Heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall for most of the day.  Drifting with poor visibility - this was at 600 metres.   

     

Blizzard conditions here, but looking North towards Glenmore we could  see sunshine on Meall a Bhuachaille.  

Misty morning, sunny afternoon

Poorly bonded windslab on some W, N to E aspects above 950m - Here a soft weak layer lies underneath a firmer surface layer.

Underfoot conditions a mix of hard snow ice and deep snow 

Cloud base at 900 metres in the morning,

The hill transformed into another beautiful day by the afternoon

Less Wind!! Some Views for Change !

Above the Headwall of Coire Cas - ski area below

Summit bound
Sneachda

Windy Col - Fiachail of Coire an t Sneachda beyond

Large Cornices overhang all North facing crags

Stunning rime ice sculpturing on Sneachda summit

Summit of Coire an Lochain with large cornices above the Vent 

Good snow cover on the plateau with some large icy scoured areas of blue snow-ice  -  great improvement in just a few days.

High Winds , Severe Drifting

A day of strong SSE winds and severe drifting - deep accumulations are present in many wind sheltered locations, but also, many places are scoured, hard and icy. Poor visiblity. Would expect cornices to be even more enormous and unstable.

Bracing into a 60mph gust at 900m

Storm Force Winds- Again!

Another wind cowl over the Cairngorms

Wet and moist snow below 800 metres refrozen above - Windslab above this level - on West through North to North-East facing slopes - otherwise quite a lot of snow-ice around especially where scoured.

Less stormy in the South-Westerly winds.

New wind slab on a North aspect at 975m with cracking underfoot; the cause was due to softer windslab beneath the firm surface layer

Very windy on the Cas ridge with another snow storm about to arrive

At lower altitudes.  This is looking up from the Ciste car park

Blizzards with poor visibility

On a North aspect at 580m,  heavy drifting with very poor visibility

On the link road at 550m

The wind calms down briefly - Ahh there's the dog!

Blizzard with storm force winds

         Very stormy conditions today, this was at 580 metres, winds were gusting 60mph here.

Colder day, Drifting, Unstable Windslab

A better day with less wind although this increased later - becoming clear at times but cold.
Best snow is at lower elevations if on ski. Scoured and icy at plateau level. Breakable crust at lower elevations

Heading into Sneachda - poor vis

Weak windslab on a West aspects at 980 metres

Blizzards and Unstable windslab

Lurchers or Creag an Leth-choin summit

A day of strong winds and severe drifting, blizzards and whiteout - new and sometimes very deep windslab overlies soft snow of yesterday and is very weak - care needed !

New Snowfall - Not much Wind !

Icy ground conditions at plateau level 

Looking toward Fiachail of Coire an t Sneachda

Much less wind today poor visibility, a fresh cover of snow.

Whiteouts and Drifting

Heading into Sneachda on scoured West aspect  very poor vis

Less windy than previous days good snow cover but large areas of unstable windslab and massive cornices above steep slopes and crags. Good navigation needed !

A morning of blizzards

Walking along the ski road at 525 metres.  Blizzard conditions at and above this level in the morning

By the afternoon a different picture.  Although strong winds continued with heavy drifting in the Cairngorms the sun shone at Glenmore

     

Heavy snow showers

Looking into Coire an t-Sneachda just before it closes in with the next heavy snow shower 

Weaknesses within the new windslab.  this was on a North-East aspect at 1030m

Very large cornices overhang the Fiacaill a Choire Chais ridge

Gale force winds

  Very strong winds with spindrift billowing, this was looking down the Ciste Gully at 700m.

Gnarly conditions ... not ideal for hanging around

Windslab quickly building, this was on a North-West aspect at 710 metres

Colder, Good visibility in the afternoon

Alladdins Buttress Coire an t Sneachda

Snowpack has firmed up in the colder temperatures and is generally good and firm, some new areas of windslab also

Heavy Drifting , Snow and Rain

Poor vis in Sneachda - Alladins Buttress in view

A pair on Twin Ribs east aspect of Fiachail Coire an t Sneachda

Broiling wind cap over Cairngorms seen from Loch Morlich pm

A wet day, rain below 1000m, becoming snow as it cooled during day - severe drifting but V.Good snow cover above 700 metres if you can see !!

Very Strong South East winds and Blizzards

Cornices overhanging North West facing crags - old avalanche debris

Very strong winds and poor vis in the corrie mouths made for difficult and strenuous progress - a bit calmer once in the corrie.

A ridge of high pressure

 Avalanche debris from yesterday below Windy col.

Spindrift billowing in the Corries

Good weather in Strathspey

Cairngorm mountain looking good after recent snowfall

Skiing down the river bed

Although it was still snowing heavily above 1000 metres today,  a major thaw was happening at lower altitudes.  All isn't lost though as the freezing level is due to fall to 600 metres tonight and were expecting more snow with cooler temperatures during the week.