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

Poor visibility in snow showers with the wind ramping up this afternoon on CairnGorm, where the top tows were closed for the day due to the wind. Higher elevations beyond the ski area were a mix of breakable crust, firmer snow and areas of loose snow. What did fall this afternoon, is going to get blown North Westwards into the ski area, with a Storm Force Southerly wind at time of writing! That should see a further improvement in the natural snowfields on the Northern side of CairnGorm.

Wind speeds are set to moderate quite significantly pre-dawn and slowly ease back further through the day. Possible there might be some storm recovery and tidying up needed higher up, but the freezing level at update doesn?t suggest any big road dramas are likely. At update the CairnGorm ski road, the A939 Lecht Pass and the A93 Cairnwell Pass were open.

CairnGorm is able to offer top to Daylodge riding giving 1700ft of vertical on the Cas side now the Carpark Tow is operating, which means it is possible to access the mountain directly via surface lifts. The Daylodge Poma is scheduled to run for the first time since Jan 2022. Though at present it would only be serving its own run, machines have been working on the West Wall Poma uptrack. If both the DLP and WWP are able to run at the weekend, its a big step up in capacity and alternative and often faster route to the top! Snow showers tonight will be lighter than in the West, but there should be some stashes of windblown fresh. Mixed with some crustier / firmer areas, lower slopes likely to soften a bit by day. Some exploring may be well rewarded!

The Lecht has nearly all main runs complete and they are full width between the fences with machine groomed snow. A couple of thinner / narrower bits on links to/from the Eagle area, but generally held up very well in the wild/wet part of the storm cycle Sunday evening! The nursery slopes by the magic carpets have good cover thanks to the snow making. On the other side 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.

The Cairnwell T-bar is giving access to the Race Tracks giving a longer red and blue run at Glenshee. 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. However with the Southerly winds on Sunda night, the slopes on Carn Aosda took a battering and the Butcharts Access Poma is closed. Machines are working on the Bunny Run to give a longer loop from the Cairnwell T-bar. Sunnyside Pomas are running.

The West will see a number of hours of heavy mountain snow and the upper mountain terrain should see some gains, but it may be a wintry mix at the top of the respective access lifts. Up to 20cm of snow is possible in some spots. Glencoe is edging closer to opening for lift served snowsports, the prospects of opening by the weekend really depend on what happens tonight. Check updates / cams AM.

The Access Chair and sledge park are open daily (wind permitting). 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. Beginner 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.

:: Lift Ticket Info

After recent media coverage of the heavy low level snow in various areas at the start of the year, demand for lift passes last weekend significantly outstripped the available uplift / terrain. Overall more lifts and terrain should be available this weekend, and if Glencoe gets enough snow in the next 24 hours to open that will help considerably!

However, there are a lot of people chomping at the bit who missed out last weekend. So demand maybe even higher this weekend.

As it stands, the tickets CairnGorm released at the start of the week are sold out for the weekend, but this will be reviewed on Thursday in light of forecasts and more uplift now operating.

The Lecht are currently releasing tickets for 2 days ahead, so at posting of this message on Wednesday evening no weekend tickets have yet been released for sale.

Glenshee still have tickets available for the weekend and if you are planning a visit there, probably a good idea to buy in advance for this weekend.

Obviously no snowsports tickets yet on sale for Glencoe, watch this space!

• top of page •

:: 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/ .

• top of page •

:: Mountain Weather

At 8pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was -0.2°c, wind at 12 gusting 42mph. At Base level (366m) it was +3.5°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -2.1°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South wind at 25 gusting 48mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +0.9°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +4.1°c.

In the East the CairnGorm Met Office Summit AWS reported -2.9°c with a Storm Force Southerly at a 55 gusting 71mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 8pm was +4.5°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS (3061ft /934m) reported -1.1°c with a South wind at a mean of 35 gusting 45mph.

• top of page •

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Overnight will see mountain snow focussed on the West, with lighter falls in the East Highlands, but high winds will give considerable drifting of the new snow that fell in the afternoon in the East.

A blustery start to Thursday morning, but at this stage, it looks like the peak of the winds should come overnight, with wind speeds moderating further into the morning. Remaining overnight snow showers in the West will fade late morning.

Overall the balance of forecast data points to things settling down with pressure rising to end the week and start the weekend, with Saturday probably at this stage looking the best of the weekend, with more chance of bright or sunny spells. However overall it looks as if maybe fairly cloudy, some light snow flurries into the Southern Cairngorms, while it is the Lecht that currently looks best placed for brighter overhead this weekend. Freezing level by day will be around or just above the lower slopes, though possibly an inversion close to the West Coast on Saturday.

The question mark over Friday due to the uncertain track of a small low pressure now looks to have resolved in favour of a fairly benign day on the Scottish mountains, with the low tracking over the English Midlands.

• top of page •

:: 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.

• top of page •