welove2go

We have just moved to SW England from Texas and thought it might be fun to visit the northern part of the country in winter and see some snow. Has anyone stayed in/near York at that time of year? We are a family of three - two adults and a 6 year old. Thanks for any advice.

annhig

hi, welove2go -

welcome to the sunny southwest. I wish. this is the worst summer I can remember since we loved to Cornwall 11 years ago.

given our current weather, in December we'll probably be basking in 20C. but if it does snow, you probably won't need /be able to get to York. in that case, Devon is as likely to "cop it" as anywhere else in england, and even here in Cornwall we were snowed in in november 2006.

and because we don't get much snow as, say, Prague or Budapest, [both places that seem to expect it and therefore are able to deal with it], when we do, the whole place grinds to a shuddering halt, so you won't be going anywhere.

for a better chance of seeing snow, you'd do better to head for northern Scotland, or the alps.

but york is a great place for a weekend trip, with plenty to entertain you all. go anyway, with or without the snow.

regards, ann

welove2go

Ann-
Thanks for the reply - maybe we can get lucky - leave work and be snowed in somewhere for days!!

annhig

hi welove - where in the South West?

Pegontheroad

annhig:

A friend was in England in November, and she remarked that it didn't become until 8:00 a.m., and it became dark at 4:00 p.m.

Is this really the case?

janisj

Pegontheroad: &quot;<i>she remarked that it didn't become until 8:00 a.m., and it became dark at 4:00 p.m.

Is this really the case? </i>&quot;

Yes - and depending on when/where sunrise could be later and sunset earlier. Up north in Scotland in mid Dec would have dayl

Look at a world map or globe - the UK is very far north. That causes the days to be VERY short in the winter and VERY long in the summer.

Up in Inverness in mid Dec sunrise is around 9 AM and sunset about 3:30 PM

But in mid June - sunrise is about 3AM and sunset about 9:30 PM

flanneruk

Listen to Ann.
You CANNOT plan to go anywhere in Britain (except in a cold winter, Scotland's Cairngorms) and see snow.

Snow - at any rate snow that sticks long enough to transform the landscape - is rare. When it happens it disrupts transport - and everything else - so drastically hardly anywhere affected by it works.

Flights to the Alps (or the snowy steppes of Central Europe) from Exeter or Bristol are dirt cheap, so it's dead easy to go and play on the skislopes. Snow's pretty uncommon in central European cities like Prague in December: it's more usual (though not certain) in Jan or Feb, but you've really go to go to Russia or Scandinavia to be sure of seeing snow-covered lowland cities.

But, as Ann says, everything in York works in December and - as long as you avoid the stag and hen dos on Friday and Saturday nights - it's great in the winter. I'm not sure what short daylight hours have to do with anything: the only thing you can't do before 8 or after 4 is go for long country walks: but you weren't planning that in York anyway were you?

bilboburgler

You will not find snow in York in December. Sorry but 1) its a city so its warmer than surroundings, 2) Snow comes in January onwards

What you will find is a medievel city centre with lots of Christmas cheer and maybe a German imported christmas fair (if not pop over to Leeds and see theirs)

So I suggest try and stay in York rather than out in the country which will be dark,wet and miserable.

York as lots to do some of which may interest a 6 year old. The Yorvik centre is not as Naff as it might sound and the smells of old York are interesting.

bilboburgler

the various ghost tours are good too

Morgana

Hi
I live near York and in recent years snow hasn't come at all apart from the odd flurry - certainly not in December, but not in January and February either.
Do get out of the city too - for instance Fountains Abbey is open all year round and we never go near the place during the summer months. However in December (and not every day is dark, wet and miserable, this part of the country has more hours of winter sunshine than the average)it can be a wonderful place for a long walk on a winter's day.
www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

annhig

hi peg,

yes, Janisj is quite right. in the winter we have short days, long nights. But NOW, mid-July, it has only just got dark and it's 10.14pm.

the weather's still s..t though!

regards, ann

ps being fair, it was better today, but more rain forecast tomorrow. this is truly the worst summer I can remember, anytime, anywhere.

stfc

Questions like this are what makes this forum fascinating. I blame the Bridget Jones films myself which portray idealised English Christmases with snow and everybody celebrating in big country houses.

Snow in the UK is a national embarrassment. The place grinds to a halt for a day until it melts and the authorities behave as if it is the first time snow has ever fallen in this country.

If you want snow, Norway, the Alps, even Canada but not here.