Snow is better than rain!
30th December 2024
After heavy, overnight rain eased during the morning it was quite a pleasant day on the mountains. Light variable Northerly winds with some occasional brighter spells in the afternoon.
There is fresh snowfall on all aspect above 800 metres, most of it overlies bare ground. The snow amounts have localised variations, with the inland mountains getting quite a bit more than the coastal mountains.
The forecast for the last day of 2024 is challenging, not just for mountaineers but also for avalanche forecasters! We are expecting further snowfall, which in some locations within our forecast area might be quite substantial. Unfortunately this snowfall is going to be accompanied by gale force South-Westerly winds and then a period of heavy rain at all elevations.
The timing of the snow and rainfall is expected to be during the night and early morning but there is a possibility that this period of instability will extend in to the daytime.
Sugar nan Fair Duibhe 963 metres.
Mountaineers walking up towards Coire an Laugh. Snowline approx: 750 metres.
Summit of Spidean Coire nan Clach 993 metres. Slightly more snow on the Southern side of the ridge.
Rime ice and Verglas made the rock above 900 metres quite tricky.
Summit of Spidean Coire Nan Clach 993 metres
Mountain Hare prints at around 800 metres… Or is it a quizzical polar bear looking at us in a whiteout? Pareidolia (pronounced “par-i-DOH-lee-a”) is a brain phenomenon in which causes people to see faces in inanimate objects.
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