Cryosphere hanging on…
20th December 2024
The passage of an occluded front moving eastwards across Scotland is going to bring some interesting weather through tomorrow. The freezing level is expected to rise above the summits briefly, before falling rapidly to provide snow showers above 600 metres through tomorrow. Storm force winds are expected and gusts may exceed 100 mph over the summits of the Northern Cairngorms. This combined with snow will provide infernal conditions at higher elevations.
Some windslab development is expected above 1000 metres on North, North-East and East aspects. Given the wind speeds this is likely to be isolated to steep wind sheltered locations on the steeper slopes. In other areas the wind is likely to blast the snow clear.
The freezing level has been up and down like a yo-yo. This temperature profile from Cairn Gorm summit shows the volatility of the current weather system. It was around 0 degrees Celsius between 1130-1200 after which the temperature has dropped to minus figures by the end of the forecasting period. Source: With thanks to the Met Office.
Finally upped my Ptarmigan photography by bringing a longer lens. Great to snap this guy hiding in the boulders at >1000m on the Fiacaill a’Choire Chais. Note the rime ice on the boulders behind. Although the freezing level has risen to the summits, it was only a transient rise. Above 1000m and in some places below the paths and boulders remain icy.
Looking down towards the car park in the lower reaches of Coire Cas. Note the big white snow patch of artificial snow made for the ski area. On the right hand side a few isolated snow patches remain on the western flanks of Sron an Aonach. Notably, there were some reasonable accumulations here earlier in the season due to North-Easterly winds.
Coire Cas in the foreground with the summit slopes of Cairn Gorm behind. This is indicative of the situation at the moment. Quite limited snow cover, but any new snow is readily sticking to existing old patches such as this one on the headwall of Coire Cas. The northern slopes have uninspiring cover, however, East, South-East and South slopes still retain some of the largest snow patches.
Comments on this post
Got something to say? Leave a comment
