•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

No uplift for the second straight day in the West due to the continuing high SW winds, a gust of 91mph was recorded shortly after 10am mid mountain at Glencoe! East will be blustery, but fair much better for overhead over the next few days. 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.

The wind once again limited uplift with everything shut in the West on Monday, as it were on Sunday. Wind speeds did ease back late afternoon in the West, but are set to pick up again overnight, with poor overhead also forecast for Tuesday, check morning reports before traveling or on route to Glencoe. Nevis Range will not attempt to open for snowsports before Thursday.

CairnGorm started Monday similar to Sunday with no surface lifts above the Cas Tow, but the M1 Poma did come on for the afternoon and briefly the top T-bars, but that was short lived! Glenshee was able to open out to the Caenlochan Poma, but wind prevented the chairs from running.

With the wind set to come in from the SW quadrant over the next few days, and dang clagged in drizzle expected in the West on Tuesday and heavier more persistent frontal rain on Wednesday, the East Coast looks much more promising for a mid-week slide. Wind will be less on Wednesday, but at the expense that even the East wont escape showers of rain, while Tuesday may just about stay dry in the East but that will come with more wind.

Wind speeds do not look likely to curtail Funicular operation on CairnGorm, so even if the M1 Poma can not run, a swath of the mid mountain from the M2 round to the Coronation Wall will still be available. That also makes CairnGorm the most appealing option for those wishing some back up to riding surface lifts all day, with it possible to go from the Ptarmigan to the Base station entirely on green terrain from the train on currently very forgiving granular spring snow.

Glenshee is the pick for more confident intermediates comfortable with the Pomas because there is a lot to get at. For the more experienced even if the Cairnwell Chair is off, Thunderbowl can be accessed from the Cairnwell Tow and Meall Odhar is just a huge expansive spring snow playground, do not confine oneself to just the vicinity of the Caenlochan Poma, get further out and explore, picking lines down to Tom Dearg or the Cluny Pomas to get back to the Caenlochan. For blue terrain riders, there is a long run down the ridge past the Fionn Poma top station round the Home Run to Tom Dearg that is a delight on spring snow.

The Lecht looks like it might be the driest / brightest on Wednesday. The main runs are holding up, full width between the fences, though some worn/scraped patches, particularly the steeper pitches of the Grouse runs. Some thin / narrow areas on the links, but still fine for moving around. The Buzzard side has an extensive wide cover of spring snow beyond the fences, but it will lose some over the coming days as it will be facing right into the wind.

For novices, the Lecht and CairnGorm have the advantage of magic carpets, but the beginner area at Glenshee remains in good condition too.

In the West the SAIS reported some fairly deep drifted new snow on the upper slopes of Meall a Bhuiridh, alas the wind was not for letting anyone get lift access to that! While the upper mountain has gained over the past couple of days, the Plateau has lost snow, and all Plateau runs other than Old Mugs Alley are broken at least lower down. The Poma uptrack was just above surviving, but will be really for access only if it can run. Coire Pollach Tow uptrack in decent shape, and there are routes back to the Cliffhanger Chair.

If Glencoe can open on Tuesday it will be best suited to more experienced riders as the main action will be on the upper mountain which has a robust base, though the deepest snow pack is in rather unusual locations due to the dominance of SE winds this winter. For less experienced skiers and snowboarders, looking for longer green runs and easier end of the blue spectrum, the East has much more to offer at this time.

:: 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 last Tuesday, having previously missed out on the snow that has come persistently from the East or SE.

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/ .

:: Mountain Weather

At 6pm in the West at the Glencoe SSC hut (850m) the temperature was +1.8°c, wind at 18 gusting 29mph. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +3.9°c. At Base level (366m) it was +6.0°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -0.1°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South Westerly at 19 gusting 38mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +3.7°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +7.0°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported -1.0°c, with a Westerly at a mean of 30 gusting 40mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +5.4°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +1.6°c with a variable wind at a mean of 19 gusting 47mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

After a relative lull in wind speeds on Monday evening, the wind will be picking up again through the early hours of Tuesday. Wind increasing to be widely 30 to 50mph, but 40 gusting 60mph in more exposed locations. FL returns to above the summits with Munro Level temperature ranging from +3 to +5°c towards the North and NE of the Cairngorms. Drizzly showers will turn into steady drizzle, with frontal rain reaching the West Coast before dusk. Likely becoming clagged in again! At this stage it looks like the Cairngorms may just about get away with a dry Tuesday, with some breaks in the cloud and some sunny spells for the North of the range. While wind may affect some uplift in the East, there should be a good day of spring snow riding.

Frontal rain moving into the West later Tuesday will intensify into persistent and heavier rain for Western mountains for Wednesday, giving a very poor day for winter activities. This looks like the one day mid-week with less wind in the West, but the rain will make up for it. Rain showers under cloudy skies for the Southern Cairngorms, but with the wind SSW or Southerly in the East, showers should be less frequent with some brighter periods possible for the Lecht. Around +3 to +4°c at Munro Level.

Becoming cooler by or during Thursday, with light snow showers on Eastern Munros, but more frequent mountain snow showers coming into the Western mountains. On balance of model output expecting a Munro Level temperature between -1 and +1°c. Gale Force WSW wind.

Forecast uncertainty for the detail on Friday has if anything increased, particularly with regard to wind speed, while there is a cluster of ensemble members showing pressure rising during Friday into Saturday, there are also some models going for a deepening area of low pressure. To confuse matters even further, of those that develop a distinct low pressure, wind speeds are generally light and variable for at least the West Coast ski areas in the middle of the low on Friday morning, but with a risk of an abrupt arrival of Gales!

Overhead is likely to be a mix of sunny spells and some hefty convective snow showers, these potentially slow moving for a time if wind speeds fall light. Between -1 and -3°c at Munro Level looks most likely, but the GFS ensembles manage to notch up a 12.5°c spread in 850hpa temperature by noon on Friday!

For Saturday, a mix of brighter spells and snow showers in the East, with more frequent snow showers in the West, with a Southerly wind, low confidence in wind speed, but gustiest to the North of expansive plateau areas and highest tops.

:: 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 6.30am, other cams come on shortly after 6.45am. Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.