[Dave K]

The first eligible Norwegian ice day (just) now recorded for this season:

Šihččajávri 24h to 06Z: Tmax -0.1, Tmin -6.9

[Dave K]

There were quite a few places with ice days in Sweden too, Buresjön for the second day running. Here for another example for the project is a table of the scoring for today, by basing the points on mean temperature it gives a clearer picture of which place was the coldest over a 24 hour period, and therefore over a whole month or season.

Scoring for 26th October 2011
Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Tmin	Tmax	T_Mean	Points
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-8.7	-4.1	-6.40	0.64
Ob'Yachevo	Russia	153	60.4	-10.2	-0.4	-5.30	0.53
Buresjön	Sweden	393	65.6	-8.4	-1.8	-5.10	0.51
Parkalompolo	Sweden	312	67.7	-9.0	-0.3	-4.65	0.47
Šihččajávri	Norway	382	68.7	-6.9	-0.1	-3.50	0.35
Muonio	Finland	253	68.0	-5.0	-0.1	-2.55	0.25

[Dave K]

A few more ice days today eligible for points, it looks like proper winter is pushing its way south now into the subarctic. For the moment this way of awarding points is looking feasible although I have only 5 countries to worry about for now, if the cold spreads over the whole continent it might be a different matter...

Here is the league table for the Top 10 of points accrued so far.

Pos.	Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Entries	Low Tmin	Low Tmax	Low Tmean	Tot Points
1	Parkalompolo	Sweden	312	67.7	2	-9.1	-0.5	-4.80	0.95
2	Buresjön	Sweden	393	65.6	2	-8.4	-1.8	-5.10	0.82
3	Khoseda-Khard	Russia	84	67.1	1	-11.9	-2.5	-7.20	0.72
4	Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	1	-8.7	-4.1	-6.40	0.64
5	Pechora	Russia	56	65.1	1	-10.5	-1.1	-5.80	0.58
6	Šihččajávri	Norway	382	68.7	2	-6.9	-0.2	-3.50	0.56
7	Muonio	Finland	253	68.0	2	-5.6	-0.5	-3.05	0.56
8	Nikkaluokta	Sweden	467	67.9	1	-10.0	-0.7	-5.35	0.53
9	Ob'Yachevo	Russia	153	60.4	1	-10.2	-0.4	-5.30	0.53
10	Grimsstadir	Iceland	384	65.6	1	-6.4	-2.6	-4.50	0.45

[Dave K]

Vorkuta in Russia has the lowest minimum that I have seen so far this season for a station < 500m asl, however, it's not as low as this time last year when Naimakka in Sweden logged -17.3 °C, and below -20 °C was breached on the 30th. Although Kvikkjokk and Kvikkjokk Årrenjarka A as the names suggest are fairly close they are distinct places, rather like Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells

5 locations out of a maximum 10 gained points today with ice days:

Pos.	Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Tmin	Tmax	T Mean	Points
1	Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-14.4	-4.0	-9.20	0.92
2	Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-4.6	-0.7	-2.65	0.26
3	Kvikkjokk	Sweden	337	67.0	-4.4	-0.6	-2.50	0.25
4	Kvikkjokk Årrenjarka A	Sweden	320	66.9	-4.1	-0.5	-2.30	0.23
5	Suolovuopmi Lulit	Norway	382	69.6	-3.3	-0.1	-1.70	0.17

[Dave K]

Quite a few stations in Russia had an ice day yesterday, nowhere outside Russia did though. Nearly a -20 °C minimum too. The two coldest Russian places which win the points are:

Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Tmin	Tmax	Mean	Points
Vorkuta	Russia	180.00	67.50	-19.5	-8.4	-13.95	1.39
Khoseda-Khard	Russia	84.00	67.10	-17.0	-1.8	-9.40	0.94

[Dave K]

Again to 06Z today only Russia had ice days and the two qualifiying places had by far the coldest ice days so far, with the first sub -20 °C of this season. There were also some fairly low maxima in eastern parts of Ukraine, but still rather above freezing, and Scandinavia + Finland is just a touch milder than of late.

Here is the daily scoring and the Top 10 in the overall standings so far.

Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Tmin	Tmax	T_Mean	Points
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-21.7	-16.9	-19.30	1.93
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-17.0	-11.2	-14.10	1.41

Place	Nation	m asl	°N	Entries	Low Tmin	Low Tmax	Low Tmean	Tot Points
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	4	-21.7	-16.9	-19.30	4.88
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	2	-17.0	-11.2	-14.10	1.68
Khoseda-Khard	Russia	84	67.1	2	-17.0	-2.5	-9.40	1.66
Parkalompolo	Sweden	312	67.7	2	-9.1	-0.5	-4.80	0.95
Buresjön	Sweden	393	65.6	2	-8.4	-1.8	-5.10	0.82
Pechora	Russia	56	65.1	1	-10.5	-1.1	-5.80	0.58
Muonio	Finland	253	68.0	2	-5.6	-0.5	-3.05	0.56
Šihččajávri	Norway	382	68.7	2	-6.9	-0.2	-3.50	0.56
Nikkaluokta	Sweden	467	67.9	1	-10.0	-0.7	-5.35	0.53
Ob'Yachevo	Russia	153	60.4	1	-10.2	-0.4	-5.30	0.53

[Dave K]

OK, so I am happy enough with this trial period of the last fortnight to give this a run using the new rules which I have given below. I will keep the data that I have used up to this point, which started with the first eligible ice day on the 16th October, and try and keep it going for as long as there are ice days into 2012, which mean no fixed end so it could extend into April or even May, unless I get fed up of doing it earlier!

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Quote

1. ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS
Any synop station < 500m asl;
Within the generally accepted definition of Continental Europe including Russia to the west of the Urals;
Including Turkey in Europe ( Eastern Thrace);
Including Faeroe Islands and Iceland;
NOT including any parts of Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, North/South Ossetia;
NOT including territories of the Arctic Ocean archipelagos of Svalbard, Franz Josef, Jan Mayen, Bear Island.

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2. DATA
Only using synop data returns as posted at the Ogimet website;
Using 24 hour period ending 06Z with min/max temps reported at 18Z and 06Z;
Except Iceland: 24 hour period ending 09Z due to their westerly longitude and their min/max data being on 18Z and 09Z.

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3. SCORING
First sorting criteria is the lowest minima recorded anywhere eligible which must also be an ice day (maxima <0.0 °C) in the 24 hour period;
Second sorting criteria is a maximum of two locations for any nation (with the lowest minima in that nation) can score on a single day
Maximum of 10 locations will score in a single day;
Points are awarded for (Tmax +Tmin)/10;
Sorting order in league tables is 1) Total Points 2) Lowest Tmean 3) Lowest Tmin 4) Lowest Tmax.

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4. The MC may change these rules without consultation

Hope this makes some kind of sense and more importantly that it will be of some interest, unscientific as it is. In Project Icebox 2010/11 the UK abjectly failed to score at all despite the severity of the early winter. Can we improve on this miserable showing this time?

[Dave K]

And here are today's points scorers. Again it is only Russia with ice days, and some very low minima too. The lowest minima records for this area of Russia in October seem to be around the -27 °C mark, so not near to record cold but -22.2 °C is still impressive for October. There are some suggestions of colder air flowing down into Lapland later this week once more.

Place	Nation	masl	°N	Tmin	Tmax	T_Mean	Points
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-20.7	-14.9	-17.80	1.78
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-22.2	-10.4	-16.30	1.63

[Dave K]

Day 16: It's still only Russia having ice days for the moment so just the two locations scoring today. The freezing conditions should ease a bit over the eastern fringes but not looking expecially cold anywhere else for the next few days either so Russia likely to dominate scoring for a while and continue its strong start. This time last year Sweden and Norway were very cold but this year so far the Atlantic depressions are winning in Scandinavia.

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[Dave K]

Day 17: Outside of Russia, only Grimsstadir in Iceland came close to an ice day but it maxed at 0.0 °C in the end, so missing out by the narrowest margin. Kevo in Finland was next with a max of +0.5 °C. So again we have just two stations from Russia scoring today, and rather less cold there too. It's just about possible that there will be an ice day in Lapland on Thursday/Friday but the next wave of cold (continental still, not Arctic) there isn't until early next week.

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DAY 17: 24 HOURS ENDING 06Z / 09Z* ON 2nd NOVEMBER 2011
PLACE	NATION	M asl	LAT. °N	Tmin °C	Tmax °C	T_Mean °C	POINTS
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-11.6	-6.6	-9.10	0.91
Khoseda-Khard	Russia	84	67.1	-8.1	-3.0	-5.55	0.56

[Dave K]

Day 18: Once again Grimsstadir and a few stations in Norway and Finland had maxima between 0.0 and +1.0 °C but only Russian stations logged an ice day, so just two scorers today.

