VERY WET
4th February 2024
Overnight there had been fresh snowfall on all aspects above 800m with some drifting at higher elevations onto North through East to South-East leeward aspects. But, sadly today was WET. VERY WET. By late morning the freezing level had risen to around summit level in the Creag Meagaidh area so the heavy precipitation was falling as rain up to around 1000 meters resulting in a thawing, wet/moist snowpack below. During the morning there was a significant diminishing of the snowpack below 900m, most of it ending up in the burns.
Above, the normal approach route to the NE ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn. This gives a flavour of conditions higher up on the mountain.
Water flowing through the trees where burns don’t normally exist.
Looking up towards the NE Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn. Photo taken from the corrie floor at an altitude of around 750m. Funnily enough we didn’t see anyone heading up the ridge today. In fact we didn’t see anyone at all…..
Photo taken close to the snow profile site today at 900m looking across into the upper corrie on the east side of Beinn a Chaorainn. At this time there was good snow cover, with approx 10cm of wet fresh snow on top of the older moist consolidated snow. Thawing conditions and heavy rain over the next 24 hours will have a serious impact on snow cover.
A very wet avalanche forecaster heading home to get dried out!
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Mark A
4th February 2024 8:02 pm
‘WET. VERY WET. A hint of frustration? If so wholly justified in an unsettled and pretty poor winter to date. Certainly challenging for you forecasters given the rapidly changing freezing level this winter. For ice climbing and skiing woeful up to now. It must be difficult to keep your motivation levels high in winters such as this when rivers are often in spate with melting snow and settled weather is such a rare event….