sponsored by ..
I'm going back to my previous editorial about the old wive’s tale that says early and copious berries on the Rowan trees are a sign of a hard winter because I did a bit of research about it. In reality, the number of berries is a sign of how sunny it was in Spring when the flowers are developing and getting the nutrients they need to produce those wonderful red berries. So, sadly, no truth there. Or is that true? Well, it turns out that there may well be a connection after all.
You see, the weather in late Winter/early Spring is connected to something called the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which gives the difference in atmospheric pressure between the sub-tropical(around the Azores) high and the sub-polar (Iceland) low sea level pressures. In spring, a positive NAO typically leads to increased cloud cover and reduced sunshine levels in Scotland due to stronger westerly winds bringing moist, unsettled weather from the Atlantic.
Conversely, a negative NAO often results in clearer, drier conditions, increasing sunshine levels as high-pressure systems dominate, reducing cloud cover. This is good for rowan berries later in the year.
However! A negative NAO also brings colder, snowier conditions, particularly in the mountains and higher ground, and more settled, dry weather at times. These are perfect conditions for all those winter outdoor enthusiasts, from landscape photographers to ice climbers!
Supposedly, the NAO cannot be predicted over a longer period, but recent research has shown that the SST tripole (strong surface temperature trends) can strongly influence the NAO, and SST is predictable in the longer term.
And if you look at winter 2010, that’s precisely what happened - lots of lush berries and a proper hard winter! It turns out that you should always nod sagely when an old wife tells you something!
Tim Parkin
Issue 315
Click here to download issue 315 (high quality, 139Mb) Click here to download issue 315 (smaller download, 89Mb) more
End frame: The Hidden Tree by Theo Bosboom
I was immediately captivated by his fascinating universe: there are many ways to showcase creativity in an image, and for me, this represents artistic expression at its finest. more
4×4 Landscape Portfolios
Welcome to our 4x4 feature, which is a set of four mini landscape photography portfolios which has been submitted by Adam Welch, Andrea Mazzei, Goran Prvulovic & Guido Batista. more
Chris Harrison
Not every photo needs to be a standout; some of them can just be good without needing to steal the show. more
Zack Stanton – Portrait of a Photographer
Born and raised amidst the stunning natural landscapes of Humboldt County, California, his life has been shaped by the rugged beauty of the coastline, the towering redwood forests, and the ever-changing skies of this northwest corner of the state more
Living Books
AI is coming to a town near you. Should you hop on the bandwagon? I have no idea, I can only say I do not feel connected to nature if I am not outdoors capturing images, I don’t feel expressive if I am writing scripts, and I find making things with my hands therapeutic. The art book making I will describe here is art driven craft from capture to more
Ghostly beauty
In June 2023, a Google alert notified me of an explosion of willow ermine moth caterpillars in an area along the Waal River, not very far from my hometown, Arnhem (the Netherlands). more
Winter Light, Yosemite
My first ever trip to Yosemite National Park was during a powerful storm in the winter of 2007. I had moved to the USA just a few years earlier and was excited to have the opportunity to visit this famed national park. more