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Taurig


Posts: 4
Joined: Jan 2016
Last Visited: 06:00
8th Apr 2016
Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 09.41hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
Hi, first post here, been checking Winterhighland for a good while but only recently realised there was a forum!

Anyway, I missed the Scotland wide opening weekend, but am keen to get out this weekend. Myself and the other half are both relative beginners, so would like to start the season with a lesson; I'm thinking Glenshee but that's open to change.

Just wondering if, given the forecast precipitation and thaw, who reckons it'll still be worthwhile heading up this weekend? Since I started skiing two years ago I've become somewhat hardened to wild conditions, but these have generally been cold and windy, not mild and possibly wet. I'm just a little concerned that the thawing snow will be tricky to ski on, and my other half is even more of a beginner than me so wouldn't have a great day if that was the case. Might not be the most worthwhile trip, especially if we spend money on lessons in tough conditions.

Anyone with more experience think the current forecast will still give a decent days skiing?
StevieMcK


Posts: 1160
Joined: Feb 2003
Last Visited: 13:25
29th Apr 2019
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 09.53hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
MWIS is forecasting 40-50mph winds across the country on Saturday, with plenty of cloud and rain/drizzle in places.

If anywhere gets turning in those conditions, the words "decent days skiing" don't immediately spring to mind.

[www.mwis.org.uk]
[www.mwis.org.uk]

The forecast could change slightly over the next couple of days, but I'm not holding out much hope for the weekend.
Andy


Posts: 1406
Joined: Jan 2003
Last Visited: 08:47
2nd May 2019
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 10.52hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
Yep,looks like making a significant dent in the lovely snow....hopefully it'll come again soon.
Taurig


Posts: 4
Joined: Jan 2016
Last Visited: 06:00
8th Apr 2016
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 11.24hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
StevieMcK Wrote:
MWIS is forecasting 40-50mph winds across the country on Saturday, with plenty of cloud and rain/drizzle in places.
blockquote]

Sounds like over 50% of my skiing days since starting two seasons ago! :-)

I'm not overly concerned about the weather per se, will make a judgement on that tomorrow, but it's more the likely condition of the snow and whether it's going to be a nightmare to ski on if it's thawing? Is it slow, sticky and tram tracks you off line, or can you get some decent turns in on it?
flugeryl


Posts: 2307
Joined: Oct 2004
Last Visited: 12:40
11th Mar 2021
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 11.59hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
I think saturday glenshee will open, wind will effect uplift, on a SW so cairnwell side a bit protected as would clunie and corrie fionn, depends what its like on the ridges when you get off the lift

wind is very difficult to predict in a localised area/ side of a mountain

GS lift operation performs better in windy conditions than say cairngorm

consolidation of snow in 3-4 degree temps at low levels...rain is the bugger, wont know until it happens, showers can pass over, plenty of snow showers miss GS so why not the rain?

also look at, even this close its not too accurate, and sunday predictions worse

forecast, path of low and wind strength changes with every run of the model

Just keep checking the forecast right up to even the morning of the day (all the blether above is just guessing)

[www.netweather.tv]



Be Nice to Skiers, they have it hard enough already
kammy


Posts: 295
Joined: Jan 2004
Last Visited: 21:23
2nd Mar 2021
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 12.08hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
Weather forecast is looking very frustrating for the weekend, the savage thaw strikes back, so far this season it has been 1 step forward, 2 steps backward.
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Weekend thaw: still worth a punt?
Date Posted: 18.26hrs on Thu 21 Jan 16
Saturday might turn out to be not too bad a day in terms of overhead, it really depends on what impact the overnight thaw and morning rain has. One issue that's been masked by the settled cold spell is that there isn't actually much of a consolidated base on a lot of the terrain that we've been skiing, but a more general all over cover.

See what's what tomorrow at the end of the day. The lower slopes on CairnGorm were already getting thin with bare bits, so the overnight thaw might be the end of them. Thing for Saturday is that it's still fairly windy, forecast wind speed would if correct rule out the Ciste T-bar, and probably restrict surface uplift to the Ptarmigan Tow and maybe Coire Cas. Depending how the lower elevation slopes roadside at Glenshee and the Lecht look tomorrow afternoon they are probably a better bet, they'll have the most chance of being able to open in terms of wind. It looks like it should snow for a time late Friday as the cold front comes through, so if the runs are reasonable at dusk at the Lecht and low down at Glenshee, there probably shouldn't be much change overnight into Saturday - but the forecasts have been very uncertain!


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