•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Around 10cm of new snow in the Cairngorms overnight gave way to a bluebird Friday. Strong Southerly winds will blow up tonight drifting more fresh from the Plateau into the Northern Corries of CairnGorm including the ski area!

Been out on the slopes - please send us your photos to the email address at the foot of this page.

Snow was falling to the lower slopes of the snowsports areas by dusk on Thursday and before the precipitation cleared later in the night, there had been 2 to 3 cm of snow in the West and generally around 10cm over the Cairngorms. By Friday morning the clouds had parted to bluebird skies, superb on the fresh snow in the East and on the groomers on the Main Basin and Happy Valley on the upper mountain at Glencoe.

In terms of overhead Saturday should dawn as dusk fell on Friday with clear skies across Highland Scotland, but a freshening Southerly wind will develop and a combination of topographic and katabatic wind acceleration mean a period of Gales, possibly severe for a time on the Cairngorm Plateau and surrounding northern downslopes. This means two things, the wind could delay opening of higher lifts on CairnGorm on Saturday morning, but also that there should be more fresh tracks to be got at despite the clear skies with the wind blowing loose powdery snow off the Plateau into the ski area.

There is good top to mid-station riding across green, blue and red terrain on CairnGorm, and it can be accessed from the train avoiding the M1 Poma for those not so keen on steep surface lifts! Both the Carpark Run and the M2 were unofficially seeing quite a bit of action back to base. Despite extensive cover in the Ciste Gully and on the East Wall the West Wall Poma is closed.

Whether CairnGorm or Glenshee is your pick for longer greens and easier blue terrain rather depends on how comfortable you are riding the Pomas at Glenshee, vs the funicular on CairnGorm, there are still extensive options at both.

For more advanced riders, Glencoe, CairnGorm or Glenshee are all still good options. In theory Glenshee could have the most extensive terrain, but the Fionn Pomas have both being out of action this week, though it is anticipated that one should reopen during saturday morning which would open up the whole bowl from the top of Caenlochan.

At Glenshee, Meall Odhar in particular has been one huge spring snow playground once things loosened up and this now has a covering of fresh and could get a windblown top up overnight. The loop from the top of Caenlochan via the Home Run and Tom Dearg and back up again is in great shape for blue level terrain and is being regularly pisted, this has been the pick in recent days. Tom Dearg is running primarily for return from the Home Run. If the Sunnyside Chair is running, this is the best option to get over to Caenlochan as it gives direct access to the southern Cluny run which is still full width, the traverse from the Sunnyside Pomas is very narrow with a couple of breaks. On the Cairnwell side the Cairnwell Chair will run wind and surface conditions permitting, giving experts access to the Tiger and Thunder Bowl.

At Glencoe the action is mainly on the upper mountain, so really is only suited to those comfortable with the more challenging end of the blue spectrum and above in terms of terrain. But with so much SE wind, the upper mountain is a bit back to front, so still the opportunity to ride parts of Meall a Bhuiridh that are not skiable all that often! See photos for full report. A short walk is required to return to the Cliffhanger and Plateau Cafe from Old Mugs Alley, the Cliffhanger Chair should be considered just for access presently. Only the Rannoch Button is running for uplift, but the uptrack is fully pisted and as mellow as it gets for the button.

Nevis Range is closed for lift served snowsports. The Lecht was closed today and will reopen on Saturday with the beginner area and the Buzzard Poma.

For novices, decent nursery areas at Glenshee, CairnGorm and the Lecht, but Glenshee and CairnGorm better options for progression terrain at this time.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

A beautiful forecast for Saturday, so these are definitely the days to aim for if planning to go sledging this weekend! The Sledge Park is full length and in good shape thanks to snow making from the snow factory. There are over 150 sledges to grab at the Plateau Cafe! 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, the sledge park is always quietest before 11.30am. Last chair down scheduled for 4pm.

:: 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/ .

:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut (850m) the temperature was -0.9°c, with the wind at 14 gusting 30mph. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +0.5°c. At Base level (366m) it was +2.2°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -3.8°c. The Met Office station was reporting a NWt wind at 14 gusting 19mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +0.2°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +2.1°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported -4.1°c, with a North Westerly at a mean of 32 gusting 40mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +2.4°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported -1.4°c with a Northerly at a mean of 21 gusting 30mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Wind speeds are expected to pick up tonight as a strengthening Southerly develops, this should not cause major issues as the peak is due pre-dawn, but could delay higher lifts on CairnGorm at least for a time, but will also bring fresh snow in off the Plateau.

Saturday is likely to be dry and bright with further good periods of sunshine, though perhaps not as extensively sunny as Friday, with some high cloud moving in during the afternoon. Munro Level temperature will lift to +2 or possibly +3°c by early afternoon on Saturday, possibly an earlier inversion layer and dry air aloft is likely to keep older snow firm off directly sunlit slopes even as temperature rises. Southerly wind around 15 to 25mph gusting 30mph.

Unfortunately it looks as if the high will slip far enough East to allow misty conditions to spill in for or during Sunday morning into the West, and later Glenshee with a fresh South to SSW wind. Likely to become murky with clagged in conditions particularly on Western mountains. CairnGorm and the Lecht should stay brighter with some breaks and sunny spells. Plus 2 to +3°c at Munro Level in the South, but could rise to +4 to +5°c towards the North and NE of the Cairngorms.

Monday will be a degree or two cooler with wintry showers falling as snow on the tops.

:: Webcams and Weather Stations

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

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images are from the Top of the Access Chair are around 6.20am, other cams come on shortly after 6.30am. Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.