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Simon Donald


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Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 14.32hrs on Tue 4 Feb 03
After two or so weeks of heavyish snowfall in the Highlands, there is a predicted mild south-westerly spell that looks like it will arrive on Friday. The BBC forecast i saw on the tellie this morning looked like it was saying it would last for the weekend and maybe not much more, the forecaster was saying in their highly irritating way that they have "unfortunately this may not last very long". The cover at least above 800m looks reasonable and may well improve greatly on Thursday with heavy snow forecast. What I want to know is what people think will happen to the cover if it is exposed to 3 or 4 days of above freezing temperatures? Will it consolidate the cover without much loss or will their be a greater loss than that? It would be a great shame for it to all go a bit aqueous after a good period of snowfall. Comment please :-)
Doug Bryce


Posts: 1373
Joined: Jan 2003
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 14.55hrs on Tue 4 Feb 03
As long as it doesnt rain then I reckon the snow should last a while.

Mild sunny warm days dont do too much damage to the snow - however mild wet ones are catastrophic...
Andy


Posts: 1406
Joined: Jan 2003
Last Visited: 08:47
2nd May 2019
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 11.23hrs on Wed 5 Feb 03
I think the snow will last - it will do it good to have a wee freeze /thaw cycle. SW winds combined with heavy rain usually do the most damage , so provided the mild spell doesn't last too long we should be alright.
Mark Pickles


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 11.32hrs on Thu 6 Feb 03
I'd say it definetly won't survive the weekend. Check out the Cairngorm webcam. Its already dissapearing, and the milder air isn't even here yet.
sad smiley
Winterhighland


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 13.57hrs on Thu 6 Feb 03
It shouldnt get much milder, and the forecast suggests the snow should firm up at night, ignore the CairnGorm webcam, it's not quite as bleak as that, certainly not at Glenshee and the Lecht. Runs at the Lecht are still intact, and still looked pretty good around Lunchtime today, apparently not much snow loss lower down at Glenshee either.

Certainly at the Lecht as on CairnGorm, virtually no snow out with the fences, but from the web cam I have to say the Lecht definitely has better cover for it's altitude than the lower slopes of the 'Gorm. No real difference in the runs at the Lecht from Yesterday's pics, just the snow is softer.

But looking at CairnGorm I think the snow on lower levels in Strathdon will outlast the platuea the way things are!!

Alan
Al


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 15.33hrs on Thu 6 Feb 03
Can it survive ? Hmmm lets hope so ! Although generally the north facing slopes are blown clear. Lochnagar and its cliffs have barely a dusting ! But remember what happened after the October fall which was much greater than this one - 6 weeks of annoying windy, wet, mild weather.
Simon Donald


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 12.42hrs on Fri 7 Feb 03
Al, that was October tho and you wouldn't expect it to be like it was in October in any October. I am throughly unimpressed with how quickly the cover has almost completely melted, there are really just patches left at Cairngorm, no continuous cover. I really thought we had something more substantial than that. There was more snow on Briaeriach at the start of May last year than there is now. How depressing after a couple of weeks of good snowy weather. It isn't ever than warm, it's quite cold today in Aberdeen, like maybe only 6c. Looks slightly better over at Aonach Mor tho. When is this promised cold February going to come and stay!?
Bruce Thomson


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 13.29hrs on Fri 7 Feb 03
All centres will be affected by this thaw. It doesn't look as if there will be a considerable improvement next week or over the weekend though temperatures do look like dropping a bit towards Monday.

The main problem with all centres (especially ones which rely on snow holding gullies) is that there has been no snow consolidation at any point over the season. If there is a freeze over the weekend, it may just help in the long run to consolidate what there is left.

Last year was very similar to this year and we were skiing well into May. My brother and a friend also had a sneaky ski in June last year so don't despair.
Andy


Posts: 1406
Joined: Jan 2003
Last Visited: 08:47
2nd May 2019
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 15.39hrs on Fri 7 Feb 03
It always looks worse than it is.....on sat the freezing level is to be about 2500ft and on sun heavy wintry showers are predicted. I don't see what all the fuss is about. Also mon and tues are to be wintry on the high ground.

Last season i remember going to the lecht on numerous occasions and seeing no snow anywhere apart from between the fences.
It's not the best season but you've go to make the most of it!.
Simon Donald


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 14.53hrs on Sun 9 Feb 03
This year isn't that similar to last year, we at least had a base last year above 800m. The problem is not that we havn't had any snow, we've had plenty of snow it's just that after every spell of snow we have had at least a week of unseasonably warm weather, which has melted it all. Just hope this is that cyclical weather thing and we'll have a good season next year coz I've written this one off completely now especially as the long term forecasts arn't looking so promising as they were.
sarcastic boy


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 17.44hrs on Mon 10 Feb 03
Mark Pickles - surely you have another comment to make? You usually do :-)

Anyway, don't right the season off. We still have The Lecht ;-)
Mark Pickles


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 10.26hrs on Tue 11 Feb 03
Hey! I resemble that remark!
Anyway I wasn't being sarcastic i was being observational... and it looks as though i was right sadly. :-(
I was supposed to be coming up next week with some friends for some skiing but unless it improves somewhat this week its looking unlikely.
I haven't written the season off yet either... I've got eight days in the alps coming up ;-)
sarcastic boy


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 17.35hrs on Tue 11 Feb 03
> Hey! I resemble that remark!

You must look a bit strange if you 'resemble' a remark! I resent badly chosen words in English.
Mark Pickles


Guest
Re: Will the snow cover survive the forecasted mild spell???
Date Posted: 17.56hrs on Tue 11 Feb 03
Its just an old Groucho Marx quote.
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