Rain then Snow on the Tops

The snowpack has depleted in the thaw, but temperatures dropped in the afternoon and it should all re-freeze. New snow with strong winds will produce some tricky avalanche conditions for the next day or so !

Blizzard conditions

Bleak weather with occasional clear spells

Snow fall for most of the day gusts of over 100mph on the tops

Freezing again by midday

Large Cornices above the crags -  Sneachda

Reports of good climbing conditions in the Corries, especially since the snowpack has re-frozen

Coire an Lochain

Wild and windy

Very strong winds with new snowfall which led to deep widespread accumulations of new snow in sheltered areas on Northerly aspects.  Now thawing at all levels with some rain but cold weather expected to return tomorrow

Cold and Icy

'Iced up" Northern Corries

Cornices above Northerly aspects - note collapse and avalanche release.

Great conditions continue with hard icy snow-ice throughout - firm for skiing with some good bits here and there ! - Serious run outs . minus 8 degrees C on the tops !

strong winds for next few days., but we will get off lightest in Northern Cairngorms regarding rainfall at all levels. Colder with snow on Saturday - very windy throughout.

Clear Sunny and Calm- a rarity!

Cairngorms morning reflection on Loch Morlich

Looking toward Aviemore Coire Chais Ski lift below

Hells Lum crag

Ski Tourers ascending Cairn Lochain

Climbers Fiachaill of Sneachda ridge

Cairngorm plateau

A White Christmas ! - here anyway

The Frosted Cliffs of Coire an Lochain

A Christmas Fly By by the RAF Rescue

Aladdins Buttress Coire an t Sneachda - with contemplating Ptarmigan

Breaching the cornice of Jacobs Ladder

Good firm conditions, snow-ice - chattering conditions on ski's ! - less crusty than previous days  but with icy paths. Hope you are all having a good Christmas, best wishes from the SAIS.

Less Windy at last ! - Good snow cover

Coire an t Sneachda

Ski Tourer heading into Coire Lochain

The snowcover is good - some hellish crust which gets firmer and stronger the higher you get. Pretty icy on steep ground with some serious runouts !! Conditions looking good for climbing.

Better weather today

Ptarmigan take a wander

Views across to Mess of Potage

Stormy conditions continue

Once again hard going walking against gale force South-East winds with heavy snowfall

Cornices building at 750 metres

Heavy snowfall and drifting

Difficult walking conditions in the strong winds

Significant snowfall over the past 24 hours has led to heavy drifting and poor visibility

Bad Weather Thursday

Field observations Cairngorm - photo M Austin

Carrying out field observations on Cairngorm thursday at around 1000m - similar conditions will continue for the next few days with resultant significant avalanche hazard.

Good today - Bad tomorrow

Descending from Cairngorm with great light on the North West Highlands .

Conditions are very good for walking and climbing - firm and icy for skiing and touring - serious runouts for tumblers ! Really bad weather forecast from tomorrow with severely strong winds.

Saturdays Avalanche debris

The Debris

This is on the East side of  Fiacaill a Choire Chais ridge.  Windslab was rapidly building on this slope yesterday, a large crack developed at around midday and the slope was trigger by a skier not long afterwards.  Crown wall is a metre in height, stretching to around 150m  in length

Great conditions in the Cairngorms

Good cover on the plateau, a mix of boiler plate and wind slab

Milder temperatures with drifting

Small avalanche at 600m as temperatures rose

Very windy with drifting and snowfall

Stormy conditions 

Todays pit on a NW aspect at 855m

Spindrift and cornices at 750 metres

Bad Weather arriving

Good weather at first today  but worsening as the day progressed - poor viz and flat light.
Good snow cover for all travel modes and good climbing too - All change tomorrow with storm force winds and heavy snow above 700 metres.

Looking North from Coire an t Sneachda - bad weather arriving

Windy and Wet

A day of strong winds on the tops - but  rain also at all levels - good snowcover throughout the area even though it is a thin cover.

The snowpack has moistened and so will refreeze as it gets colder from Sunday and into next week. This should create some good climbing conditions and firm up the snowpack even further.

Climber abseiling off Aladdins Buttress Sneachda

Surface wet avalanche from Fluted Buttress Sneachda

Good conditions for Winter season start

A fine day on the tops with good mountain travelling conditions for both ski and on foot. Compacted snow covering most slopes.

Avalanche Information Reports will be issued for the weekend 7,8,9 Dec in Northern Cairngorms and Lochaber. Reports for all 5 areas will commence on the 13th December 2012.

looking toward Creag Meagaidh

Ben Macdui and the Cairngorm plateau

climbers below Messof Potage - Coire an t Sneachda

Descending from Sneachda summit

Toward Aviemore and Loch Morlich

Good cover on all aspects above 800m.

The plateau and Etchachan

Great ski touring conditions above 800m, at present the snow is still cold high up.  Temperatures are expected to rise this week as high pressure builds. 

A Corniced edge along the top of Sneachda

Still wintry conditions on ridges

Sneachda

It's still snowing

The weather station on Cairngorm summit still looking a little snowed under

We had light snowfall for most of the day with poor visibility leading to white out conditions on the hill.   A few parties were out ski touring and hill walking and we all agreed that GPS was useful.   Generally cover is good above 800 metres with snow on all aspects.  Above 1000 metres the snow is still quite cool and light, but more heavy below this altitude.  Weather outlook is to become more settled with sunshine.