SAIS Northern Cairngorms Blog » Temperature Inversion

Temperature Inversion

1st March 2021

Covid -19

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service issues information to support permitted activity under current Scottish Government guidance.

Please be aware of current mandatory travel restrictions inÂ Local AuthorityÂ areas within Scotland and respect local communities by referring toÂ Scottish Government guidanceÂ and safe route choices for exercise. For further guidance please refer to the following information forÂ hillwalkers and climbersÂ andÂ snowsports on ski and board.

This blog is intended to provide hazard and mountain condition information to help plan safer mountain trips.

Another calm, dry and clear day with blue skies above the Cairngorms, but it seems on every horizon there was a bank of low lying cloud.

Photo taken from the Ptarmigan Bowl around 1100m altitude looking North-East.Â The low lying bank of cloud caused by the temperature inversion can be clearly seen.Â The dark anvil shaped cloud in the centre of the photo is actually smoke from ‘muir burn’.Â The smoke highlights the division between the warmer air up high and the cooler air below, almost like a glass ceiling not allowing the smoke to rise and dissipate.

Forecaster looking South across the Loch Avon Basin to the frozen Loch Etchachan and beyond to Derry Cairngorm. Note the temperature inversion was also present to the south of the Cairngorms.

Sun affected snow on the tor near Cairngorm Summit looked beautiful in the sunshine.

Comments on this post

Got something to say? Leave a comment