If you were going to make a trip to say Garbh Choire Mòr, and you wanted to visit when the snow patches were at their minimum just before lasting snow returned, when would be the best time of year (roughly) ? first half of October? or earlier/later?

I have seen the minimum at dates spanning from early September to the first few days of December, across many decades. If you follow this thread on snow patches in late summer and autumn 2012, you will get a fair idea of the likely time for a visit to see the snow at its minimum, but only approximately. The dates are so variable that an average is pretty meaningless as a guide to the date for a proposed visit.

yes I suppose it's a bit optimistic/naive of me to think it might be possible to pin it down to a period of a few weeks given just how variable the weather can be.

Sorry not more detailed but there are three smallish patches of snow currently (as of Saturday evening, yesterday was clouded in, and they will be there for a bit yet) clinging on in the NE facing coires of Moruisg they will be at around c800m. Sorry no photos only a phone camera and sort of too busy assisting with the re-roofing of Inver Croft by Achnasheen (excuse the plug, Jacobites Mountaineering Club hut).

Fresh snow this morning on Cairn Gorm, as per the attached photograph.

Attachments: Ptarmigan - 12.06.12.jpg (48kB)  

A cracking and unusual photograph by Adrian L (from the Scottish Hills forum) of Beinn Heasgarnich's long-lying snows, taken on 2nd June. These snows, located at NN415383*, have been known to persist into September a few years. Quite a southerly snow-patch, it is often the last to melt in Perthshire.



* - Watson, A. A snow book, northern Scotland. Paragon Publishing.

**EDIT** - Picture doesn't seem to be working. Link here: [www.flickr.com]



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 10.35hrs Tue 12 Jun 12 by firefly.

Just a Quick question: Where & how old is the longest surviving snow patch.
What i mean is , is it more than a couple of years old?

The oldest patch of snow in Scotland is located approximately here. Commonly known as the 'Sphinx' patch, it has been present since late 2006.

Wow 6 years then, that must be hard as concrete by now!
And therefore be an advantage each year for further survival.
Unless summer is a scorcher!
Cheers for the reply!

Six years is nothing compared to what we suspect 1933 was like. There's an oral tradition going back to at least the 1700s that snow was ever present at this location. Oral traditions are a bit haphazard, but this one (from stalkers and gamekeepers) is as reliable as oral traditions come. Imagine what a snow patch 300 years old feels like?!

If you'd been at Garbh Choire Mor in 1996 you'd have seen snow that had been present since 1959: a mere 37 years old!

So basically the patch is like Triggers broom compared to past patches!

Stob Coire Easain - a mountain rarely mentioned on Winterhighland has at least on one occasion had snow survived through to lasting winter snows according to Adam Watson. Was this just a fluke or does it often have snow surviving late into the summer. Where on the mountain does it survive the longest. Is it just below the summit in a small Coire ?

Some very good pictures of some seldom seen patches on the Loch Tulla/Bridge of Orchy hills, here. There's a very good one of Beinn Mhanach's Coir an t-Sneachda (familiar name, that!), here.

1951 and 1967 it survived, apparently at NN236729. SE aspect at 980 metres. Amazing, but perhaps less so when you consider Aonach Beag survives frequently at about 920 metres.

Snow shower on Meall a' Bhuiridh this morning:







Edited 1 times. Last edit at 16.48hrs Wed 13 Jun 12 by alan.

Attachments: mb-2012-06-13.08.jpg (58kB)