•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

No uplift operated for snowsports on Wednesday and it looks unlikely that anything other than perhaps the CairnGorm Funicular for top to mid-station riding will run Thursday (and if it does, likely with a delayed start unless winds drop quicker than forecast).

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

No lift served snowsports on Wednesday due to a combination of high winds and lack of lower level snow. Winds will ramp up further tonight before a slow decline during Thursday, the only semi realistic shot any uplift on Thursday looks to be the Funicular on CairnGorm and though that did open for a time on Wednesday afternoon it did not open for snowsports uplift.

Unfortunately the exposure to the warm sector overnight was greater than the operational forecast models showed previously and heavy rain in Storm Force winds occurred to the highest levels for a time, so there has been some further snow loss and less new snow than some of the forecasts were predicting so far.

That combination of high winds and open terrain being restricted to higher / further out terrain means Glenshee will not attempt to open on Thursday. While there are extensive snowfields on Western aspects of Glas Maol, Meall Odhar and Sunnyside, some of the key links and uptracks including Tom Dearg, Caenlochan and the Fionn Pomas will require some work once the snowpack dries out and temperatures fall back further.

In the West some heavy snow squalls have been coming through at Glencoe late this afternoon falling as snow down onto the Plateau. The snow level will fluctuate overnight, but the latest indications are that the freezing level should just about stay below the higher summits. Likely peak freezing level will be around the 3500ft to 4000ft. This means for Glencoe snow should fall during the whole night at least on the top half of the Main Basin, and probably to at least Rescue Station level with the Storm Force SW helping drive the heavy wet snow further down than temperature alone might suggest. Potentially a good upper mountain base strengthening sort of night. From dawn on Thursday the FL will start to lower.

In terms of where snow cover and open terrain has been recently, there is good top to mid-station riding for all ability levels on CairnGorm with a mix of green, blue and red terrain available from the Funicular for those who wish to avoid surface tows or at least have a fallback. Despite extensive cover in the Ciste Gully and on the East Wall the West Wall Poma is closed. See Saturday Pix from the Slopes for a full report for CairnGorm. Please note that the first train up will be 10am during the week.

For more advanced riders, Glencoe, CairnGorm or Glenshee are all still good options, but for more confident intermediates comfortable with riding the Pomas, Glenshee has had the most terrain on offer.

The Coire Fionn bowl accessible again with the reopening of one of the Fionn Pomas on Saturday, giving access to not just the fenced run by the Poma but the big expanse of snow from the top of Caenlochan. For blue run terrain the Home Run from the Top of Caenlochan round the flank of Meall Odhar to the Tom Dearg Poma has been the pick, while once (if) snow loosens up generally, the whole face of Meall Odhar has lots of fun lines for more experienced skiers and boarders. It?s just one big spring snow play park when it softens!

The only novice areas open to the public is now (wind permitting) the Top Basin on CairnGorm with the Polar Express Poma for those starting out with the lifts. The road side beginner area at Glenshee has now broken up with last nights wind and rain, while the Lecht is closed until further natural snow returns.

At Glencoe the action is currently restricted to the upper mountain, so only suited to those comfortable with the more challenging end of the blue spectrum and above in terms of terrain. But with so much SE wind earlier in the season, the upper mountain is a bit back to front, so still the opportunity to ride parts of Meall a Bhuiridh that are not skiable all that often. A short walk is required down the path to return to the Cliffhanger and Plateau Cafe from Old Mugs Alley, the Cliffhanger Chair should be considered just for access presently. Only the Rannoch Button is running for uplift, but the uptrack is fully pisted and as mellow as it gets for the button.

Nevis Range is closed for lift served snowsports.

:: Glencoe Sledge Park

The Sledge Park is full length and in good shape thanks to snow making from the snow factory. There are over 150 sledges to grab at the Plateau Cafe! 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

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 -0.2°c, with the wind at 25 gusting 55mph. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +1.2°c. At Base level (366m) it was +3.3°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting -2.4°c. The Met Office station was reporting a SW wind at 48 gusting 74mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +1.4°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +4.7°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported -3.2°c, with a Storm Force South Westerly at a mean of 58 gusting 89mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +3.6°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported -0.9°c with a Westerly at a mean of 52 gusting 83mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

Heavy snow moving into the West this evening, but snow level will rise after dusk before falling back early Thursday, see snow report above for discussion about overnight conditions / expectations.

Thursday will see upland blizzard conditions, with mountain snowfall most sustained in the West, where behind the frontal precipitation clusters of showers will be frequent and heavy and merge together at times to give more prolonged mountain snowfall. Visibility will be appalling to zero at highest levels in early Storm Force wind. In the East Highlands behind the front showers will be less frequent and less intense and there may be some brighter spells later, but drifting snow will cause appalling visibility at height even outwith snow showers.

Storm Force winds overnight will moderate only slowly on Thursday. Post dawn through opening time expect speeds around 50 gusting 80mph widely, risk 60 gusting 90mph or above on and around the Cairngorm Plateau areas. May ease to 40 gusting 60mph from West by lunchtime to mid afternoon, but will remain very gusty around heavier convective shower cells. At Munro Level around 0°c at dawn, tending to lower quite abruptly to -1°c, then progressively towards -3°c by dusk.

Friday will be a showery day with these most frequent and heaviest in the West where some longer periods of hill snow are possible as clusters of showers merge together one after another, with a risk of some thunderstorms developing. Some bursts of sunshine even in the West, but brightness will be more frequent the further East one goes. Wind at Munro Level generally around 30 gusting 40 to 45mph, but risk gusts 50 to 55mph around biggest shower cells. Minus 3°c at Munro Level away from immediate Western coasts and the far Southern Highlands.

Saturday looks like a day of moderate winds and fewer / less intense showers, with the North East Highlands potentially just about having a dry day. Around -2°c or -3°c at Munro Level, best for brightness and sunshine towards the East. Risk wind will abruptly rise late in the day, but there is currently quite a bit of variation in forecast wind speed for Sunday. At this stage Saturday looks the best day of the weekend, but if the wind is towards the lower end of the forecast spread for Sunday, it could be a constant freshies kind of day in the West!

There is overall potential for significant snow accumulation at higher levels particularly in the West over the coming days. Whether this allows an expansion of currently available terrain will be influenced by how low / high the freezing level peaks at tonight.

:: 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 6am, other cams come on shortly after 6.20am. Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.