Winter weather
28th February 2018
Contrasty winter conditions from east to west today.
(Above) Creag Meagaidh car park this morning. Notable lack of new snow down low.
(Above) No ‘carmageddon’ potential on the snowdrift-free A86. There was some snow but only some light showers later in the day. Very little snow at low level west of Laggan.
(Above) The side road near my house not far from Kingussie this afternoon – about a 40 minute drive east from Creag Meagaidh. Much further east though no surprise that SAIS N & S Cairngorms getting more pronounced snowfall today and tomorrow.
(Above) Went into the fine high glen between An Cearcallach and Meall Coire Choile Rais to check out some west aspects. Some of you may know this as one of the ski descents off the ‘Meggie plateau. The ground is frozen hard from the A86 upwards. The vague vehicle track in the photo normally runs with water but right now is either bullet-hard ice or hard/crusty snow. Looking west with Tom Ban, the low hillock, immediately left. Bright morning.
(Above) Low on the west flank of Meall Coire Choile Rais. Loch Laggan top of shot. There is some new windslab but it’s localised and confined to the higher parts of West-facing coire backwalls above about 900m. The thin accumulation in the photo is on easy-angled ground at around 700m.
(Above) An Cearcallach viewed from 850m, with old cornice debris visible but now only of historic interest. Part of Loch Laggan also visible. Huge expanse of firm snow-ice here. Great stability in many places today – not including sheltered lee slopes where the windslab is, of course. Windslab expected to become more extensive on steep SW to NW aspects above 850m by the end of Thursday.
And finally.
Have to say I find the media’s handling of our winter weather tiresome. The hyperbole is just unbelievable. Literally. It’s February and it’s winter in Scotland. Wintry stuff happens, and sometimes in quite a profound way. Nothing new there. We’ve had difficult winters before but we weren’t quite as hysterical about it in the recent, and not so recent, past. (Or should I say the media weren’t quite as hysterical about it back then.)
This came up on my weather news feed this morning and gives a little welcome insight and perspective:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-43211216
Comments on this post
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Gramps
28th February 2018 7:34 pm
Agreed!! Watched a heid heijin of the railways justify canceling trains before a single flake had fallen!?!
meagaidhadmin
28th February 2018 7:35 pm
A sad reflection of our times, really.
Shougle
28th February 2018 9:08 pm
I whole heartily agree the media weather headlines and the click bait are just becoming insufferable. Iâve even found some of my normally level headed friends being sucked in by âdeadly arctic blastâ and âhorrific winters comingâ ! Translates to: some wintery weather for the next few days, wear a hat and donât be a idiot on the roads…
On a side note, I enjoyed a wee ski tour and play in Coire Ardair on Sunday in the sun. Thanks to your avalanche work and great blog I was well prepared and had great day. Even managed a lap in my shorts. Hotter and softer in the sun than expected! Iâll have to check out the new rental properties on the ridge next time!
meagaidhadmin
28th February 2018 9:20 pm
It is worrying how easily normally sensible people buy-in to the weather hysteria stoked by the media. Some media outlets now invest weather reports with TV soap levels of melodrama.
Sunday certainly was a fabulous day. Not sure about the shorts though! (Not a postman are you?)
Re. Des res at 910m: We’re thinking they’d make good buy-to-let “investments”.
Many thanks for your comment.
Shougle
28th February 2018 9:10 pm
PS I hope the West gets some soon! Maybe early next week..