TUESDAY 11th JANUARY--EVENING

UPDATE @ 1630Hrs
It was a pleasant day, with blue skies & sunshine. Ice was still a great hazard on untreated roads & pavements & it was still colder than an average January day(highest temperature just 3.8). The current temperature, under largely clear skies, was down to -0.5. Some high cloud, heralding some overnight problems, had begun to show itself in the western sky.

THIS EVENING & TONIGHT
A frosty evening, with temperatures down to about -4. Later in the evening & overnight,cloud will gradually thicken from the SW, leading to a period of snow by the early hours, lasting on & off for around 3 or 4 hours.It seems likely that 1 or 2cms will have accumulated by morning, though by then, any snow should have been replaced by occasional light rain.

OUTLOOK
Wednesday is likely to be overcast & damp for a time with temperatures struggling up to 2 or 3. Thereafter, it really should start to get milder, but expect some windy, rainy weather on occasions.

DOES THE MET OFFICE DESERVE ALL THE FLAK IT GETS?

Almost every week, my daily newspaper has something to say about the Met Office---none of it good. On the last occasion, it was an article that criticised the organisation for sticking to its guns on global warming still taking place. It would appear from the Telegraph's point of view, that two harsh winters somehow invalidate a warming trend that has become firmly established across the globe. The Met Office has always additionally emphasised an expected increase in extreme events world-wide, such as the flooding in Pakistan & Queensland.
The big mistake by the M.O. was to willingly approach the Media with seasonal forecasts that should have remained confidential & experimental. Once in the hands of the Tabloids, "above average temperatures", rapidly becomes a scorcher. Credibility with the public plummets as soon as the forecast goes wrong.

Might I also suggest that the public at large has too high an expectation of what is reasonable to expect from its weather forecasters. Enthusiasts like myself are usually so enthralled by the subject BECAUSE weather is so unpredictable even in the short term, let alone for a month or a season. Whilst there would undoubtedly be great commercial attractions in near-perfect weather forecasting, we are simply nowhere near at the present time. In the meantime, we will just have to accept that errors will continue to be made, be it a month, a week, a day or even an hour ahead; such is the world of the weather.