•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Half Term Winding Down

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Glencoe celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the original Main Basin Tow on Friday evening. Saturday brought a soggy start to the 8th decade of lift served riding on Meall a' Bhuiridh!

All East Coast Access Roads open and clear at update.

Been out on the slopes - please send us your photos to the email address at the foot of this page.

A soggy and blustery start to the 8th decade of lift served snowsports at Glencoe on Saturday, with a delayed start to the wind which was fortunately on a downwards trajectory from overnight gusts just shy of 90mph at the Rescue Shed! The visibility was better when the rain was heaviest this afternoon, which meant despite the wet conditions some good turns could be had on the upper mountain, particularly Etive Glades which was arguably the pick when you could see it!

Glenshee was a day of two halves, a fine bright morning, but a damp drizzly clagged in afternoon. The Lecht was in and out of hill fog through the day, but despite that CairnGorm escaped with a day of decent overhead, which gave some very decent spring like riding with Ciste Gully officially open! Big drifts around the mid-station area were bashed down onto the upper section of the Carpark Run on Thursday, so hopefully this has strengthened the base enough for the lower slopes to get through this mild spell. The M2 / Daylodge route remains the best route to the Cas Carpark.

Out West there had been significant new snow overnight into Friday morning on the upper slopes, but the Plateau has lost a fair bit of snow since Friday morning. There were still drifted areas of new snow on the upper mountain at Glencoe, which ere a bit sticky where not either bashed or had seen little or no ski traffic. Older snow had loosened up to more spring like at the top and softening packed snow lower down.

The Plateau Poma is running mainly for access, the run has narrowing / thin areas, and is back to being decidedly agricultural towards the bottom. Rankins Return being the best route back to the Access Chair. Old Mugs Alley from the Coire Pollach Tow was the pick for early intermediates / snowplough turners. See Pix from the slopes for more info.

At Glenshee the wind may keep the Cairnwell Chairlift and the Caenlochan Poma off on Sunday, check AM updates. On the runs a good cover of softening packed snow, this is extensive across West aspects and between the fences on East aspects. South facing Butcharts area is narrow in places compared to the rest of the open terrain. Though there has been some snow loss, mainly it isa consolidation of the base, with a cosmetic loss of thin cover from open slope and we now have a good visual on just how solid the base is across a good portion of the terrain at Glenshee. Piste and lift crews were working on the Fionn Pomas on Saturday.

The Lecht has seen some snow loss, but the main side runs are still mostly full width between the fences, though some thin / scrapped areas are appearing, mainly on the steeper mid pitch of the main runs. The Buzzard side retains a wide and extensive cover and is the pick for more experienced riders.

Nevis Range has lost some snow from the lower runs, though it was still possible to link the Home Run and Rabbit Run for getting back to the Gondola. The milder temperatures meant the firmer old snow exposed by the wind shifting some of the looser fresh out of the Goose Gully was becoming more granular and spring like.

For beginners, all 3 Eastern areas nursery slopes are in good shape. CairnGorm edges it for progression terrain because there is the option of using the funicular.

Cooler temperatures and precipitation easing to showers will let the snow dry out and crunch up a bit in the West. This should make the snow pack a bit more granular / spring snow like on mid and lower elevations. Risk surface may harden up on highest slopes.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

The Sledge Park at the Plateau Cafe is in excellent condition! 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, the sledge park is always quietest before 11.30am. Last chair down scheduled for 4pm.

:: England Club Fields

The Lake District Ski Clubs Raise Poma made its season debut on Tuesday, having previously missed out on the snow that has come persistently from the East or SE.

Yad Moss despite some thawing on Monday was able to open on Tuesday and Wednesday, but like in Scotland there was no repeat of the blue skies and light winds! No available operators meant the Poma did not run on Thursday and with the forecast for rising temperatures for Friday, more snow will be required for any of the Pennine fields 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/ .

:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +4.5°c, wind at 18 gusting 45mph. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +6.5°c. At Base level (366m) it was +5.8°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting +2.1°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South Westerly at 44 gusting 68mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +6.2°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +7.2°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported +2.0°c, with a South Westerly at a mean of 27 gusting 38mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +7.5°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +2.9°c with a Southerly at a mean of 24 gusting 29mph.

:: Half Term Winding Down

The peak week of half term concludes this weekend, with only a couple of Scottish councils still on a long weekend on Monday. Given the uncertain wind forecast for Sunday / Monday, it is advisable to hold off buying until the morning after initial updates come out.

Please note that Nevis Range has no operational equipment hire. Glencoe hire opens at 8.30am and allows multi day hires for off site use, this is the only downhill ski and snowboard rental option currently available close to Nevis Range.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Sunday is looking a bit windier than Saturday, which could affect at least some uplift. Overnight will see the temperature start to come down and showers on Sunday should be snow on higher level terrain, but a mix of sleet/rain at the base of the snowsports areas. With a WSW wind, the best brightness will be towards the East, while there will be more wintry showers in the West. None the less Glencoe and Nevis should catch some brighter spells on Sunday. While the Lecht and Glenshee may get away with a largely dry day.

On Sunday at Munro Level the temperature will be around 0°c. Wind will be widely 35 to 40 gusting 50mph, but gusts over 60mph Northern Cairngorms and through the Nevis Range mountains.

Monday will be a degree milder, with around +1°c expected at Munro Level for much of the day. Overhead will be similar to Sunday, though some snow/wintry showers will reach Glenshee and the Lecht. Monday morning is expected to start with wind speeds up a notch on Sunday, in the region of 40 to 50 gusting 60 to 70mph before wind speeds moderate from the West.

As a transient ridge builds in during Monday, wind may lull almost totally on hills near the West Coast for a time in the afternoon.

Wind will be picking up again by the early hours of Tuesday, though possibly only moderate wind early Tuesday morning, by the middle of the day or early afternoon we are back to upland Gales. Wind increasing to be widely 30 to 50mph, but 40 gusting 60mph in more exposed locations. FL returning to above the summits with Munro Level temperature ranging from +3 to +5°c. Rain showers will start to come into the West during Tuesday morning, if not having reached by dawn, becoming clagged in again! At this stage it looks like the Cairngorms may just about get away with a dry Tuesday.

Moderate easing to light Southerly winds possibly becoming variable under another transient ridge on Wednesday. Plus 2 to 3°c at Munro Level. Mainly dry for the mountains, but some wintry showers coming into the Cairngorms from the south.

Overall for the week ahead, sustained gales with only brief lulls. Temperatures will fluctuate above and below freezing on higher Scottish mountains , with freeze / thaw cycling, but on balance of model output, likely to trend lower later in the week as we end February. How each day turns out for mountain activities is going to depend much on timing, if the transient ridges phase with daylight, there will be a couple of reasonable days at least. If the ridges come overnight, it will feel a worse week from basically the same weather!

:: 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 are around 6.45am, other cams come on shortly after 7 to 7.15am. Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.