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

The strong winds persisted, with a particularly annoying waxing and waning at Glencoe that teased for hours, but never dropped enough to even allow the Access Chair to run. Despite several hours registering sustained Hurricane Force winds at the summit weather station, the wind being slightly North of West allowed CairnGorm to open for mid mountain snowsports from both the Funicular and the mid mountain surface lifts, giving a mix of green, blue and red terrain.

Wind speeds across the board should be lower on Tuesday, but milder air will spill in overnight. Undisturbed deeper fresh snow is likely to become rather slow and sticky, where this is groomed and mixed up with underlying snow a more spring snow like surface should give sweet turns and anywhere that was wind scoured but retained the older hard base should start to loosen to nice granular spring snow.

Glencoe has seen the most new snow of the two open areas, but nobody other than some very keen tourers has managed to set planks on it for days! However in terms of overhead, CairnGorm is likely to have a better day on Tuesday as nearer the West Coast, clagged in drizzly conditions are expected, though it may improve in the afternoon.

Glencoe looks to have got somewhere between 8 to 12cm of further snow since the freezing level dropped back below the summit after a mild blip on Sunday morning, but it was quite powdery and whipping about into clouds of snow high above the Plateau in the very strong Sunday winds, so the extent to which drifts have accumulated along the Plateau fences needs to be fully assessed on Tuesday morning. However, there is enough snow drifted into the top of the Low Road and Old Mugs Alley for the Rannoch Chair to run for access to the Cliffhanger.

Snow that fell on Saturday and drifted overnight got progressively wetter snow falling on top until a brief rain / sleet period that dampened down drifting before snow started falling again, so overall there should be some significant gains on parts of Meall a Bhuiridh. The Main Basin, Spring Run and the top of the Low Road from Rannoch Chair get off to the Plateau runs appear to have done particularly well so far.

CairnGorm has also seen new snow, though not as much as in the West, but there was substantial drifting through the day on Sunday and the freezing level stayed below the summit, The Top Basin green runs are in great shape, the Ptarmigan Terrain Park will require some storm recovery work though. Down onto mid mountain the Cas side offers a mix terrain for different abilities.

The White Lady (red) remaining full width over its full length for more experienced skiers and riders. The Traverse down into Coire Cas is loaded as is the Gunbarrel and the top legs of the Zig Zags, while the mid Cas is still somewhat narrow, it has filled in enough to provide enough space to allow the Cas T-bar to reopen, a good option if the wind is trying to blow you back up the Traverse when using either the M1 Poma or Funicular!

Glenshee and the Lecht are currently closed for snowsports. Indeed it is likely Glenshee is now closed for the season, it is much less likely to come back as we approach and move into April, whereas the Lecht can still come back from nothing to open even into May! That said there is still scope for touring excursions around Glenshee with still areas of very deep snow on Meall Odhar, Glas Maol and the surrounding Munros.

At update the A939 Lecht Pass and the A93 Cairnwell Pass were open.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

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 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 4.30pm. The Plateau Cafe is open daily when the Access Chair is running.

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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 the Glencoe SSC hut (850m) the temperature was -0.2°c, no wind data is available. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +2.6°c. At Base level (366m) it was +5.3°c with the wind at 20 gusting 27mph.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -1.9°c. The Met Office station was reporting a West wind at 24 gusting 50mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +1.4°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +5.0°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported -2.8°c, with a Storm Force Westerly at a mean of 58 gusting 85mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +6.4°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported -0.1°c with a North West wind at a mean of 50 gusting 83mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Tuesday looks a bit meh for the West, though the persistent high winds of recent days should have eased back enough for uplift to run. Tending to be a bit murky and clagged in on Western hills with drizzly conditions persisting through much of the day. Progressively drier with higher cloud bases to the East and further NE and SE in the Cairngorms might have some brighter interludes. Between +2 and +4°c at Munro Level by middle of the day. Tending to be higher towards the East, with progressively drier and clearer air the further East one is. CairnGorm looks to be finely balanced being close to the divide between overcast and maybe higher hill fog and fairly clear with some sunny spells. Westerly wind around 25 gusting to 35mph, 45mph on higher tops and exposed ridges.

At some point during Wednesday colder air will return, but there is significant divergence on forecast detail relating to the exact placement of a cold front / possible convergence zone that will become slow moving over or near Highland Scotland. The trend today has been to edge it back further south, a more favourable result for the ski areas. But for at least part of the day snow is likely to fall to low levels in the Northern Highlands and be raining across the ski areas!

However if this front stalls for a time in the right place, it could potentially bring fairly slow moving and heavy mountain snowfall to some locations, with some recent model runs having 20 to 30cm of snowfall for the Northern Cairngorms ! But if the front stays towards the Northern Highlands, a milder, wetter and windier day for the Central Highlands would occur, strong to gale SW winds on the southern side of the divide, moderate NE winds on the northern side. Either way the front begins to push further south later in the afternoon or into Wednesday evening!

Keep an eye on this forecast as it could also turn into a freshies day with relatively light winds for Glencoe, but it could equally turn into a hide under the duvet and away from the webcams sort of day! The latest Met Office manual fax chart for noon on Wednesday has the front diagonally across the Central Highlands and slightly further south than projected on Sunday evening. Thus the Met Office senior forecasters look to be confident it will be somewhat further south than indicated by the spot forecasts from the UKV model. On this fax chart, Glencoe and CairnGorm would be on the good side of the divide at noon on Wednesday!

At Munro Level expect at least +2°c through the dawn period on Wednesday, but could be as high as +3 or +4°c for a time on Wednesday morning, South Westerly 30 gusting 50 to 55mph, risk of stronger gusts along the front. Abruptly zero lowering -2°c and possibly lowering another degree or two into the evening.

By Thursday there is more confidence again of colder air being in place across Highland Scotland with moderate SE wind, but risk stronger SE gusts in prone locations such as on and downslope of the Cairngorm Plateau and through and NW of the Nevis Range mountains. A mix of brighter spells and snow showers, these likely to be more frequent towards the Southern Highlands. Around -2°c at Munro Level with the freezing level around the lower slopes of the snowsports areas.

Early indications for Good Friday point to a mix of some brighter periods and snow showers on the hills, models coalescing around deeper low pressures rather than a wider trough with shallow individual centres, thus moderate to strong SE winds now favoured, Gales for areas prone to topographic acceleration of South Easterlies! Snow showers will thus most likely be more frequent and heavier in the Southern Highlands. Munro Level temperature is likely to range from -1°c in the SE Highlands to -3°c further North and West. Widely SE 20 to 25 gusting 40mph, but expect 40mph gusting 60mph plus on and downslope of the Cairngorm Plateau and through and around the Nevis Range mountains.

Saturday shows potential for heavier and more persistent mountain snow into the West Highlands and strengthening cyclonic winds. Day to day detail through Easter weekend will depend on exact timing of individual low pressure systems and the very transient ridges between them, so bouts of Severe Gales or even Storm Force winds interspersed by fairly short relative lulls.

If winds are South Easterly Glencoe is favoured over CairnGorm. If winds are North Westerly or even just slightly North of West, they are lot more unpredictable and gusty at Glencoe as was seen on Monday, with Glencoe unable to open even the Access Chair, while CairnGorm was able to open mid level surface lifts despite mean speeds bouncing between Storm and Hurricane Force on the summit!

Going beyond Easter Day, on balance, operational runs and balance of ensembles have somewhat leaned more to a cooler scenario with changeable conditions under the polar trough, with the strengthening spring sun giving hefty convective snow showers for mountains with onshore 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 before 6.30am (BST). Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.

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