Fog Bow
29th December 2025
Dense, low cloud shrouded the Northern Cairngorms today delivering damp and grey conditions. Temperatures in the glen were ‘warmer’ than of late, reading a barmy -3 in contrast to the -8 we have been experiencing. The weather forecast suggested mist and fog on the summits for the whole day so any anticipation of the stella views from yesterday were dismissed.
Moisture from the cloud had coated all paths and hillsides in a micro veneer of moisture. This had subsequently frozen to leave extremely treacherous underfoot conditions. The remaining snow patches remain ‘bullet’ hard and present a real slip hazard for the ill-equipped. Most snow remains on North to East facing aspects above 950m – on corrie rims, steep headwalls, gully lines and high plateau areas. Elsewhere is bare, but icy ground.
The photos below give a flavour of mountain conditions today.
Looking up to the hills from Glenmore this morning gave no clue as to the surprises to come.
Ascending Windy Ridge was treacherous. A thin veneer of moisture from the cloud had frozen on every surface, so even though areas underfoot looked ‘dry’ and ‘grippy’, it wasn’t.
A hint as to what was to come! Photo taken at todays snow profile site around 1100m on the NE flank of Cairngorm. The snow was so hard, I was unable to dig in to complete a snow profile.
The sun breaks through near the summit tor of Cairngorm.
I was rewarded with a fog bow. This is a nebulous arc of white light resembling a rainbow. Fog bows are formed from small water droplets in fog. They typically appear opposite the sun and can vary in size and shape depending on conditions.
And if the fog bow wasn’t enough; the clouds parted and delivered a fantastic view across a sea of temperature inversion cloud.
Looking NE from the Cairngorm summit tor into an azure blue sky. Then all too quickly the cloud rolled back in…..
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