A damp end to the season

SAIS snow and avalanche reports for South Cairngorms, Glencoe and Creag Meagaidh have finished for this season. Lochaber and North Cairngorms will publish a report on the 13th April for the final weekend of the service. We would like to thank you for your support during the season and we will be back in December - the SAIS team.

A Day in the 'COE'

South-West aspect of Sob Coire nan Lochan

Glencoe road side Daffodils 

Buachaille Etive Mor

Meall a Bhuiridh and Sron na Creise

Lairig Gartain

Glencoe 

Visiting highlanders from USA

A damp, mild Easter Friday

Light rain and swirling mist in Glencoe today.

Most of the snow from lower slopes as now thawed.

Cloudy

                         Some ice has started to reform on the buttresses on the West face of Aonach Dubh

Cloudy in the Glen

Calm settled and sunny at times.

                    Coire nan Lochan (Climber just visible in Broad Gully click on photo to enlarge)

                                   General shot from the East of The Bidean nam Bian massif

                                              Buachaille Etive Mor and Meall a Bhuiridh

More Wintery

                                                               Coire nan Lochan

         Wind action and snow transport from North East onto Westerly aspects Stob Coire Raineach

                                  Crowberry Tower and North Buttress Buachaille Etive Mor

Fine again

      Meall a Bhuiridh ski area from Blackrock cottage top of Flypaper and Spring Run visible.

                                     Hangliders with Buachaille Etive Mor in the background.

                                                      Remaining snow on Creise.

Cooler conditions overnight gave way to a fine spring day. Looks like it could be a bit colder early next week with the return of more Wintery conditions

Another fine day but becoming colder

 

                                                               Buachaille Etive Mor

                                                  Looking up to Stob Coire Nan Lochan

                                              South East ridge of Stob Coire Sgreamhach

High pressure declining slowly. Becoming much colder than of late but mainly dry. Old snow patches may well be firm and icy with some potentially serious run outs onto rocks.

Sunny again

                                                             Looking West down the glen

                                                             Aonach Eagach looking East

 Outlook for Friday is for a mild North-Westerly airflow with light rain at times. Remaining patchy snow     is in the higher North and East facing corries where snow stability is generally good.

Glencoe today, some firm icy snow still possible in highest N and E corries

Coire Gabhail

Head of Coire Gabhail.

Stob Coire Sgreamhach (left) and Bidean nam Bian East slopes

Bidean nam Bian East slopes.

Stob Coire Sgreamhach East slopes.

Bidean nam Bian from Stob Coire Sgreamhach.

Cloudy but dry.

 A hazy morning with areas of cloud floating about, in this case over Buachille Etive Mor.

 The cloud came in by the time I got up to some snow. 

 In some areas the surface of the snow has quite a lot of dead grass, dust and other derbis lying on it. The lines on the centre right are caused by people doing standing glissades down the snow. 

The remaining snowpack consists of large damp melt freeze grains (the grid in the background is 3mm)

Buachaille Etive Mor

Stob Dearg and Coire na Tulaich

Coire na Tulaich

Stob na Doire

Stob na Broige (back) and Stob Coire Altruim

 Stob Dearg SW slopes

After the rain stopped

It started to clear around mid-day summit temperatures were plus 2 degrees.

High pressure will bring dry settled weather to the area with light South-Westerly winds, the freezing level rising to well above the summits. Only patchy snow cover is left mainly above 900 metres.

Wet and Windy

Overnight, some snow showers developed mainly above 900 metres but during the day the freezing level slowly rose to above the summits. The rain got progressively more persistent during the course of the day which was accompanied by strong South-Westerly winds.

Looking towards the Lost Valley and below into Stob Coire.

The rain is forecast to continue through today and tomorrow with strong West-South-Westerly winds. The freezing level, rising to 2000 metres with summit temperatures at around plus 4 degrees Celsius.