•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Monday was the day after the night before - where first light revealed big gains in some gullies and natural snowfields, while other aspects were largely cleared first by wind scouring, then the wind driven rain. Most of the uplift that operated in the East on Sat should run Tuesday. Cairnwell T-bar planned to make its debut on Tuesday at Glenshee.

If you have been out on slopes please send photos to the email at the foot of this page!

Limited snowsports on Monday, on the road side nursery slopes at Glenshee, and the beginners area at the Lecht, which were then joined by the Grouse and Eagle Pomas on the main slopes as the wind moderated further. CairnGorm remained stormbound on Mon.

Tuesday promises lighter winds (though they will pick up again late afternoon or evening) and all three Eastern snowsports areas should have a reasonable mix of terrain and uplift on offer. The Cairnwell T-bar is set to make its debut on Tuesday at Glenshee, the Race Tracks having made a net gain through the storm cycle. However this does depend on the snowpack continuing to dry out and crunch up, as some work on connections and the uptrack are required first. The nursery areas and the short progression run from the Plastic Slope Poma are in good shape thanks to earlier snow making giving a solid machine made base. With the Southerly winds, the slopes on Carn Aosda have taken a battering and the Butcharts Access Poma will not run.

CairnGorm has seen big gains in some spots, while open slopes exposed to the Southerly wind now have large bare tracts. These big winter storms often leave things looking less wintry than before them, but are an essential part of building a resilient base. If the snowpack crunches up the piste crews will look at pisting the White Lady and sorting out the Cas uptrack, with a decent base now in place in the Gunbarrel, it is hoped the Cas T-bar will make its debut later Tuesday or on Wednesday.

There is still top to Daylodge riding to the upper bridge for access back to the Base Station for uplift via the funicular, giving 1650ft of vertical. The lower beginner area is in good condition thanks to the machine made base.

The Lecht, being the most NE of the snowsports areas, saw the least gains and also the least damage, the core of the Cairngorms taking some of the sting out of the mild Southerly wind. While there has been some snow loss outside the fences, the fenced runs on the main side still are still fence to fence with groomed machine packed snow, though there are some thinner bits on the links to/from the Eagle area. The beginner runs have good cover on the magic carpets. On the otherside of the road the Buzzard faced into the full force of the wind, so the wide cover across the hillside has broken up, but the fenced runs and uptrack are still complete despite the SWly aspect.

Glencoe has seen some of the upper gullies / snowfields make considerable gains despite the snowpack getting absolutely saturated in torrential rain on Sunday evening. As this dries up and refreezes a solid base is now place in some of the key areas. Snow showers are set to return tonight and with colder temperatures it will be possible to get machines out and have a look at whether any of the dots can be joined to kick of the West Coast season. A piste basher made it to the summit at Glencoe for the first time this season on Sunday morning, and if one is seen there on Tuesday, take it as a promising sign!

For Tuesday though, the Access Chair and sledge park should reopen with lighter winds forecast. It is advisable to arrive before 2pm at the latest for sledging to get a decent amount of time on the hill. First chair up at 9am, last chair up at 3.45pm and last chair down at 4pm. Snowsports lessons are taking place for beginners on snow at the Plateau Cafe (weather permitting).

All facilities at Nevis Range have been closed since Monday 5th January, including the base area. There is no lift assisted access to Aonach Mor for tourers or winter climbers at this time.

:: England Club Fields

The 3 Pennine Club Fields were able to open on Saturday, with a thin cover of new snow lying on frozen ground.

Weardale managed to open Sunday morning, with a decent covering of new snow overnight, but closed at lunchtime in rapidly deteriorating wet and windy weather. Weardale will not open again until colder temperatures and new snow return. Allenheads did not open as it was raining at the village elevation by morning.

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/ .

:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was +1.2°c, wind at 14 gusting 39mph. At Base level (366m) it was +5.2°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -1.3°c. The Met Office station was reporting a SW wind at 27 gusting 52mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +0.7°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +4.7°c.

In the East the CairnGorm Met Office Summit AWS reported -1.3°c with a SW wind at a mean of 48 gusting 65mph. Mondays highest gust was 103mph. Aviemore was at +4.8°c at 6pm.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS (3061ft /934m) reported +0.9°c with a SW wind at a mean of 29 gusting 43mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Wind speeds are moderating further this evening, and should stay light to moderate for much of daylight hours on Tuesday, though the wind is expected to pick up into the evening, before easing again around dawn on Wednesday. Current forecast data shows the wind increasing more substantially during Wednesday afternoon, thereafter wind speeds are expected to ease Thursday morning and current indications are for a ridge of high pressure to be building into Northern Scotland Friday and into the weekend.

Overnight into Tuesday will see clusters of mountain snow showers giving some light to moderate accumulations. Ranging from perhaps just a dusting up to a possible 10cm for some Western mountains. Daytime Tuesday will see light snow showers continue, generally overcast, though the Northern Cairngorms may catch some brighter or brief sunny intervals. Around -1 to -2°c at Munro Level. Light to moderate Westerly in the West, more variable in the East, wind becoming WSW and freshening late afternoon.

Wednesday is expected to be dry with some sunshine in the East during the morning, but cloud may thicken PM with some snow moving in from the West later in the day, as wind speeds pick up in the afternoon. Light snow showers in the West through the morning, will intensify to more widespread snowfall from around lunchtime into early afternoon. Minus 2 to -3°c at Munro level, WSW 20 to 30mph, gusting 45 to 50mph by afternoon.

Strong winds expected either Wednesday evening or overnight into Thursday, will give considerable drifting of what new snow does fall this week. Widely Severe Gale on Highland mountains for a number of hours and Storm Force likely on and around the Cairngorm plateau areas and through the Nevis Range mountains.

A blustery start to Thursday morning, but at this stage, it looks like the peak of the winds should come overnight and speeds already be easing by dawn and moderating further pre lift opening. Remaining overnight snow showers will fade through the morning, giving an expected dry end to the week and start of the weekend.

Overall some accumulation of new snow this week on the Highland mountains, but fairly modest precipitation totals overall expected for the remainder of the week. With a rise in pressure currently the form horse for the coming weekend, it looks like it could be time to start laying the ground work for some tentative weekend plans!

:: Webcams and Weather Stations

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

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images will be shortly after 8am. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.

The top of the Access weather station stopped sending data around the time snow turned to rain on Sun morning, with drier weather due Tue AM, hope to get this back up and running.