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

The only lift served snowsports on Friday was on the White Lady (red) from the Funicular on CairnGorm, it was too windy for any surface uplift and the mid Cas was broken. At Glencoe only the Access Chair operated on Friday as it was too windy for either the Cliffhanger or Ranoch Chairs to help get people in the direction of the Main Basin T-bar.

It will still be fairly blustery first thing Saturday, but with an improving weather picture hopefully the worst case scenario is a slight delay on some of the possible lifts.

Thaw conditions should ease further into the evening after a wet and windy 3 day period and there may be some fresh snow at higher elevations by Saturday morning.

Planning ahead, as high pressure starts to ridge in through Saturday, 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.

Glencoe is only suitable for more experienced skiers and boarders at this time, you need to be a strong intermediate, comfortable with the harder end of blue terrain, as lift served riding is now limited to the upper mountain runs. The Main Basin and Spring Run should offer up some fantastic spring turns over the coming days as the weather settles down.

Mid mountain and the Cliffhanger is now just for access to/from the Main Basin T-bar, with the Wall (red) offering the best route (subject to surface conditions) down the mid mountain on snow. There is a partly skiable route via Mugs Alley and Old Mugs Alley, but this does require some walking in several places. A walk across the Plateau is required to reach the Cliffhanger Chair.

Summer is long enough and with us past the midpoint of April the clock is ticking on this season, with Glencoe targeting Monday 4th May as closing day (weather and snow permitting), so grab some spring action while you can.

In the East on CairnGorm, once the weather / snow dries up it will hopefully be able to put it back together enough to get a complete route via the Traverse and Cas back to mid-station so there is an easier route to the middle. The Gunbarrel has narrowed markedly over the past few days, but is still fairly level. The Top Zig Zag was in good condition and snow was being pushed out from between the top 2 Zig Zag legs to prepare an attempt at rebuilding the link to the Gunbarrel, but whether this is still possible will need to be assessed on Saturday. Both the M1 and Ciste Tow tracks will need to be checked out and may well require work once the snowpack dries out. The Ptarmigan Bowl still has good cover, including the Ptarmigan Traverse and the terrain park area.

The pick on CairnGorm though continues to be the White Lady, having a robust and solid base from the SE storms in January, this old snow should offer up superb spring corn snow over the coming days.

If you are prepared to do the leg work the Ciste Gully is complete to around the level of the former boardwalks and should similarly offer up superb spring snow turns. However, please note that the Funicular touring pass is not available currently.

CairnGorm is the pick if you are seeking easier terrain or wish to ride with a mixed ability group as there is no easier terrain available at Glencoe.

Glenshee and the Lecht are 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 reasonable 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 +2.0°c, with an ESE wind at 13 gusting 47mph. At the SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +4.0°c. At Base level (366m) it was +7.9°c with a South wind at 6 gusting 22mph.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting +1.1°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South West wind at 31 gusting 58mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +6.0°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +8.8°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported +2.1°c, with a Southerly at a mean of 47 gusting 62mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +11.7°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +3.6°c with a South wind at a mean of 44 gusting 55mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

A blustery night with wintry showers merging into more prolonged precipitation in the west and increasingly falling as snow on higher terrain as the freezing level drops back onto the higher Munros. Around +1°c at Munro Level expected from the early hours through much of Saturday in the West.

High pressure then begins to ridge in strongly over the weekend, the wintry precipitation will ease to showers on Saturday morning. Particularly in the West some hefty and blustery showers continue through into Saturday afternoon before becoming lighter and less frequent.

Even in the West as the showers ease, brighter spells will increase as the day goes on. Fewer showers reach the East Highlands and these should fade to lighter flurries quicker. Around +2 to +3°c at Munro Level in the East Highlands into the afternoon, but lowering a degree in any lingering showers. SW 30 gusting 45mph widely through the dawn period, gusts 50mph on and near the Cairngorm Plateau and Nevis Range mountains, veering Westerly pre opening time and 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, with a gradual trend upwards through the first half of next week. Small risk of snow flurries coming into mountains exposed to any on shore wind, currently most likely the Northern Cairngorms on Monday. Risk of night frosts in the glens and pockets of inversion mist early AM, but where that occurs it should quickly burn off in the stronger spring sunshine.

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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.

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