Thanks, Alan. Good information, and I'm surprised it's so low. If I had to guess I'd have said somewhere around 2-3deg Celcius.


The Met Office figures are 100 years out-of-date, though. They were based on the observatory figures for the period of 1883-1904. It won't be that cold nowadays. Bear in mind, also, that Ben Nevis is 400 feet higher than Aonach Mor. Doesn't sound much, but it can make a difference.

On reflection, and having seen the figures for Cairn Gorm, it looks like an average of around 2.5-3deg Celcius may be more likely for Aonach Mor. I'd be interested in getting that confirmed.

Ben MacDui from Cairn Gorm 28.April;although not visible in the photo, the glide cracks on both the GUB and Feithe Buidhe are still there, despite the heavy April snow!

Ciste Mhearad, 1.May - again, because of the easterly wind direction in April, there is still a small section of stream visible!
However, 4.May today and it's snowing heavily from 650m up!

Great pictures, Dakishman. Far better cover in the Cairngorms than in Lochaber in general.

A nice picture from yesterday by Gary Hodgson of Ben Nevis: [3.bp.blogspot.com]

Looking south to Feithe Buidhe and GUB 4.May, old winter neve appearing grey

Looking north across the GUB patch site on the same day, the old glide crack clearly visible

Most of the heavy April snowfalls in the NE Highlands came with strong north or north east or east winds, so one might think this would not add much to the deep holes facing NE, which carry the longest-lying patches. However, at least one big fall in the Mounth came with a S to SE wind, leaving deep snow on Lochnagar. On 13 April, Derek Pyper and I saw heavy drifting with a westerly wind on the west edge of Coire Lochan nan Eun of the White Mounth, building up a large cornice facing east, and much spindrift along the top plateau of Lochnagar, again on a west wind. This was obvious to the naked eye miles away. On 1 May, Lochnagar and White Mounth had their deepest coat of the whole winter after a night with a south wind, and the south wind blew all day, eventually warm in the glens but Lochnagar looked just as alpine in the late afternoon as it did in the morning. I think there was a big lapse rate with altitude. Alan Dennis, Derek Pyper and I saw a deep wreath with convex cornice at Coire Creagach of Monadh Mor, obviously a result of drifting with a west or south-west or north-west wind (maybe all of them). A great amount of snow lay on the south side of Beinn a' Bhuird, in Coire nan Clach and Cnap a' Chleirich, on Beinn Mheadhoin, the Snowy Corrie of |Ben Macdui, and Coire an Lochain Uaine of Ben MAcdui. The south side of Braeriach also held deep wreaths, as did the south slopes of Cairn Toul. Dakishman's excellent photos at Ciste Mhearaid and Garbh Uisge Beag also show evidence of drifting with west and south winds.

Looks promising at this stage for further drifting on S to SE winds later Monday and through the night next week.

Started with NW wind this morning in lower Deeside, but at noon switched to S and SSE with thundery showers developing, including a shower of dry hail at Crathes at 2.30 pm. Big variations in temperature during the day will probably cause some hardening of old snow. It is increasingly looking like a repeat of May 1955, when the maximum snow cover for the whole winter above 3200 feet came at the end of May in the Cairngorms.

The webcams are going to make interesting viewing in the morning. The current front tracking from the south looks to be depositing a lot of snow above 3000 ft right across the Highlands. Currently -3.4deg C on Cairn Gorm, heavy precipitation and a gale force south easterly wind. Very interesting times!

Seem to remember an old saying - Nae cast a clout to May be oot - anyone here have it more accurate. Loosely meaning dont change your winter clothes until end of May.
Only posting it, to get a saying like that there must have a few years of late snow.

The saying is "Ne'er cast a cloot till Mey be oot", common in England as well as Scotland, and in other countries such as Spain. It means in modern English "Never throw off a piece of clothing until Mey is out". Seems simple, but there is much doubt about the May or Mey, widely considered as meaning the opening of the white flowers of hawthorn rather than the month of May. Hawthorn flowers much earlier than the end of May, often in April. To add to confusion, Mey in the Scots tongue of eastern Scotland can mean primrose, hence Don't cast a piece of clothing until the primroses are in flower.

Thanks - I was pretty sure you would have the background on this - my dad was from Aberdeen and my wife's family has ties to that area as well, so I will adopt the primrose example.

No real surprises here!







Edited 1 times. Last edit at 08.34hrs Tue 8 May 12 by firefly.

I was reading the August 1982 copy of Modern Railways at the weekend, as you do. At the time I was in the campervan between Arnisdale and Glenelg (Stunning!) and noted that there was a picture from 6th May 1982 which has a lot of snow in it. I will post later tonight.

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For campervan hire in Scotland visit [www.albacampervans.com] - Bhanaichean Campachaidh ann an Alba

Here is said picture

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For campervan hire in Scotland visit [www.albacampervans.com] - Bhanaichean Campachaidh ann an Alba

Attachments: IMG_0001.jpg (200kB)  

The first picture, Donald, is of Ben More and Stob Binnien. The train in the picture looks to be on the Tyndrum (Lower) branch just north of Crianlarich. I can't see enough of the second picture to know conclusively.

A very considerable amount of snow on the hills for May, more reminiscent of March. A good one for the archive!