ninja88

Hi from Canada - we're coming to North Wales in mid-November and trying to figure out what to pack. We'll be driving and will be out of doors a lot...I know it will be cool and damp, but am I just being a crazy Canadian or do we need to worry about snow?
Any advice would be appreciated!

flanneruk

Predicting weather anywhere in Britain is an art, not a science. It's especially difficult in those parts, like North Wales, where what we call mountains (but almost everyone else in the world calls small hills) have lots of green valleys, and they're all very close to the sea.

Precipitation is virtually certain - quite possibly every day. From November, it'll most likely fall as snow on the upper reaches of the hills (and if you're contemplating hill walking, it's really essential to seek advice, and follow it).

On the coast, it's almost certain to fall as rain. If there's a cold spell, it just might fall as snow, but will almost certainly melt almost immediately (all that salt air). Serious snow (which we're hopeless at dealing with) is very unusual anywhere that early in the winter. If you get any, and it sticks at all, it'll be little more than a light dusting, and at sea level is very unlikely to survive for more than a few hours.

With luck, sineone else will direct you a site with harder data on probabilities. But remember that North Wales is a whole load of micro-climates, and that snow probability can vary widely between two locations only a couple of miles apart. And ALL climatology in Britain is about likelihoods. It may have snowed in Conway on 1% of November days: but there's virtually no way of telling whether you'll be there on a 1% or 99% day.

Incidentally, most of the population of Liverpool (the commercial capital of North Wales) walk round in trainers (sneakers to you) in November.

Chrissie_Novelle

Further to flanneruk's very precise reply I can confirm that you will very likey be rained upon during your visit to my home territory. North Wales is beautiful - but unfortunately the weather can be very upredicatble. I doubt very much wether you will encounter any snow unless you go into the mountains ( yes - they are mountains ! ) and only then will it be on the peaks. The Snowdon mountain railway will be closed at that time of the year.
I have to take issue with flanneruk's description of Liverpool being the "commercial capital of North Wales".
This snippet could quite well cause confusion to our North American cousins who are not familiar with our Geography. Liverpool is not part of Wales. It sits very firmly on English soil and a great majority of it's inhabitants are of Irish descent. Its close proximity to the English/Welsh border makes it the most easly accesible venue for the larger type of shopping trip that the coastal towns of North Wales can not offer. The older residents of Liverpool like to retire to North Wales and do , in fact, walk around in trainers ( especially in Colwyn Bay which is now full of "northerners&quot

Mucky

As the others have already said, you will probably get quite wet and the amount of snow will be very small and that will be up on the high mountain areas only. Make sure your shoes are water and Mud proof.
Have fun

Muck

Frances

You won't get any rain at all- there's none left. We've had something like our annual rainfall in the last 24 hours.We've had water into our house for the first time in the 16 years I've lived here.
Just heard on the news that the residents of Beaumaris(3 miles away) used a J.C.B. to breach the sea wall last night to allow the water to flow INTO the sea! The fact they were led by the Deputy Mayor was admirable!
For those of you who have visited beaumaris the water was standing and flooding the children's park in the shadow of the castle walls!
Hope it's dry where you are!

Mucky

Nope Francis, similar story here, rain water is now flowing out of the drains and onto the street.

Mucky
Cardiff