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Stringy


Posts: 149
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:22
15th May 2020
England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 11.06hrs on Sat 18 Apr 20
These are strange times and whilst hill walking is not really an option we can do our best to log the remaining snowpatches in England and Wales.

It has been a pretty poor winter with mild temperatures, incessant rain and virtually no snow up until mid February. The temperatures did drop enough then to produce some reasonable snow falls all on strong west - north west winds. This gave some decent accumulations in the usual places on east facing slopes and gullies. The weather then markedly improved through March just as things started to shutdown and we have had very little rain and often warm weather that has melted the remaining snow quite fast.

As it stands we are reliant on viewing the patches from afar or using satelite images (thanks Iain) and I think the reamining snow is limited to a few patches on Helvellyn, Great End/Scafell Pike area and Cross Fell. If anyone else knows different I'd be keen to hear. I have attached 2 pictures - one of Helvellyn etc from Penrith dated 14.4.20 and a satelite image of Cross Fell also from the 14th.

Iain Cameron (aka Firefly on here) has been correlating some pictures and info on Facebook and Flickr but as a non Facebook user I find it useful to have the thread running on here.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 11.16hrs Sat 18 Apr 20 by Stringy.

Attachments: Cross Fell satelite 14.4.20.jpg (55kB)   Helvellyn from Penrith 14.4.20.JPG (156kB)  
Stringy


Posts: 149
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:22
15th May 2020
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 11.23hrs on Sat 18 Apr 20
Here's another satelite image - Great End and Scafell Pike area.

Attachments: Great End etc. 15.4.20.jpg (89kB)  
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 13.19hrs on Mon 20 Apr 20
Wales' last snow probably disappeared yesterday, as shown in the attached photographs to this link. [www.facebook.com]

I've made the page transparent so folk who don't have FB can see.
Cheers

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 09.28hrs on Wed 22 Apr 20
Helvellyn yesterday. [www.facebook.com]

Stringy


Posts: 149
Joined: May 2009
Last Visited: 08:22
15th May 2020
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 09.29hrs on Wed 22 Apr 20
Edit: I've just seen the previous post (I'm having issues with logging in on my computer) and the photo of Helvellyn is better than the one I have attached. Anyway, I have included it as it shows the other hills in the range

Firstly a satellite image courtesy of Firefly, of Cross Fell taken on the 19.4.20. There are still a good number of patches mainly along the northern scarp a few of which should last into May.

Secondly, another long distance photo of the Helvellyn range, taken yesterday form Penrith. Again there are still a decent number of patches along the range but probably only a few of them will last into May.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 09.36hrs Wed 22 Apr 20 by Stringy.

Attachments: Helvellyn 21.4.20 (2).JPG (181kB)   Cross Fell 19.4.20.png (260kB)  
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 16.56hrs on Fri 1 May 20
Cross Fell with fresh snow today. [www.facebook.com]

Rich_T


Posts: 48
Joined: Feb 2018
Last Visited: 19:26
5th Jun 2020
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 17.29hrs on Tue 5 May 20
Frustrating not to be able to make either my planned trips to Carnedd Llywellyn or Helvellyn this year. At least I can follow the progress on here. It's been a poor winter this far south. I hope to get to Scotland as soon as lockdown is lifted. I've written off seeing any more Welsh or English snow this side of next autumn.

PeterS


Posts: 980
Joined: Feb 2003
Last Visited: 12:21
13th Mar 2021
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 19.32hrs on Wed 6 May 20
[www.metoffice.gov.uk]

A dusting possible on Sunday morning as a cold front moves south.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.33hrs Wed 6 May 20 by PeterS.

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 15.52hrs on Thu 7 May 20
Photograph taken by Stringy, who's having problems logging on! Here's his text:

There are 3 main patches and a number of smaller ones left and I am sure that the Brown cove patch will last the longest. It's still quite a decent size - maybe 20m x 5m so will last a while yet.

Attachments: Helvellyn 6.5.20 (002).JPG (233kB)  
Rich_T


Posts: 48
Joined: Feb 2018
Last Visited: 19:26
5th Jun 2020
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 08.49hrs on Fri 8 May 20
firefly Wrote:
Photograph taken by Stringy, who's having problems logging on! Here's his text:

There are 3 main patches and a number of smaller ones left and I am sure that the Brown cove patch will last the longest. It's still quite a decent size - maybe 20m x 5m so will last a while yet.


How does that compare to last year at this time? I took some photos on the corresponding weekend on Carnedd Llywellyn last year and there was obviously a lot more than this year (none), but my pics of Brown Cove are from the Easter weekend last year.

Incidentally, does anyone on here either keep a record of, or know of anyone who keeps a record of snow patches in Ireland; Northern and/or Republic? I imagine that the Sperrins and Wicklow mountains could potentially have good gathering grounds for drifting.

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 12.15hrs on Sun 17 May 20
Sorry for the late reply here...

As I type, the last snow on Cross Fell has gone. Stringy was up the other day and his photos are here: [www.facebook.com]

To my knowledge there are now only just a few patches left on the Lakes, spread across the usual few hills.

There are, I think, still four patches on Helvellyn, the largest of which is at Brown Cove. Great End's Central Gully also has some, and I think could be a candidate for lasting till next weekend, but we shall see. Someone is keeping an eye on it for me.

Raise still has a patch as well, and we hope to have a report this coming week. The season is not yet finished, but it's definitely in the home straight!

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 16.26hrs on Thu 21 May 20
Update from yesterday.

[www.facebook.com]

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: England and Wales snowpatches 2020
Date Posted: 08.36hrs on Wed 27 May 20
This could very well be the last snow picture for the season for England & Wales. Stringy was up on Helvellyn yesterday and found no snow at Brown Cove. It probably melted yesterday morning.

He then went on to Fairfield and found a 4 x 1 x 0.25 metre patch at the location shown. It is almost assured that this patch will disappear before the day is out.

Someone is going to Great End today for a final check, but I'd be surprised if they found anything. You just never know, though...

Photographs can be found here: [www.facebook.com]

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