It was a Christmas weekend to remember across Scotland with not one but two storms spanning from early Christmas Eve to late Boxing Day with low level 80+ mph/high level 120+mph wind gusts each day, 50ft waves out at sea and the wild swings in temperature.
Credit: BBC Weather Watchers (Spoon)
Storm Barbara brought storm-force conditions on land but out at sea, her worst was experienced with wave heights of up to 50.5ft recorded by a buoy (K5), positioned about 200 miles WNW of the Isle of Lewis.
Credit: BBC Scotland Weather
Into Friday evening and early Christmas Eve and storm-force winds continued across the far northern mainland and Northern Isles while precipitation turned increasingly to snow as colder air was pulled in on Barbara’s rear.
This was the A9 at Slochd Summit late Friday night.
Mark Vogan
It was a White Christmas Eve for some. This was Dalwhinnie, Highland.
Credit: BBC Weather Watchers (Debs)
Storm Barbara left the playing field and in came Storm Conor for Christmas Day, presenting a tail of two halves Christmas with unseasonably mild start at 12-14C (ahead of cold front and within a SW wind flow) and cold, even snowy finish (behind cold front in WNW air flow).
A warm first half to Christmas Day.
Credit: BBC Scotland Weather
Aberdeen Dyce climbed to 15.1C which tied for the UK’s 2nd warmest Christmas Day maximum.
Credit: Met Office
Wind snapped this power pole on the Isle of Jura Christmas Day.
Credit: ssencommunity @ssencommunity
Incredible scenes captured on Shetland
Credit: Calum Toogood @CalumToogood
Credit: Ryan Sandison
A White end to Christmas Day, Boxing Day!
As the Big day progressed, severe-gale-force winds and frequent blustery showers whipped across the country but into the dark evening hours as temps began tumbling, we found ourselves on the back end of Storm Conor (NW wind flow) with winds now drawing on Greenland rather than Azores air.
Despite PM temps of 15C in Aberdeen, cold air rushed in behind Conor’s cold front and parts of the country got snow an hour or two ahead of midnight…
Credit: Mark Vogan
Credit: Sean Batty
Then came Boxing Day… a true White Boxing Day with westerly gale and frequent sleet and snow showers for the Highlands.
Credit: BBC Scotland Weather
Credit: BBC Scotland Weather
My good friend Petr Kolegar captured this scene of a snow covered A9 northbound at Dalwhinnie early Boxing Day. Check out the blowing across the carriageway due to a gale-force west wind.
A winter wonderland for Carrbridge.
Credit: Highlandweather @highlandweather
Aviemore main street
Credit: Jennifer Allan
Treacherous driving conditions on the A9. This was Drumochter Summit.
Credit: Katie MacLeod via Highland Weather
Credit: Katie MacLeod via Highland Weather
Credit: Met Office
148 mph gust on Cairngorm Christmas Day, 125 mph Boxing Day!
During storms, you’d expect to see 100+ mph gusts on Cairngorm Summit and Storm Conor didn’t disappoint with a peak gust Christmas Day of 148 mph followed by 125 mph Boxing Day.
Big time temperature swing and wind at Britain’s most extreme weather station.
Credit: Cairngorm Summit Weather Station
Credit: Cairngorm Summit Weather Station
As for this morning, Tuesday we go from low pressure and stormy conditions to an unusually strong, near 1045mb high over SE England.
Credit: Met Office
More on the potential cold spell lurking just after New Year tomorrow…
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