General Situation // Scottish Ski & Winter Activity Report // Winterhighland

Storm Eowyn has driven many hours of sustained hill snow into the West Highlands, with clusters of showers merging into some streamers this evening. Radar data suggests anything from 20 to 35cm plus of snow has fallen at Glencoe above the Access Chair, but while Eowyn has brought snow, what is not know is what the situation on the hill is like.

Across the snowsports areas there will be completely scoured areas, and some deeper accumulations, but extent to which snow generally stuck or was blown completely off the mountains is unknown currently, given the near zero visibility for much of Friday. There is a reasonable covering of snow showing on the A93 traffic cams (and snow gates for the Cairnwell Pass are shut), but again the hill will need to be assessed as light comes in and visibility improves with falling wind. Not as much snow as in the West, however Glenshee has faired better than CairGorm with precipitation totals falling away towards the North and East of the Cairngorms.

That is rather unfortunate because the one place that retained something of a base on main runs was the Lecht, but so far they have seen the least falling snow today from Storm Eowyn.

As the wind drops from the West, when the Access Chair opens at least the sledge park will be in great shape at the Plateau Cafe. Fleeting glimpses suggested earlier wetter snow on ESE winds started to fill in the Coire Pollach and Poma uptracks. Snow will have been drier and lighter at height, and to below the Access Chair later in the day, that will have been more easily scoured and drifted by the wind, so it is a complete unknown further up!

There is between 2 and 4 inches of wet slushy snow at car park level (1000 to 1200ft) at the Coe tonight and evidence of a streamer setting up at time of writing.

Even if there is enough snow to open any terrain beyond the East Coast beginner areas which have been operating with machine made snow, road clearance in the East and storm recovery / prep work will mean it will not be immediate on Saturday morning. With currently lighter winds and brighter overhead, Sunday might be the day to aim for if the news from up the mountains is positive on Saturday.

Note that Nevis Range is closed until the February half term.

:: Warren Millers SEVENTY FIVE

The 75th Warren Miller snowsports film is on tour through mid February 2025. Next up for our shows is:

Perth on Sunday 26th January at Perth Theatre (Joan Knight Studio).
Boat of Garten Saturday 8th February.
Aberdeen Wednesday 12th February at the Tivoli Theatre.

Through mid January there are additional theatrical screenings at the Light Cinemas across Northern England.

Get tickets NOW: www.warrenmiller.co.uk .

• top of page •

:: CairnGorm Funicular Update

Late on Christmas Eve HIE and CML slipped out word that the CairnGorm Funicular will remain out of service until further notice after additional issues have been discovered while contractor Balfour Beatty demobilised from the work on the scarf joints and beam bracing! Contractors will return to site in January to carry out further assessments of the funicular to determine further works.

Thus at present as conditions permit, access to the Top Basin will require use of either the M1 or West Wall Pomas, the two most challenging surface lifts on CairnGorm. Access to them will be dependent on lower level snow or on foot to the M1 Poma. Thus while CairnGorm has the beginner area at the Daylodge level there will be a lack of progression terrain even if other parts of the mountain open up.

• top of page •

:: England Club Fields

After a spell of very good conditions early in January, all the club fields are back to waiting for snow.

Please check club access rules / availability if not a club member / pass holder.

Weardale: https: //skiweardale.com/ .
Allenheads: http://ski-allenheads.co.uk/ .
Yad Moss: https: //yadmoss.co.uk/ .
Raise: https: //www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/ .

• top of page •

:: Mountain Weather

At 9pm in the West at the base of Glencoe at 366m the temperature was +2.2°c with a dew point below 0 and snow falling to the base of the Access Chair. Wind over the last hour was a mean of 19 gusting 56mph, with gusts to 88mph after dusk.

The SAIS AWS at the top of the Summit Tow was reporting -4.3°c on Aonach Mor. The Met Office Summit Run AWS at (1130m) remains offline. The Tower 17 AWS on the Gondola was reporting a Westerly at 47 gusting 78mph. At Tulloch Station (237m) the temperature was +2.5°c.

In the East the CairnGorm the Met Office Summit AWS (4084ft/1245m) was reporting a temperature of -1.1°c. No wind speed data is available. Aviemore was at +1.8°c.

The Cairnwell AWS reported -3.0°c (3061ft /934m), with a West wind at a mean of 90 gusting 128mph in the hour to 9pm.

Our webcams at Glencoe update from around 8am currently, the Leadhills webcam in the Borders updates 24/7.

• top of page •

:: Mountain Forecast Discussion

As the centre of Storm Eowyn continues to move away, winds have past their peak in the West and Highlands and further South, but still strong and gusty winds are fairly widespread. Indeed it looks as if things were still peaking in the Eastern Cairngorms at 9pm. Clusters of snow showers continue to merge into more persistent precipitation for Western mountains this evening.

Strong winds will continue overnight with gusts to 60 to 70mph around dawn, but then moderating post dawn from the West. Snow to below the lower slopes of the snowsports areas, more showery in the East, where the best of any brighter periods will be. Showers will ease in the West, so some bright interludes should develop later Saturday as the wind moderates. Expecting the best conditions to be lunchtime into the afternoon, towards or soon after dusk gales are expected to return. Around -3 to -4°c at Munro Level.

Again on Sunday winds should moderate somewhat from the West post dawn, possibly quite markedly as a transient ridge moves through. Wind will become variable as it moderates, before becoming East to SE. This will bring snow showers and more cloud into the Cairngorms, with the West having the best of the brightness. Around -4 to -5°c at Munro Level.

Day to Day detail is uncertain into next week, probably unsettled but with ridges of higher pressure giving some lulls. But there is disagreement between the models of a more general trough with a mess of shallower lows moving around over or near the British Isles and the risk of another singular deep low, though fortunately not now likely to be as deep as Fridays!

• top of page •

:: Webcams and Weather Stations

Lowther Hill: Leadhills webcam online 24/7. Lowther Hill Summit webcam withdrawn due to removal of club infrastructure from the hill.

GLENCOE: All webcams online and the first updated images will be from around 8am. Base AWS online. The summit weather station was damaged by nearby lightning and is out of service.

• top of page •