Snow conditions are great in Scotland currently, and with Cairngorm, Glencoe and the Lecht open this weekend, what an opportunity to enjoy some spring skiing and snowboarding.
One bonus of the cold run up to the bank holiday weekend is that, for the skiers and snowboarders among us it's an amazing opportunity to head to Scotland and enjoy some amazing conditions on the slopes.
I was going to report on Cairngorm and Glencoe being the two places to head to, but before I get to those, the Lecht have recently announced that theyr'e planning to open this weekend too - so there's another option for those in the vicinity. Looking at their webcam pictures it's easy to see why too.
At Cairngorm, they've been enjoying consistent snowfall right through this week, with 15-30cm of fresh powder falling each day on the upper slopes. It's not just up high that's benefited though, as the colder air has bought the snow right down the mountain, so it's looking like top to bottom skiing is going to be possible to end the week and into the weekend. A truly rare beast at the end of April.
They also an offer running currently, whereby season ticket holders can bring a friend with them for just £10, and season pass holders from the other closed Scottish mountains can also ski or snowboard for £10. They're also running the Ptarmigan Freestyle Jam on Saturday:
We are looking forward to another weekend of snowsports at CairnGorm Mountain following some further snowfall over the last few days. We will be hosting the Ptarmigan Freestyle Jam on Saturday while the park remains in great shape. There will even be some FREE season passes up for grabs for the best overall adult and junior male and female. We are currently being blessed with some great spring conditions and despite us nearly being in May, we still have 6 out of the 11 lift running!
Also, although the original expectation was that this may be the final weekend of the season for snowsports on Cairngorm, they're now looking quite likely (although nothing confirmed as yet) to stay open further into May - check their website or facebook page for more information on this.
Over at Glencoe, they've been enjoying another great season with plentiful snowcover since February, and that's only been topped up by more snowfall this week, as I type it's been snowing heavily there for most of today. They're looking forward to a fantastic final weekend of the season:
Current conditions at Glencoe Mountain resort are really good for late April with all upper and mid mountain runs except Etive Glades complete with a wide and deep cover of snow. Key links on the lower mountain are also still complete and more snow is forecast over the next few days. It's the perfect time to ski Scotland as weather is good and slopes are quiet. Ticket prices until the end of the season are just £25 adults and £18 for children. The last day of skiing for the 2015/16 season is the 2nd.
If you're not wanting to ski or snowboard, they also open their summer tubing on the dry ski slope this weekend, which ought to be entertaining (and there's a bar/restaurant next to it if you fancy something more sedate!). All the details on this + the latest snow report can be found on the Glencoe website.
Weather wise this weekend we will be seeing a bit of a mixed bag, so definitely a case of needing to pick your times a bit, but between the dodgier periods there ought to be some good spells to enjoy the slopes without having to battle the elements.
If you're thinking of heading up for a ride on Friday, it's going to be a fairly blustery affair with that cold northerly wind making a bit of a comeback. There'll be snow showers affecting all three mountains, but with a bit more shelter Glencoe may be the pick to avoid the bulk of them, winds will be a touch lighter here too. It'll be a day to layer up wherever you head though, you can always remove a layer or two if the sun comes out for any length of time!
Saturday brings lighter west to southwest winds, and the day should start with some good sunny spells, especially further east at the Lecht and Cairngorm. Glencoe will see cloud bubbling up a bit earlier in the day though, with a scattering of snow showers moving through, these making it across to the other mountains by lunchtime. Between them, there ought to be some sunnier periods to enjoy, winds will increase a bit into the afternoon.
A period of wet, windy weather moves through into the evening and overnight. Some uncertainty on the rain/snow line at this point, it may be some of the lower slopes get some rain or sleet onto them for a time but nothing too nasty.
That should all get out of the way pretty speedily on Sunday though to leave lighter winds, sunny spells and it's looking set to be a really great day to get out and enjoy the snow once more.
Then we have a virtual repeat performance overnight with another front bringing wind and rain through. This one does look a bit more dicey to start with in terms of the freezing line with rain potentially falling from top to bottom for a time, before colder air digs back down from the north later, turning the rain back to snow. It may take a while to clear out on bank holiday Monday, but once it does then brighter spells will develop, with a brisk pretty chill breeze blowing. There'll be a scattering of snow showers blowing in at times on the breeze, these most likely to affect Glencoe.
It's definitely a weekend to get up and enjoy the fresh mountain air and great snow conditions in Scotland, if you're local and had maybe written off the season during the milder run of weather earlier this month, now's definitely the time to revisit it. And if you've maybe not skied or snowboarded in Scotland before, it's a great opportunity to give it a try - it'll certainly beat trying to have a chilly/damp BBQ at home!
