Though cloud is now coming over and there’s been the odd flurry this afternoon, much of Wednesday was an amazing winter’s day with blazing sunshine, with cold crisp snow on the ground and a lunch time temperature of -5c in the city centre of Inverness.

Today marks the 21st day, 3 full weeks, of lying snow at just 15m above sea level near to the city centre in Inverness. While people can remember deeper snow or colder temperatures what is setting this cold spell apart is it’s persistence.

If the forecast models are correct, we should pass the one month of lying snow in Inverness mark next week, I can’t recall snow lying so long at such low levels with no significant thaw? Tarmac has not been seen on my street since before Christmas, when people were wondering could the snow possibly hang around long enough for a White Christmas?

Inverness was one of those places that caught some snow showers on Christmas Day itself, making it truly a White Christmas in every sense.  A robin is sitting hopefully out the back for more bread.