Red sky in the morning….

5th January 2023

After a frosty night there was an impressive red sky this morning. As the old saying suggests, a red sky in the morning is often the harbinger of bad weather. This held true today.  Heading up Cairngorm this morning the cloud level dropped and the wind got up. By midday it was windy, cloudy and drizzling. Fortunately it did stay clear long enough to get a decent view of Tuesday’s significant avalanche on the Cas headwall, probably the biggest one so far this season.

Nice skies over Loch Morlich this morning. I think the stripy  clouds are altocumulus undulatus which are caused by wind shear (the winds at different levels in the atmosphere blowing at different speeds/directions). They are often associated with incoming weather systems, which would certainly agree with the current situation. 

Tuesday’s avalanche on the Cas headwall. It was probably the largest avalanche recorded this year with a crown wall over 100m long, and estimated to be up to 2 metres in height in places (in places this has been filled in by subsequent snow drift)

Another view of the Cas headwall.

Threatening skies, poor weather approaching mid morning. 

 

A pair heading up Cairngorm on foot. There were a few people out on foot today, but most were on ski. 

The view to the East disappeared as the cloud came in mid morning.

 

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