Airborne snow aplenty.
16th March 2026
‘Lively’ weather overnight and during the day at Creag Meagaidh. Persistent snow showers on strong winds induced a lot of drifting right through the forecast period up until early afternoon. The expected rise in freezing level and rain hadn’t affected the area whilst I was on the hill but the mild and wet conditions will have almost certainly established themselves by now.
Snow shoes were an advantage again today for the last 1km of the main Coire Ardair path and beyond, though likely to be of limited utility if venturing that way on Tuesday after/during the meltdown. Plenty of new weak windslab present above 900m today and cornice development over and above it too, which are both going to be affected – and not in a good way initially – by the forthcoming 2000m freezing level and overnight rainfall. By midday, Tuesday, most of the instability in the snow should have been purged but the same may not be true of cornices which could linger and threaten collapse for a short while longer.
(Above) R to L: Raeburn’s Gully Buttress, Raeburn’s Gully and Bellevue Buttress. In the photo, a mad confusion of cloud, momentary sunshine and airborne snow pretty much summed up the day.
(Above) Part of the Post Face obscured by airborne snow. The spindrift hadn’t let up by lunchtime.
(Above) The ESE-facing gullies and backwall of Coire Chriochairein with more spindrift up high. There was also some point releases and roller activity below about 800m induced by a little warming and exposure to sun. Somewhat counterintuitively, the snowpack below this altitude, and beneath this minor surface instability, was bonding up well in all locations today.
(Above) The Inner Coire of Coire Ardair with The Window right of centre. About as much snow as I have seen all season on the approach to the summit of The Window. Frequent spindrift avalanches from the NNE-facing crags whilst I was in the vicinity this morning.
(Above) Nature Scotland are planning to repair/restore parts of the Coire Ardair path and engaged the services of a helicopter to uplift aggregate from Aberarder to stash at strategic points along the path. Not the best day for flying! The helicopter here is on a scoping run to assess conditions and was being thrown around a fair amount in lower Coire Ardair…
(Above) …before settling into a reasonably steady hover – to check me out, I think?
(Above) The helicopter dropping its load by Lochan a Choire close to where I was being blown around like a crisp packet by strong, turbulent squalls a few minutes earlier. Impressive flying. Kudos to the pilot.
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KEITH HORNER
16th March 2026 5:58 pm
You should have thumbed a lift up the glen with the chopper…..
meagaidhadmin
16th March 2026 8:07 pm
I was on my knees begging!
Rob D
16th March 2026 7:59 pm
That first photo – Turner’esque impressionism (well, sort of) 🙂
meagaidhadmin
16th March 2026 8:31 pm
I wish I could say it was an artful and carefully composed photo. The reality – as is often the case in the Scottish mountains in winter – was a ‘point, shoot & hope for the best’ snatched shot!
Many thanks for the comment.