DAY 18: 24 HOURS ENDING 06Z / 09Z* ON 3rd NOVEMBER 2011
PLACE	NATION	M asl	LAT. °N	Tmin °C	Tmax °C	T_Mean °C	POINTS
Nar'yan Mar	Russia	7	67.6	- 12.3	-2.3	-7.30	0.73
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	- 11.6	-2.9	-7.25	0.73

[Dave K]

Day 19: A bit more "interesting" today or at least more nations into the mix as the forecast of colder air into Lapland was correct with a low of -14.0 °C, but nonetheless NE European Russia remains the coldest area as Petrun' dips to -23.0 °C.

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DAY 19: 24 HOURS ENDING 06Z / 09Z* ON 4th NOVEMBER 2011
PLACE	NATION	M asl	LAT. °N	Tmin °C	Tmax °C	T_Mean °C	POINTS
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-23.0	-6.9	-14.95	1.49
Ust'-Usa	Russia	77	66.0	-20.2	-7.6	-13.90	1.39
Rustefjelbma	Norway	9	70.4	-14.0	-5.0	-9.50	0.95
Kirkenes Lufthavn	Norway	9	69.8	-9.8	-1.7	-5.75	0.58
Kevo	Finland	107	69.8	-6.8	-2.9	-4.85	0.49
Ivalo	Finland	147	68.6	-5.9	-1.0	-3.45	0.35
Karesuando A	Sweden	330	68.5	-3.6	-1.0	-2.30	0.23
Karesuando	Sweden	327	68.5	-3.3	-1.1	-2.20	0.22

[Dave K]

Day 20: Many stations in Lapland we well below zero yesterday but a warm front swept through from the SW pushing temperatures up after midnight and only one Norwegian station stayed sub zero to 06Z. Meanwhile a very cold day and night in the Komi and Nenets area gives the lowest minima and maxima so far and thus the greatest points reward for mean temperature.

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[Dave K]

Day 21: A day of widespread ice days in European Russia, quite extreme in the case of the two coldest stations which have been regulars since the Project re-opened. Even the large city of Perm experienced a minimum of -16.0 °C and max of -10.6 °C.

Meanwhile, milder air continues to flood into northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is worth pointing out that this time last year there were some very cold ice days in this area in the first week of November and Nikkaluokta in Sweden plunged below -30 °C as early as the 9th, whilst places such as Vorkuta and Petrun' in Russia were only a few degrees below freezing at night. So it goes to show how the penetration of deep Polar cold can vary from one year to the next. Nikkaluokta was last "icebox" winner in a cold Scandinavian winter, perhaps this year will be very different?

It's continuing to look as if only intermittent cold will affect Scandinavia over the coming week with relatively mild conditions returning after a cold day on Tuesday. Eastern Ukraine looks set for some potential ice days during this week but the cold will not persist every day nor spread much further west.

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DAY 21: 24 HOURS ENDING 06Z / 09Z* ON 6th NOVEMBER 2011
PLACE	NATION	M asl	LAT. °N	Tmin °C	Tmax °C	T_Mean °C	POINTS
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-30.3	-20.3	-25.30	2.53
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-27.3	-20.9	-24.10	2.41

[Dave K]

Day 22: Only the easternmost areas again in the running for points today. Still extremely cold in parts of Russia and as predicted the cold moves a little SSW so that Ukraine just manages to squeeze in one station for its first eligible ice day in the 2011/12 project. Donets’k: a city with a surprising Welsh connection...

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Donets'k (Ukrainian: Донецьк Ukrainian], translit. Donets’k; Russian: Доне́цк, translit. Donetsk; former names: Yuzovka, Staline, Stalino, see also: Cities' alternative names), is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbas) region. Donets'k currently has a population of over 982,000 inhabitants (2010)[3] and has a metropolitan area of over 1,566,000 inhabitants (2004). It is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine

The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes, who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines in the region; the town was thus named Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role in its founding ("Yuz" being a Russian or Ukrainian approximation of Hughes). During Soviet times, the city's steel industry was expanded.

