•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Only small patches of snow at present, thus no lift served snowsports. Limited beginner terrain expected to open in the East for this weekend, along with the Glencoe sledge park in the West. Calmer conditions in the days leading up to Christmas expected.

Fairly hefty snow showers and strong gusty winds overnight and through Tuesday left some new deeper deposits at height in the West and a dusting down to around the top of the respective west coast access lifts.

During Wednesday the SAIS observers noted evidence of an overnight avalanche in Easy Gully on Aonach Mor. However, the more general thin snow cover largely got shifted during Wednesday as the freezing level went above the summits with rain to all levels, but the new deeper drifted deposits have not changed much and will firm up this evening as the temperature drops back.

Currently there is insufficient snow for lift served snowsports across the five areas and CairnGorm will need a decent fall to reopen the Top Basin. While there are still lines of snow along the Ptarmigan Traverse and round onto the Traverse, very little was left in the Ptarmigan Bowl itself. CairnGorm will open the lower Snowbadger magic carpet for beginner terrain at Daylodge level on Friday on machine made snow. With higher pressure looking set to build in towards Christmas, it looks unlikely that any terrain will open or reopen on natural snow in the East until after Christmas at the earliest.

Glenshee are also aiming to open some beginner terrain the weekend before Christmas, but at update only the Rope Tow run was complete, with snow piles starting to be built up for the Dink Dink.

In the West there is the prospect of more meaningful snowfall during the remainder of this week, with decent build up of drifted accumulations on natural snowfields and suitably aligned fences of the upper to mid mountain terrain at Glencoe and Nevis Range. See forecast discussion below for more weather info.

However while we should see the natural high level snowfields begin to fill in, that is the terrain that needs the most depth and usually several storm cycles worth of freeze / thawing to create a skiable base. The freezing level currently looks as if it might be just a bit too high for significant snow to accumulate at Plateau level, but precipitation intensity and exact windspeed / direction could be enough to drive snow into the likes of Old Mugs Alley even if the temperature is slightly above freezing.

A significant step forward should be on the cards for high level West Coast terrain, but the chance of seeing lift served turns on the Plateau before Christmas from this event is doubtful.

At Glencoe, the Plateau Cafe and the Sledge Park are due to open for the season on Saturday 20th Dec. First chair up at 9am, last chair up at 3.30pm and last chair down at 4pm. White Corries Cafe at the base is open 8am to 4.30pm at present.

The Nevis Range Gondola is also presently open daily (wind permitting) with the last gondola up at 3.45pm and last down at 4pm.

:: England Club Fields

The three Pennine Clubfields all enjoyed a November start to their season, with Allenheads and Weardale notching up the first lift served UK snow turns of the season. There has not yet been sufficient snow at Raise in the Lake District and all clubfields are currently waiting for new snow.

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 7pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was +2.1°c, with a WSW wind at a mean of 14 gusting 36mph. At the base it was +5.9°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -0.1°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South South West wind at 40 gusting 61mph. It was +4.4°c at 680m at the CIC Hut. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +7.5°c.

In the East the CairnGorm the Met Office Summit AWS reported _0.4°c with South West wind at a mean of 44 gusting 69mph. Aviemore was at +8.1°c at 8pm.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS (3061ft /934m) reported +2.4°c with a SSW wind at a mean of 31 gusting 43 mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Tonight snow showers will come in on Severe Gale SW winds as the temperatures fall back further, so there should be fresh accumulations visible on the West Coast webcams in the morning. More organised hill snow should arrive into the West during Thursday afternoon after a dry and bright morning, with significant accumulations possible on West Coast mountains overnight into Friday morning. Modelled totals ranging from around 20 to 30cm of high level snowfall, with the heaviest precipitation combining with Southerly Gales which will become Storm Force South Westerlies into Friday morning. The NMM mesoscale model and UKV are more bullish with totals possibly pushing 40cm by dusk on Friday for some West Coast mountains. But there is a risk the biggest falls will be to the North of the West Coast ski areas!

The freezing level is likely to be slightly above the top of the Access Chair at Glencoe, but the strong winds from the Southerly quadrant will help drive wet sticky snow below what the air temperature alone might suggest during the overnight period of heavier precipitation. It is beneficial that it is not colder at this point as it will help the snow stick in the strong winds on the terrain that needs the most depth to form a skiable base.

With the heaviest precipitation coming in on South turning SW winds, accumulations will drop towards the Cairngorms, with CairnGorm likely to see much more showery precipitation.

Daytime Friday will see a mix of snow showers and sunny spells in the East, a blustery day with sleety showers likely for the opening of the Daylodge level beginner area on CairnGorm.

Some uncertainty on whether there will be a marked improvement with regard wind speed for Saturday, some model runs indicate wind speeds will start to moderate late Friday while other runs see the wind backing SE with Gales continuing on Saturday, potentially Severe for the Northern Cairngorms and Nevis Range.

High level snow showers continue Saturday for Western Hills, becoming more scattered further East. Overnight or during Sunday wind likely to back further to ESE to East and ease, with drier and calmer theme developing in the run up to Christmas. Possible inversion conditions as we approach Christmas.

:: 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 sledge park camera is online 24/7. Wind speed is available from base and mid mountain.