•Glencoe Sledge Park

•England Club Fields

•Mountain Weather

•Mountain Forecast Discussion

•Webcams and Weather Stations

CairnGorm Mountain and Glencoe set to offer top and some mid mountain spring riding in fine weather for the remainder of this week, with high pressure over Highland Scotland. Glencoe is only suitable for more confident intermediate skiers/boarders and above at present.

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

High pressure is in charge of the weather for the remainder of the week and at least the start of the weekend for Highland Scotland, so a great opportunity to get out and catch some rays as well as spring turns at Glencoe and CairnGorm.

What a roller coaster the weather has been on since late last week, around 50cm of new snow driven in on Storm Force winds for the mountains near the West Coast, a brief interlude part way through to enjoy the new snow at Glencoe on Saturday before more came down on Sunday with even stronger winds. All to be followed by even stronger winds on Monday morning, which meant only a couple of ultra keen tourers got to lay tracks on the fresh snow from Sunday before monsoon conditions arrived!

On CairnGorm things have been windy too, but overall a less dramatic period of weather, so not much has actually changed for better or worse there! The main action is on Cas side mid mountain and the Top Basin on CairnGorm and on the upper mountain at Glencoe.

While there is still a decent range of terrain for all abilities to get their edges into, overall for mixed ability groups and those looking for green to easier intermediate terrain then CairnGorm is the better option as it offers top station to mid station riding from the Funicular and has selection of green terrain at the top of the mountain. Glencoe is more suited to stronger intermediates and above at present, the Cliffhanger and mid mountain is primarily for access and when it softens up, the Wall (red). The Rannoch Chair is running for access to the Cliffhanger only via Old Mugs Alley.

What trails are best to ski will depend on temperature, humidity, sun, aspect, time of day etc over the next few days, classic spring snowsports. Start on the groomed lines until things begin to loosen up. Even where air temperature stays above freezing, in the dry air and light winds the snow will crisp up overnight.

At Glencoe on Wednesday, by afternoon mid-mountain had all loosened up irrespective of whether it was in the sun or not, while shadier bits up top were still quite firm, the Rock Garden was grippy but quite a firm surface compared to the loose granular surface in the Main Basin and on Happy Valley. The Spring Run is time / sun dependent, it did loosen up for a time on Wednesday, but was firming up again in the afternoon as the sun moved round. Speak to ski patrol for the latest. See Wednesday pix for more info / full report.

In summary there should be some superb spring snow riding that gets better day by day on CairnGorm and Glencoe through the second half of this week and into the weekend, with Glencoe overall having more varied terrain for more experienced skiers and boarders once things loosen up.

Glenshee and the Lecht are currently closed for snowsports. Glenshee will review if there is any possibility of opening Meall Odhar at the weekend later in the week. Nevis Range is closed for 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 +3.5°c, with a light and variable wind. At the Top of the Access (671m) it was +5.5°c. At Base level (366m) it was +7.4°c.

The SAIS summit AWS on Aonach Mor was reporting +0.9°c. The Met Office station was reporting a SW wind at 7 gusting 12mph. At the CIC Hut (680m) it was +5.2°c. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +8.7°c.

In the East the summit weather stations on CairnGorm reported +0.9°c, with a Westerly at a mean of16 gusting 19mph. At Aviemore the temperature at 6pm was +10.0°c.

The Met Office Cairnwell AWS reported +4.1°c with a Westerly at a mean of 14gusting 16mph.

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

For Thursday and Friday, high pressure will be building in situ over Highland Scotland. Night frosts in the glens and sheltered corries, and hopeful for largely bluebird skies above any inversion layers, where these occur the stronger spring sun should see inversion mist break up and burn off relatively quickly. Generally around +4°c at Munro Level on Thursday, but could reach +6 or even 7°c on Friday. Light and variable winds both days for the most part, but Friday may see a slightly fresher Southerly off the Cairngorm Plateau.

Saturday should keep a similar theme going, though a bit more higher level haze around and more general cloud possible later in the day as the high edges away, also a degree or two cooler. Mostly light and variable winds.

Sunday is a bit more complex, a deepening low pressure will pass above the high pressure as it begins to sink slightly further south. On balance at this stage a not too windy day is expected, breezier than the days under the high pressure but not windy enough to cause significant problems for the anticipated uplift at CairnGorm and Glencoe. However, notably stronger winds will pass just to the North of Scotland or even over the Northern Highlands, thus there is little leeway for a southern correction in the forecast of the low pressure track!

At this stage Saturday looks the better bet for a weekend slide and if Sunday is your only chance to get up, keep a close eye on how the mountain forecasts develop. Currently expect Sunday to see a mix of brighter spells and wintry showers, these turning to snow on the Munros in the West as cooler air begins to push in from the West. The Eastern Highlands may stay dry until later in the day.

By Monday it looks like the freezing level will be back down onto the Murnos across Highland Scotland. Some divergence in temperature forecasts, with Munro Level temperature most likely to fall in the range of 0 to -3°c. A mix of sunny spells and snow showers for the mountains, these heavier and more frequent towards the West. Strong West backing SW wind.

Beyond Monday there is a significant divergence in forecast models, with some going for an unsettled but fairly slack pressure set up, while the European models spin up a deeper low pressure that swings a warm sector through Scotland on Tuesday. GFS ensembles have a 13°c spread in 850hpa level temperature by Tuesday, while the Met Office MOGREPS has a spread around 11°c for Highland Scotland.

By the later part of the next week while it is far too early for any detail, the trend in the models is for a changeable and unsettled spell, a mix of deeper lows, dragging in colder air behind frontal systems, bouts of strong winds, with transient ridges between the depressions.

:: Webcams and Weather Stations

Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam is online (24/7).

GLENCOE: All mountain webcams online and the first updated images are shortly before 6am. Sledge Park camera streams overnight. The mid mountain weather station wind direction is not working, other data valid.