•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

Daily snowsports at the three Eastern areas. Best of Wednesday will be in the morning to early afternoon, wind will strengthen steadily later in the day, so an early close for some planned uplift is possible.

If you have been out on slopes please send photos to the email at the foot of this page!

Daily snowsports at the three Eastern areas, with CairnGorm and the Lecht having the biggest proportion of their terrain open, while CairnGorm tops out on the longest vertical, offering top to Daylodge riding giving 1650ft of vertical descent.

This evening wind speeds are picking up, with snow showers blowing in from the West, while significant accumulations are not expected tonight, with the drifting it will freshen up some areas. Wind speeds will moderate pre-dawn on Wednesday, the best of the day will be in the morning to early afternoon, wind speeds will strengthen steadily later in the day, so an early close for some planned uplift is possible. This heralds more organised frontal precipitation associated with an occlusion overnight into Thursday morning, which could give some mountain locations between 10 and 20cm of new snow.

CairnGorm has seen big gains in some parts of the mountain while open slopes exposed to the Southerly wind were largely stripped. The gains in the natural snowfields means the Gunbarrel is now filled in and the Coire Cas T-bar made its season debut on Tuesday, along with the Carpark T-bar. The Carpark Runs have some narrow areas, but are passable to the base. The M2 is posted closed as the Daylodge Run which bore the brunt of the storm is broken. The upper tows could be affected by wind from lunchtime on.

The Lecht, being the most NE of the snowsports areas, saw the least gains and also the least damage through the big storm cycle, the core of the Cairngorms taking some of the sting out of the mild Southerly wind. While there has been some snow loss outside the fences, the fenced runs on the main side still are still fence to fence with groomed machine packed snow, though there are some thinner bits on the links to/from the Eagle area. The beginner runs have good cover on the magic carpets. On the other side of the road the Buzzard faced into the full force of the wind, so the wide cover across the hillside has broken up, but the fenced runs and uptrack are still complete despite the SWly aspect.

The Cairnwell T-bar made its season debut during Tuesday at Glenshee, the Race Tracks having made a net gain through the storm cycle and it is hoped both will be open on Wednesday. The nursery areas and the short progression run from the Plastic Slope Poma are in good shape thanks to earlier snow making giving a solid machine made base. With the Southerly winds, the slopes on Carn Aosda have taken a battering and the Butcharts Access Poma will not run. Machines are working on the Bunny Run to give a longer loop from the Cairnwell T-bar.

Overall expect firm snow with a variable covering of windblow fresh early on Wednesday across the open terrain.

Glencoe has seen some of the upper gullies / snowfields make considerable gains despite the snowpack getting absolutely saturated in torrential rain on Sunday evening. As this dries up and refreezes a solid base is now in place in some of the key areas. A more significant spell of snow is expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning on stronger winds. Things are edging closer to opening for lift served snowsports, watch this space.

For Wednesday as things stood at dusk, just the Access Chair and sledge park scheduled to open. 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, last chair up at 3.45pm and last chair down at 4pm. Beginner lessons are taking place for beginners on snow at the Plateau Cafe (weather permitting).

All facilities at Nevis Range have been closed since Monday 5th January, including the base area. There is no lift assisted access to Aonach Mor for tourers or winter climbers at this time.

:: England Club Fields

The 3 Pennine Club Fields were able to open on Saturday, with a thin cover of new snow lying on frozen ground.

Weardale managed to open Sunday morning, with a decent covering of new snow overnight, but closed at lunchtime in rapidly deteriorating wet and windy weather. Weardale will not open again until colder temperatures and new snow return. Allenheads did not open as it was raining at the village elevation by morning.

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 at 850m the mid mountain temperature was -2.5°c, wind at 18 gusting 45mph. At Base level (366m) it was +1.7°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -4.5°c. The Met Office station was reporting a South West wind at 27 gusting 37mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was -2.8°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +0.6°c.

In the East the CairnGorm Met Office Summit AWS reported -5.0°c with a West wind at a mean of 39 gusting 58mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +1.0°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS (3061ft /934m) reported -3.5°c with a West wind at a mean of 30 gusting 44mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Overnight will see mountain snow showers moving through on a strong Westerly, giving some slight to moderate accumulations. Winds should moderate again pre-dawn on Wednesday.

Wednesday is expected to be dry with some sunshine in the East during the morning, but cloud will thicken by PM with showers ahead of frontal snow moving into Western mountains later in the day. Minus 2 to -3°c at Munro level, initially winds WSW 20 gusting 30 to 35mph morning, but increasing progressively as direction backs Southerly by nightfall. Increase to 40 gusting 60mph during the afternoon from the West. By or soon after dusk expect widespread Storm Force Southerlies on Highland mountains, around 50 gusting 70mph, perhaps 80mph plus in prone locations.

The high winds will give considerable drifting of the new snow that does fall overnight into Thursday morning.

A blustery start to Thursday morning, but at this stage, it looks like the peak of the winds should come overnight, with wind speeds moderating further into the morning. Remaining overnight snow showers will fade through the morning. Depending on snow level and exactly where catches the most snowfall, there could be some potential delays on East Coast access roads on Thursday morning. Wind may limit some more exposed lifts first thing also.

Overall the balance of forecast data points to things settling down with pressure rising to end the week and start the weekend, with Saturday probably at this stage looking the best of the weekend, with more chance of bright or sunny spells and the lightest winds.

However, Friday has a question mark over it! There is potential for a small, but potent low pressure to be close to or move through Northern Scotland on Friday, this could give a period of Severe Gale cyclonic then NW wind and a period of heavy snowfall. However, at this stage there the odds remain slightly in favour of a largely benign day on Friday with a decent amount of brightness and moderate SE winds falling light and variable from the West. Expecting around -2°c at Munro Level either way on Friday.

So for Friday, keep a close eye on the forecasts over the next couple of days. This could go down to the wire as even if the low forms and is towards the more potent of the scenarios being shown, it could track far enough South to leave Highland mountains in a still fairly slack airflow.

At this stage things are much more solid looking in terms of confidence for Saturday to be under a ridge, possible inversion conditions in some locations where wind falls light.

:: 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 mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.