General Situation // Scottish Ski & Winter Activity Report // Winterhighland

Overhead was intermittently better than Wednesday, alas we seem to have got the wind that did not blow as strong as forecast on Wednesday! Glencoe was unable to open for snowsports, though the Access Chair did open for sightseeing and access to the sledge park at lunch time. CairnGorm was able to open to the top, though the wind was strong enough to keep the Ciste Tow shut, while the Ptarmigan Tow was able to run with a degree of shelter behind the bulk of CairnGorm.

A wet night ahead and while precipitation should quickly become showery in the East, more steady rain is likely to persist through much of the morning in the West before turning showery. Wind speed could again affect uplift with an expectation that speeds at least in the morning will be slightly higher than Friday, so check AM updates.

Planning ahead, high pressure starts to ridge in strongly through Saturday, though Saturday itself will still be quite blustery, but but it will be an improving day and by Sunday it looks like we should be into classic spring conditions under high pressure with dirunal freeze/thaw cycling. Thus surface conditions getting better with each cycle with the old base snow yielding up classic granular spring snow corn as we move into next week.

Summer is long enough and as we pass the mid point of April the clock is ticking on this season, with Glencoe targeting Monday 4th May as closing day (weather and snow permitting), so with the weather set to settle down, time to grab some spring action while you can.

CairnGorm is the pick if you are seeking easier terrain or wish to ride with a mixed ability group, with still decent cover in the Top Basin terrain (various green trails), and the Cas runs from the Traverse (green / blue). A lot of snow was pushed out from between the top two Zig Zags on Thursday to make a robust link from the second Zig Zag to the M1 Poma and the bottom 100m or so of the Gunbarrel for access to the Funicular. The White Lady (red) remains in the best shape of the mid mountain open terrain with a wide and deep base thanks to the persistent SE storms in January! When the weather settles down the White Lady should be epic this weekend into next week.

If you are prepared to do the leg work the Ciste Gully is complete to around the level of the former boardwalks. However, please note that the Funicular touring pass is not available currently.

Glencoe is better suited to more experienced skiers and boarders at this time, you need be a strong intermediate, comfortable with the harder end of blue terrain to get the most out of what is on offer. Mid mountain and the Cliffhanger is for access to/from the upper mountain, with the Wall (red) offering the best route (subject to surface conditions) down the mid mountain. There is a mostly skiable route via Mugs Alley and Old Mugs Alley, but this does require some walking in places.

Glenshee and the Lecht are currently closed for snowsports. At update the CairnGorm Ski Road, the A939 Lecht Pass and the A93 Cairnwell Pass were open and clear.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

The Sledge Park is full length and in decent condition. Snow making is currently paused, pending the commissioning of a new snow factory unit! There are over 150 sledges to grab at the Plateau Cafe, sledging is complimentary!

It is advisable to arrive before 2.30pm at the latest for sledging to get a decent amount of time on the hill. First chair up at 9am, the sledge park is always quietest before lunch time. Last chair down scheduled for 4.15pm.

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:: England Club Fields

All the club fields are waiting for new snow to be able to reopen.

For both Weardale and Allenheads, you need to join the club with a season pass, these are still available for both at this time.

Please check club access rules / availability if not a club member / pass holder.

Weardale: https: //skiweardale.com/ .
Allenheads: http://ski-allenheads.co.uk/ .
Yad Moss: https: //yadmoss.co.uk/ .
Raise: https: //www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/ .

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:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at Glencoe, the summit AWS on Meall a Bhuiridh (1097m) was reporting a temperature of +2.5°c, with an ESE wind at 11 gusting 32mph. At the SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +4.2°c. At Base level (366m) it was +8.7°c with a WSW wind at 7 gusting 11mph.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting +1.6°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South West wind at 27 gusting 48mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +5.9°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +9.9°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported +1.9°c, with a South Westerly at a mean of 25 gusting 50mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +12.3°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +5.9°c with a South West wind at a mean of 27 gusting 44mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Unfortunately Friday looks like another damp and rather windy day, though it will be an improving weather picture later in the day. Overnight rain should start to break up into showers late morning in the West Highlands and there may even be some brighter spells in the afternoon. Certainly it does not look like a day to rush out of bed if considering a West Coast slide at Glencoe as windspeeds could again disrupt / limit uplift, at least in the morning, with Southerly wind giving gusts widely to 50mph.

Precipitation should be more showery for the Cairngorms from the get go, with more chance of sunny spells developing between showers, these wintry over the high tops. However, gusts to 60mph in more prone / exposed locations are expected. Around +3 to +5°c at Munro Level.

High pressure then begins ridging in strongly over the weekend. Saturday will still be showery in the West, at least initially with showers falling as snow on higher elevations. Showers should ease and brighter spells increase even in the West as the day goes on. Fewer showers reaching the East Highlands and these should fade quicker. Around +2 to +3°c at Munro Level, but lowering 1 or 0°c in heavier wintry showers in the West at times. SW 30 gusting 45mph widely through the dawn period, gusts 50mph on and near the Cairngorm Plateau and Nevis Range mountains. Speeds then moderating, so by mid morning expecting around 20 to 25 gusting 35mph and generally slowly moderating further through the afternoon.

Sunday into the new week sees high pressure centered over or to the North of Scotland and firmly in control of the weather. Classic spring conditions with diurnal freeze / thaw cycling of the snow pack expected over the following days. Dry and widely bright, but the best of the sunshine day to day will depend on exact position of the high and where if anywhere has onshore wind. Generally light and variable wind on the hills. Some inversion mist may form in the glens, but should soon burn off in the strengthening spring sunshine.

Daytime Munro Level temperatures around +2 to +3°c, but may peak a few degrees higher in the sunniest areas. Small risk of snow flurries coming into mountains exposed to any on shore wind.

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:: Webcams and Weather Stations

Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam is online (24/7).

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images are shortly after 6am (BST). Sledge Park camera streams overnight. Replacement Summit AWS has been installed and temperature data is available from 4 levels. Wind speed currently available at summit and base.

Extras

CairnGorm was definitely the location over the past 2 days if you are seeking easier terrain or wish to ride with a mixed ability group. With the fresh snow from Wednesday, the Top Basin terrain (various green trails), White Lady (red) and the Cas runs from the Traverse (green / blue) were all giving fantastic riding on Thursday. The M1 RaceTrack (red) is also doable, by exiting to the 105. The White Lady has a wide and deep base under the new snow and is in superb shape thanks to the persistent SE storms in January!

If you are prepared to do the leg work the Ciste Gully is complete to below the level of the former boardwalks, but this has rarely been open this winter and the West Wall Poma has not run since mid February. The SE winds which loaded both the Lady and the Ciste Gully having left virtually nothing on the West Wall and not much on the long since expired Poma uptrack.

While the Traverse is loaded, the mid Cas and lower end of the 105 is thin and narrow, but was improving again with drifting snow filling it back in. This relative lack of snow on the Upper Cas is fairly typical of seasons where the big snow storms were dominated by East or SE wind.

If you are prepared to do the leg work the Ciste Gully is complete to below the level of the former boardwalks. However, please not that the Funicular touring pass is not available currently.

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