Spring in the valley, winter on the tops
27th February 2025
There was a stark contrast today between what it felt like in the valley and what it felt like on the tops. It most definitely felt like spring low down, particularly when the sun came out. The snow line was rising up the hill throughout the day with any low lying snow from the last few days rapidly disappearing.
However, there was a line, around 850 metres, where it felt like there was an abrupt entrance to the winter environment. The summit temperatures were just below freezing, but with fresh Westery winds it felt like minus 10 degrees Celsius with the windchill taken into account. The snow surface was variable with softer drifts, breakable crust and firmer sections, the combination of which made it hard going at times in summit areas.
The snowpack is consolidating and corresponding the hazard level for the next forecasting period has been reduced to low. Some isolated instabilities will persist above 950 metres on North to East aspects, mainly around coire rims and gully tops.
Sròn a’ Choire and the distinct and rising snowline.
Coire Ardair
Approaching the ‘Min Window’. Note the person on the skyline towards the left of the photo, more on them later.
Sròn Garbh Coire on the north side of the Carn Liath plateau. The spot height of 849m on Creag a’ Bhànain catching a bit of sun.
Light drifting observed through the day above 900 metres, depositing snow onto Easterly aspects. (Drifting also observed on the Drumochter hills by passing SAIS Forecaster).
By the time I reached the higher tops, the person who had been on the skyline footprint’s had some freshly drifted snow in.
You may have noticed a comment on yesterday’s blog regarding a talk in Roybridge tomorrow evening (Friday). This is titled “40 years at Creag Meagaidh” given by the reserve manager Rory Richardson, our partners at Nature Scot. This may be of interest to our regular blog readers. Details can be found here
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Ian
27th February 2025 7:34 pm
“Glen*please,not “valley”!
meagaidhadmin
28th February 2025 7:00 am
Interesting discussion point and I did ponder this before committing to one or the other. “Spey Glen”? On reflection perhaps Strath would have been a better term to use.