With snow showing on the Yadcams its time to start the new season's conditions thread.

[www.yadmoss.co.uk]

Reports of snow as far E as Bishop Aukland should mean all four Pennine clubs are getting a covering.

A cover of snow overnight and consistent snow on and off all day down to 150m or so (at a guess) in the north Pennines. Very wet, pretty windy and not amounting to much on the sodden ground. Fairly trying conditions for the fell race I was doing earlier but should help to get temperatures dropping so that we get towards a less cosmetic covering sooner rather. Fingers crossed anyway.

Add to the above -apparently there were a few optimists lucky enough to find more snow than expected at Weardale earlier - first lift assisted turns of the season in the UK or not?

Yes, unless you count taking the Funicular DOWNHILL only after hiking up the Marquis Well on the 'Gorm earlier in the autumn!!

From the club website

[www.skiweardale.com]

Which wont make much sense when its updated so look now! Reading that more of a shakedown than an opening up day - some where just lucky to be around.

And back at Yad Moss

[news.bbc.co.uk]

^ Nice one Gerard !

Well, I ventured out for some XC sport yesterday afternoon. North North Pennines conditions definitely more for the glass half full types, a mix of passable conditions from the fair (a few cm of fresh on a refrozen cover) to the not so great (a cosmetic cover of fresh on sodden ground). Thawing lower down and more snow needed at all levels for anyone other than the greatest optimists, good to see I wasn't the only one though (^^^).

No signs of action at Allenheads or Harwood. Allenheads seem to have been busy on the tow front - potential of running 6! Must be some form of rope tow record.

[www.ski-allenheads.co.uk]

Weardale website said that they were hoping to run today (6th Dec). Cover looked ok-ish on the webcam. Did they open?

Well, it's blawing a hooly here in lower Weardale at 500'. There has been a significant loss of the limited cover that was still on the ground yesterday having rained overnight, and up to 1500'. Can't see above that level at the moment.The Alston webcams suggest that it might be snowing further west though.

Front page of the website says Weardale did run yesterday and plans to today. I really need to get my ski boots fixed!

Harwood ran today - the website says around 25 people but cover was thining. Although its only a couple of miles along the road from Yad Moss the tow faces S and so will have collected a little more snow with the weather coming in the way it is at the moment.

[harwoodski.webs.com]

The ski club has put some pictures of today in the photo gallery section of the website.

At the moment it looks as though they wont run tomorrow.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.56hrs Sat 10 Dec 11 by oldagedpredator.

Yadmoss ran today and will run again this weekend but not tommorow, Friday. It may be season ticket holders only at the weekend so check the website below.

There is basically one piste basher wide strip of snow from top to bottom which has been pisted out and offers some reasonable skiing. It will freeze solid tonight and the snow should dry out for the weekend. A few more showers may reach the runs before then.

[www.yadmoss.co.uk]

From the facebook page Weardale ran today as well. Looking at the webcam pic conditions are simillar at both - narrow and helped by good piste bashing. Be interested to see what Harwood reports this weekend.