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

If you are planning a slide in the next 2 days go Monday, with a particularly stormy day now expected on Tuesday. For Monday, gamble on the first lift as the best of the weather and least wind will be in the morning and there is some uncertainty about how much / quickly wind speeds will rise in the afternoon. That is not to say it will be calm on Monday morning, SE winds are still likely to be Gale Force on top of CairnGorm, which means that snowsports could be limited to the Cas Tow down as it was on Sunday, depending on visibility at the Top Station.

Ongoing drifting at height means there will be at least some digging out of the Funicular tunnel required AM. The temperature has dropped around a degree this evening at height, that is good news for drying out the snow at the bottom end of lower level terrain, but also means drifting snow may affect the top of the East Coast access roads AM.

Over the past 24 hours all the snowsports areas have seen more new snow, with Glenshee catching the most, around 8 to 10cm on higher terrain. Glencoe has seen around 5 to 6cm, while CairnGorm has seen a light fall of new snow, the persistent strong SE winds, means snow falling to the South continues to blow into the Northern Corries.

While Glencoe has been open to the top, the persistently very poor visibility has limited options and driven many back down to the much thinner and in places baseless cover on the Plateau, similarly on CairnGorm many retreated to the Carpark Tow on Sunday. In both cases the best under ski conditions by far was above where most people were riding. At both CairnGorm and Glencoe, the upper part of the lower runs have gained snow and the bottom lost some over the weekend.

With the sustained SE to East wind, Glencoe is starting to be a bit wrong way round, so the best snow cover and surface conditions might not be were expected. The Rock Garden area to skiers right of the top tows is pretty much merging into upper Rannoch Glades now, this was the most consistent turns in the poor viz on Sunday. Etive Glades is loading too, but visibility is a limiting factor on potential lines.

In the East continuing snow, wind and poor visibility (which means lots of rime) has continued to hamper storm recovery efforts and prevent pushing out and up in terms of open uplift. It is unlikely that will change to a significant extent before mid-week. However there is a potential window of a relative lull on Wednesday, the question will be how much storm recovery work is needed after Tuesday to get back to where things were now in terms of open uplift, but there should be some decent amount of windblown fresh around!

Glenshee has over the past 48 hours seen between 22 and 30cm of new snow at height within the ski area. As an indication of what lies further up and out, the SAIS measured a snow depth of 200cm in the small bowl at the top of the original Meall Odhar Run, a bit to skiers right of the Caenlochan Poma on Friday around 30m elevation below the Meall Odhar summit. On Saturday also on a West aspect, a depth of 220cm was recorded just below the summit of the Cairnwell. There is a lot of snow on parts of Western aspects, and North/South aligned fences on Carn Aosda are also benefiting, but snow cover is very far from uniform and there is going to be a huge amount of storm recovery work needed to push further out.

The Lecht have the Grouse, Eagle and Buzzard Pomas open serving most main runs which are full width between the fences. Some icy patches possible at the top and may develop on the steeper pitches during the day. Magic carpet beginner areas are in good shape thanks to snow making and will be the most sheltered beginner option on Monday.

At update the A939 Lecht Pass was closed for the night, while the A93 Cairnwell Pass was open. The freezing level is sitting about road level at the Eastern areas, and slightly above the West Coast access lifts top stations.

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.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

The Sledge Park at the Plateau Cafe is in excellent condition, but overhead has been fairly rough in recent days. Visibility will start poor on Sunday and there will be a significant wind chill, dress appropriately! 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. Sledgers keep in mind, the Access Chair will be busier at the end of weekend days with snowsports underway.

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:: England Club Fields

All club fields are waiting for new snow to arrive.

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 7pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was -1.3°c, wind at 13 gusting 26mph. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was 0.0°c. At Base level (366m) it was +2.0°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -3.4°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South wind at 24 gusting 50mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +0.8°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +4.1°c.

In the East the CairnGorm Summit weather stations reported -4.2°c with a South Easterly at a mean of 46 gusting 56mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 7pm was +3.6°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS (3061ft /934m) reported -2.1°c with an Easterly at a mean of 30 gusting 44mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

There is a bit more clarity about the short term detail than last night and it now looks almost certain that Tuesday will be a noticeably stormy day on Highland mountains. The previously mentioned very deep low in the Western Atlantic spins up a shortwave ahead of it ,which now looks likely to undergo explosive cyclogenesis (deepening more than 24mb in 24 hours) which runs up against the persistent blocking to our NE. The tightening pressure gradient between the approaching deepening low and the blocking high, means widespread Storm Force winds for upland areas, with Hurricane Force winds likely in prone mountain locations.

Monday will see SE winds widely 30 to 40 gusting 50mph, tending to be 25 to 30 gusting 40mph for Glencoe, but more likely 40 to 50 gusting 60mph Northern Cairngorms by the middle of the day. The best of the day is likely to be post opening through to mid to late morning, where wind speeds should be around 10mph lighter than those figures,after which wind speeds are expected to steadily increase. Add 10 to 15mph to the midday values mentioned above for the afternoon. At Munro Level trending slightly cooler than Sunday with -2 lowering -3°c at Munro Level. Some brightness between snow showers towards the North and West. Snow showers will fade in the West, but any brighter periods will still be at a premium, the Lecht likely to see the best overhead.

Tuesday now looks to be a particularly stormy day for the Scottish Mountains, widespread Storm Force winds, with persistent hill snow setting in, becoming heavy in the SE Highlands and an arc toward the SW Highlands, Blizzard conditions with persistent whiteout at height. At Munro Level around -3°c, possibly a degree higher towards the West.

Wind SE widely 50 gusting 80mph at Munro Level, risk of widely becoming Hurricane Force with a period of sustained 80mph wind, with higher gusts. Gusts over 100mph likely in prone locations for SE winds such as on the Cairngorm Plateau and surrounding Northern downslopes, and through the Nevis Range mountains. Snow totals for the day could reach 30 to 40cm in some locations exposed to onshore wind.

Because of the projected strength of the low on Tuesday, it now looks as if there may be a relative lull on Wednesday, before SE wind strengthen once more. As this low has not yet formed, there is obviously still some uncertainty, so keep a close eye on the forecasts, because Wednesday could be the day, but maybe a slow start with a lot of storm recovery required to get anything open! Though it is not expected to see the biggest snow totals, Glencoe has the advantage of not having a road to deal with.

Wednesday itself will start dry, with sunny periods under part cloudy skies, cloud perhaps almost clearing completely for a time, with a moderate becoming strong SE wind. Around -2 to -2°c at Munro Level. Cloud will increase towards dusk, heralding more snow coming in from the SE for the end of the week, and potentially to at least slightly lower levels.

On balance it looks like a fairly rough end to the week with sustained SE Gales once again, however some of the latest model output as an area of lighter winds potentially reaching the Southern Highlands for or during Friday. One to watch!

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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 from the Top of the Access Chair shortly after 7am, other cams come on by 8am. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.

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