Teesdale weekly forecast, issued Saturday, December 24, valid Wednesday, December 28 until Sunday, January 1.
The jetstream will be almost across the Dale this week and it will be quite undulating. If it should dip southwards, we will be on its cooler polar side and a northward move puts us on the milder side. A procession of Atlantic depressions will be steered on their usual track between Scotland and Iceland bringing unsettled, windy conditions with rain on most days.
This week’s overall prediction for mid-Teesdale: high 7°C (45°F), low 0°C (32°F) precipitation 30mm (1.2in), sunshine 15hr, high gust 60mph. Risks:- flooding high, gale high, grass frost medium, fell snow medium.
I expect a generally south-westerly flow across Teesdale this week and into the New Year. The forecast is altering daily because we are so close to the dividing line between the colder air to the north and milder conditions in the south. As the depressions race through, conditions will fluctuate rapidly. There will be spells of rain or showers on most days and it will be windy. When the cooler conditions move in there will be some snow on our fells, but this will be replaced quickly by milder air. Temperatures should remain just above freezing for most of the time.
Last week’s weather (Copley Met Office site): Average screen temperature 4.1°C (normally 3.2°C). High 11°C (52°F) Monday. Low -3°C (27°F) Sunday18th. Low grass surface -4°C (25°F) Sunday 18th. Windiest 47mph Wednesday. Precipitation 19mm (norm 20mm). Sunshine 8hr (norm 16hr).
The Met Office is forecasting that 2023 will be the warmest year in the UK since reliable records began. This is not surprising really in these warming times. 2022 had just one month colder than average and that was December. Since I began recording in the 1960’s, the weather has warmed locally by one Celsius degree. This does not seem a lot, but it is nevertheless becoming noticeable.
