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

With the forecasts showing unbroken sunshine for days ahead stretching out as far as the forecast apps go, it is a case of the spring season we might have had, if winter had materialised in any meaningful sense of the word! It rubs it in even more that it has not been a notably mild winter, but there has to be a worry that we will get pay back for the lengthy dry / settled spells come summer proper. So take advantage of this early taste of summer this week!

CairnGorm got one more day out of the beginner magic carpet at the Daylodge, but it is now closed and there are only small patches on the upper mountain. There is slightly more snow in the West high up, but much of this is recent drifted accumulations rather than an old consolidated base, so will melt more quickly during the coming week.

So we start April with the only lift served snowsports being morning beginner ski or snowboard lessons at Glencoe on the sledge park at the Plateau Cafe.

The Plateau Cafe remains open daily along with the adjacent sledge park, which remains full length.

As we move further into April, it becomes progressively less likely that the West or Glenshee can come back from a starting from scratch scenario. With it looking like 10 days to 2 weeks of dry settled weather, if there is to be any further lift served snowsports this season it more likely than not will be in the Northern CairnGorms.

Both CairnGorm and the Lecht can come back from nothing in April, indeed even into May, should an unstable cold northerly flow become established. The strengthening spring sun helping drive convection over the Moray Firth bringing big shower cells into the Northern Cairngorms. See April / May 2012 for a classic example of this! Not a single ski tow turned in anger in Scotland for the whole of March 2012, yet by 12th May it was ride anywhere above mid-station with both the M1 Poma and Coire Cas Tow back in action alongside the Top Basin.

Obviously CairnGorm has a height advantage over the Lecht and with the funicular back operating the availability of non-surface uplift to the Top Basin gives a better chance of getting some further lift served turns this season on CairnGorm. But for now, enjoy the sunshine in case this is our summer!

:: Glencoe Snow Sledge Park

The Access Chair is open daily from 9am. The sledge park is full length and snow making is in progress with a view to the sledge park remaining open through the early May Bank Holiday weekend.

Sledging is complimentary with a chairlift ticket. The Plateau Cafe on the mountain is open daily (weather permitting) from 10am until 3pm. If going sledging it is recommended to arrive by 2.45pm at the latest to get a reasonable length of time on the mountain, as the last chair down is 4.30pm.

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:: England Club Fields

All the club fields are awaiting the return of snow.

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 the Glencoe SSC hut at 850m the mid mountain temperature was +7.3°c, with a variable wind at 3 gusting 6 mph.

The SAIS AWS at the top of the Summit Tow was reporting +4.3°c on Aonach Mor. The Tower 17 AWS on the Gondola was reporting a variable wind at 3 gusting 9 mph. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +11.1°c.

In the East the CairnGorm the Met Office Summit AWS is offline. Aviemore was at +13.6°c.

The Cairnwell AWS reported +8.1°c (3061ft /934m), with a West wind at a mean of 8 gusting 17 mph.

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:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

With the wind backing Southerly for Tuesday, remaining cloud lingering from Monday should quickly break up and burn off away from South facing slopes in the Southern Highlands where some cloud cover may linger. Increasingly sunny, but with a strong S to SE wind on Tuesday. Munro Level temperatures highest towards the North of the mountain ranges, around +7 to +8°c. Wind generally 20 to 30mph, but with gusts to 50mph possible in and around the Nevis Range mountains and on / downslope from the Cairngorm Plateau areas.

With high pressure completely in control by Wednesday and wind speeds dropping away, the warm sourced light Southerly will give an early taste of summer with extensive sunshine expected and Munro Level temperatures nudging up day by day through mid-week. A moderate Southerly in the East Highlands, little or no wind in the West Highlands expected on Wednesday with Munro Level temperatures ranging from 8°c in the SE Highlands to +10°c in the North and NW Highlands.

Generally light and variable winds expected Thursday and Friday, Munro Level temperatures could nudge up to 9 to 11°c on Thursday before dropping back a degree or two for Friday.

There is a strong indication that high pressure will hold not just for the first weekend of April, but into at least the early part of the following week, with widespread unbroken sunshine expected. However sheltered glens and corries could see a night frost if winds remain light and variable.

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:: Webcams and Weather Stations

Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam online.

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images will be from around 6.20am BST. Mid mountain AWS online. Dryslope webcam and AWS out of action for a period due to overhaul of the tubing slope.

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