Accept my apologies for not keeping this thread up-to-date last year. I pledge to do better in 2017!

You don't need me to tell you that the overall level of cover is very disappointing, considering we're now in mid January. Though there have been a few storms, little of the snow seems to have stuck in the places where we would normally expect it to be.

In the west, the usual suspects have caught some decent snow on NE aspects (as can be seen here: [lochaberblog.sais.gov.uk]). However, we're well below what we've been used to in recent years in terms of depth.

The east has fared little better. Again, despite some deep drifts in evidence on the higher hills, snow is not to be found in huge quantities. [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

The ski season has yet to get going at any of the centres, apart from the odd day here-and-there. Hopefully they'll get going soon.

Glas Maol on Saturday, showing very thin cover indeed.

A few days was all Glencoe managed last year before properly getting going at the end of January which was followed by an excellent half term. Hopefully the snow patch sites will see a similar turnaround to the ski season last year!

Though: 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 ...



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 01.11hrs Tue 17 Jan 17 by alan.

Ground far too warm to hold any snow through another mild spell.
This year for me, sends the signs that things are warming up and that the winters are going too get much milder in the future.
Don,t think we can pretend anymore. I have been teaching skiing for 35 years.
The winters are warmer and i reckon skiing in Scotland is going to go down hill.
Alan i take what you say on board but things they are a changing .

Lovely photos from yesterday of Beinn Avon and surrounding hills here, although not much in the way of deep snow on offer. [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

A cracking picture from two days ago (from Carn an Tuirc) shows a good deal of snow on some aspects of the Cairngorms. [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk] Another photo from that day shows the Brudhach Mor of Glas Maol looking to have quite a bit. [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

A series of cracking pictures from yesterday, showing Lochnagar and some of the Cairngorms. [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

Another update, a month from the last!

Readers will not need me to tell them that it's been a slow start to the winter season. Depths generally are down on where they are normally, and in particular Aonach Mor is fairing poorly.

Ben Macdui and the high Cairngorms are holding onto a fair bit, as can be seen here: [ncairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

I was up on Carn a' Chlamain yesterday in reasonable weather and I walked from bottom to top having only to negotiate the odd patch.

The recent snows have been most welcome, and despite the warm weather of late there is still reasonable cover on favoured aspects. The SAIS page from yesterday has some fine pictures of around Deeside: [scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

Aye, Thill NOO be miny left.

Confirmed that as of the 9th April, no snow remains on the Southern Uplands.

[www.facebook.com]

thanks for keeping it up to date.

[www.skatereview.com]

Not on Facebook so I'll post this here in the hope it gets to the right place! No other snow seen.

Beinn Dearg (Ullapool) on the 28th June from Cona Mheall.





Edited 3 times. Last edit at 22.40hrs Tue 4 Jul 17 by Lurker.

Attachments: snow_patch_beinn_dearg.jpg.JPG (380kB)  

Excellent photo, Lurker. Thanks for posting.

Despite promises of keeping this thread up-to-date, I've been remiss in not!

We went up onto Meall Odhar on 1 July as usual, where the annual survey was completed. As expected beforehand, there was little to be seen. Thankfully there was good visibility, and only the top few hundred feet of Ben Macdui was in cloud.

All told, 48 patches were seen on the day from the various vantage points in the North East Highlands. This is the lowest total since 2003, when there were 33 patches.

I suspect that only three hills will have have snow on the date of the August survey (20th) this year, but it could be fewer than that. Braeriach's GCM will, almost certainly, have some. Ben Nevis is in the balance, but I think will have a wee bit. Aonach Beag I don't know as I haven't seen it in a while, but fancy it will have.

I'll try to update this more often!

Guardian article about Sphinx today

[www.theguardian.com]

When it melts that will be seven times in 300 years.


But four in the past 21.


Which is an alarming acceleration.


Not usually a betting man, but I'd wager that a snow-free highlands will very soon be the norm rather than the exception.