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

Stormy with mountain snow overnight Friday into Saturday with some uncertainty about weekend day time wind speeds.

CairnGorm and Glencoe are open daily for spring snowsports, weather permitting, so please check AM updates. If the wind behaves itself expect some fresh on the open groomers at CairnGorm and some deeper windblown fresh at Glencoe on the upper mountain. A short while after the top tows shut on Friday afternoon, the freshening wind and a few snow showers had already given some fresh tracks!

It has been a fairly spectacular weather roller coaster over the last week, with heavy snow preceding and during Storm Dave, then the warmth of Tuesday and Wednesday, giving the hottest days of the year so far, and now the mountains back below freezing with potentially significant further mountain snowfall this weekend.

With new snow and strong winds forecast, please consider the avalanche potential! The lack of reports with the SAIS season now ended outwith the Lochaber and Northern Cairngorms forecasting area does not mean lack of avalanche potential!

CairnGorm is the pick if you are seeking easier terrain or wish to ride with a mixed ability group, with still good cover in the Top Basin terrain (various green trails), White Lady (red) and the Cas runs from the Traverse (green / blue). The White Lady in particular has a wide and deep base thanks to the persistent SE storms in January!

While the Traverse is loaded, the mid Cas and lower end of the 105 is thin and narrow, better to deviate to skiers left of the normal main run in places, but further down the Gunbarrel remains in good shape. This relative lack of snow on the Upper Cas is fairly typical of seasons where the big snow storms were dominated by East or SE wind.

If you are prepared to do the leg work the Ciste Gully is complete to below the level of the former boardwalks. However, please not that the Funicular touring pass is not available. It is not clear whether the normal touring pass is available that would allow tourers to walk to the M1 Poma and use it along with the Ptarmigan Tow.

At Glencoe the high temperatures earlier in the week stripped much of the baseless new snow from the Plateau terrain, so the mountain is back to really being better suited to strong intermediates and above.

The main action at Glencoe is on the upper mountain, with the Main Basin and Happy Valley being pisted regularly. The Spring Run was great fun during the warm spring temperatures earlier this week, the base has now refrozen, so check with patrol for the latest on how much new snow has stuck. It could be anything from epic to a survival course! Mid mountain a combination of Mugs Alley and Old Mugs Alley, will get you back to the Plateau Cafe via easier terrain, while for more advanced riders the Wall (red) is also skiable.

That said the Plateau Poma track is not hugely broken and it would not take much new snow and drifting to allow it to run again. At the end of the day the best option on Friday was the full length of Old Mugs Alley to the bottom of the Coire Pollach Tow, then a short hoof down the track to the Access Chair.

Glenshee and the Lecht are currently 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 great condition. Snowmaking continues round the clock. 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 4.30pm.

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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 -1.5°c with a SSW wind at 6 gusting 25mph. At the SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +0.4°c. At Base level (366m) it was +5.4°c with the wind at 6 gusting 16mph.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -2.9°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South wind at 31 gusting 50mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +2.2°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +7.1°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported -2.0°c, with a South Easterly at a mean of 46 gusting 57mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +7.9°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported ++0.4°c with a South wind at a mean of 34 gusting 46mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

A fine start to Friday under bluebird skies, but cloud gradually built in through the day with some snow showers on Western hills before lift closing time at Glencoe. That heralds a change to stormy conditions overnight, that is a theme for the weekend with the stormiest conditions occurring overnight for both Friday into Saturday and Saturday into Sunday. However the extent to which the wind moderates during the day on Saturday and thus whether it moderates enough is not certain. Check AM updates for Saturday. Sunday at this stage looks likely to be windier throughout than Saturday and uplift is likely to be affected or limited.

The good news is that the Friday night wind is ramping up ahead of more organised hill snow arriving into the West through the dusk period on Friday, with heaviest precipitation and worst of the wind occurring through the early hours of Saturday. Severe Gale or Storm Force South backing SE winds overnight, with potentially up to 10cm of snow for some western mountains.

Saturday looks to see the strongest winds clear out to the East through or by the dawn period, with blustery and heavy snow showers for the mountains. Wind speeds variable and more gusty around the showers, but a relative lull through the middle part of the day is possible. Post dawn sustained speeds of 50mph likely, easing for a while to around 20 gusting 30mph before markedly increasing again in the afternoon or early evening to be Southerly 40 to 45 gusting 60 to 70mph. Minus 3°c post dawn at Munro level, rising to -1°c.

Potentially stormy again overnight Saturday into Sunday with further mountain snowfall, heaviest in the West. Blizzard conditions will set in on the mountains and in more exposed mountain locations wind speed could increase to the region of 60mph with gusts pushing 80 to 90mph in the more prone locations. Model output is rather variable on precipitation totals with anything from around 5 to 10cm to over 30cm looking possible in some parts of the SW Highlands during the period of overnight and through Sunday.

In the East Sunday will see a mix of hefty snow showers and some brighter spells. But expect at least intermittent whiteout at higher levels of the Cairngorms. In the West overnight frontal precipitation will become showery for a time, but these will intensify during the day, with clusters of snow showers merging together to give more prolonged periods of mountain snow, with blizzard conditions at height. Between -1 and 0°c at Munro level, may drop a degree or two further in heaviest precipitation. South veering SW 40 to 45mph gusting 65mph widely and only slowly moderating during Sunday.

A minority of model data reduces wind speed slightly quicker, but at best a delayed start is likely on Sunday and the wind may, when combined with the overhead conditions, prevent uplift.

Monday looks to be an improving day of moderate Southerly wind easing further with a mix of sunny spells and mountain snow showers with the Munro Level temperature around 0°c. Showers will gradually fade as a ridge pushes in and early indications favour a fine Tuesday, dry with light winds and possibly some longer periods of 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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