hall wrote:
In message ,
xmetman writes
I had a look in my copy of the Manley book that you mentioned, but
could not see the term "polar low" mentioned either in the index or in
the chapter on air masses. What we need is an old forecaster that
predates thr early days of satellite imagery, I did know a few but
they've all gone by now. They obviouslly occurred, and I bet theres a
Met Mag with an article into one from the 1950's.

Hunting through my copy of the Manley book, I found on p250 (if you have
a different edition then the page number might differ), in the chapter
entitled "Snowfall and Snow-cover", the following: "Occasionally too the
rather rare development of what is called a polar-air depression gives a
heavy snowfall attaining its greatest depth in somewhat unexpected
places, for example north-west Ireland in April 1917 and the Lancashire
Pennines in May 1935. (See also Fig. 36, p. 146, 10 May 1943.)" (I must
admit though that Fig. 36 doesn't look much like a polar low to me.)

I have the Fontana Library edition, 5th impression printed in 1972, but
I'm pretty sure that the text was never updated after it first appeared
in the Fontana Library in 1962, since I've never found a reference in
the book to any weather event later than that, not even the 1962-3
winter.
--
John Hall
"Honest criticism is hard to take,
particularly from a relative, a friend,
an acquaintance, or a stranger." Franklin P Jones

John

Apologies, you're quite right! Good old Manley. Its been a few years since we saw one of them, and the way the Arctic's warming it may be even longer before we see one again.

Bruce.