In 1924 at the plenum Yuzovsky executive committee had decided to rename the town from Yuzovka to Stalin (Сталiн). In 1929-1931 the town was renamed in Stalino (Сталино). In 1932 the city became the center of Donets'k region. In 1961, during the De-Stalinisation the city was again renamed to its modern name Donets'k after the Seversky Donets river.[2] In addition, some sources state that the city was briefly called Trotsk—after Leon Trotsky—for a few months in 1923. Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Ave. high °C (°F)	-2 (27)	-1 (29)	3 (39)	13 (57)	20 (68)	23 (74)	25 (77)	24 (76)	19 (67)	11 (53)	3 (39)	0 (32)	11 (53)
Ave. low °C (°F)	-7 (18)	-7 (19)	-2 (28)	5 (41)	10 (51)	13 (57)	15 (60)	14 (58)	10 (50)	3 (39)	-1 (30)	-5 (23)	4 (40)
Source: Weatherbase

The Hotel "Great Britain" is one of the oldest buildings in Donets'k

[Dave K]

Day 23: Ukraine has two locations with ice days and Russia has masses as usual, so four locations scoring today. It seem unlikely that anywhere ouside Russia will log an ice day tomorrow as the cold retreats eastwards a little.

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Luhans'k (Ukrainian: Луганськ, (formerly Voroshilovgrad) also known as Lugansk (Russian: Луга́нск) is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast (province). The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast. The current estimated population is around 445,900 (as of 2004).

The city traces its history to 1795, when the British industrialist Charles Gascoigne founded a metal factory there. It was the beginning of an industry that still thrives there today. Lugansk achieved the status of city in 1882. Located in the Donets Basin, Lugansk was developed into an important industrial center of Eastern Europe, particularly a home to the major locomotive-building company. On November 5, 1935, the city was renamed Voroshilovgrad (Russian and Ukrainian: Ворошиловград) in honour of Soviet military commander and politician Kliment Voroshilov. On March 5, 1958, with the call of Khrushchev not to give names of living people to cities, the old name was reinstated. On January 5, 1970, after Voroshilov died, the name was changed again to Voroshilovgrad. Finally, on May 4, 1990, a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR gave the city back its original name.

On September 7, 2006, Archaeologists in Ukraine claimed an ancient structure, which the press reported as a pyramid antedating those in Egypt by at least 300 years, was discovered near Luhansk. The stone foundations of the structure were said to resemble Aztec and Mayan pyramids in Mesoamerica. It was later concluded that the site in question was not a pyramid but still of great interest.

Olympic Champion pole vaulter Serhiy Bubka was born in Luhans'k in 1963.

[Dave K]

Day 24: I wasn't expecting to see any non Russian stations in the scoring today, but Tynset Ii just sneaks an ice day. I remember from last year Tynset Ii has something of a microclimate that means it can be much colder than the surrounding stations in southern Norway, and being one of the highest eligible stations helps too, though it is on an sheltered elevated plain by a river rather than a hill top.

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DAY 24: 24 HOURS ENDING 06Z / 09Z* ON 9th NOVEMBER 2011
PLACE	NATION	M asl	LAT. °N	Tmin °C	Tmax °C	T_Mean °C	POINTS
Petrun'	Russia	58	66.5	-23.4	-9.6	-16.50	1.650
Vorkuta	Russia	180	67.5	-20.4	-12.4	-16.40	1.640
Tynset Ii	Norway	482	62.3	-4.5	-0.1	-2.30	0.230

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Location of Tynset Ii

[Dave K]

Day 25: Norway and Sweden manage to fill their two available spots with ice days but Finland just stays on the wrong side of 0.0 °C and misses out. Last year's winner Nikkaluokta is back in the Top 10. As usual no problem for Russia to have two scorers - although it became much less cold in the far NE overnight, yesterday was still very cold for many areas.

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[Dave K]

Day 26: Norway had many sub-zero readings throughout yesterday but milder air swept in from late evening depriving it of any ice days. Latvia was fairly close to become the next new nation to enter the scoring but the two coldest stations maxed at 0.4 °C and 0.5 °C so also missed out. Still, there are 4 nations in today's scoring - with the Russian locations of course being the coldest.

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The map below shows the locations of the Russian scorers, Glazov in purple and Askino (pretty close to the border of European/Asian Russia) in orange.

[Dave K]

Day 27: 8 out the maximum 10 places were filled for the points scoring today. Finland and Latvia again had some cold conditions during the day but just edging up to positive values overnight. Ukraine nudges into 4th place ahead of Finland in the national rankings, and Kharkiv is the highest population city so far in the scoring.

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