CairnGorm Mountain // Wednesday 24th February 2010
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The Sun attempts to make a brief appearance during the afternoon.
About the only thing to look at on the Fiacaill Traverse. Fantastic windblown powder down the line of the old T-bar.
Heading up the Carpark Tow, wind starting to increase, visibility decrease.
Boarder prepares to strap in outside the Top Station.
Camera Obscura and the Daylodge from Burnside. Some hard and pretty slick patches outside the Daylodge.
View back up the White Lady.
Skiers and boarders head out into to the whiteness from Funicular top station.
...view down the White Lady.
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Report
Snow showers from early morning merged together to give increasingly steady and heavier snow fall by mid to late afternoon with increasing winds giving significant drifting. This was leading to substantial redistribution of both the lying powder and fresh falling snow.
Where the snow will stick will depend on the wind speed, direction and how powdery the new snow is. It was becoming increasingly powdery as the afternoon wore on, with drifting periodically reducing visibility to all but zero on the A9 at times on the way home.
Surface conditions were a mix of windblown powder on a firm to hard packed base. Areas such as the Fiacaill had firm grippy snow under the windblown powder, down the old tow line was deep windpacked fresh. Some hard packed to icy patches were scoured down.
Shuttle bus was not running due to weather conditions and the M1 Poma and Daylodge Poma were closed by afternoon, leaving just the Funicular, Cas, Sheiling and Carpark Tows open.
Snow gates closed overnight and heavy drifting was rapidly narrowing the cut on the link road and down road. Given heavy snow fall is forecast to continue overnight and through much of Thursday a huge amount of digging out is likely to be required on the road. Check the latest direct with the areas before travelling over the next couple of days.