Snow on the Scottish Mountains.

[Norrance]

Snow unfortunately has not accumulated on the tops this week but rather has come and gone. The Braeriach patches were visited today by Iain Cameron and are still present but small and still melting. The Pinnacles patch is said to have about a week left and the Sphinx patch perhaps a few days more but both need substantial new snow soon to survive. The forecast however is more if the same with temps hovering mostly just above freezing and no one large drifting snowfall that would be needed to ensure survival. 

The patch at Aonach Beag in the Nevis range is thought to have melted last week but this has not been confirmed yet.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Norrance

[Polar Maritime]

[Aleman]

Widespread snow for Scotland next Saturday?

http://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/gfse_cartes.php?&ech=150&mode=16&carte=1

 

[Norrance]

Today on Cairngorm.

The two surviving snow patches on Braeriach will be welcoming this.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Norrance

[Spindrift2017]

 

[Polar Maritime]

Wintry sunrise in the Cairngorms this morning.

[Sceptical]

Last season was a miserable affair for the Scottish resorts. Cairngorm managed to offer snowsports for just 31 days out of a probable 140. Although not as bad as season 2016/17, the worst on record, last season is still ranked amongst the top 3 poorest since records began.

Grim.

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Sceptical

[Katrine Basso]

13 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

Last season was a miserable affair for the Scottish resorts. Cairngorm managed to offer snowsports for just 31 days out of a probable 140. Although not as bad as season 2016/17, the worst on record, last season is still ranked amongst the top 3 poorest since records began.

Grim.

 

 

I hope that the snow situation for the Scottish resorts will improve.

Edited October 22, 2019 by Katrine Basso
Change sentence

[matty40s]

4 hours ago, Sceptical said:

Last season was a miserable affair for the Scottish resorts. Cairngorm managed to offer snowsports for just 31 days out of a probable 140. Although not as bad as season 2016/17, the worst on record, last season is still ranked amongst the top 3 poorest since records began.

Grim.

 

 

 

Cairngorm would have been able to offer far more days ski-ing if the Ciste area was still lift served and the Cas area still had chair uplift o the plateau, rather than the disastrous and probably now defunct funicular.

[Sceptical]

13 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Cairngorm would have been able to offer far more days ski-ing if the Ciste area was still lift served and the Cas area still had chair uplift o the plateau, rather than the disastrous and probably now defunct funicular.

With the funicular, apparently finished, I have very little interest making the short trip up to Cairngorm to snowboard. The uplift is prehistoric and the genuinely good riding days are few and far between.

I cant see the situation improving as who would invest money into the Scottish ski centres. Mountain snowfall is 30% lower than X amount of years ago. Throwing good money at bad.

[matty40s]

35 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

With the funicular, apparently finished, I have very little interest making the short trip up to Cairngorm to snowboard. The uplift is prehistoric and the genuinely good riding days are few and far between.

I cant see the situation improving as who would invest money into the Scottish ski centres. Mountain snowfall is 30% lower than X amount of years ago. Throwing good money at bad.

Invested properly, in the right areas, it pays, you only have to look at Glencoe or the Lecht to see what can be done to improve the areas and attract skiers. The previous few winters have been roaring successes for all except Cairngorm, and that is down to bad management decisions and awful input from HIE and Natural Retreats.

I'm not sure where you get your 30% over X years from, a non statistic if I ever saw one. 

[ItNeverSnowsInWindsor]

This winter will see above average snowfall for Scottish ski resorts. Mark my words.

[Sceptical]

50 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Invested properly, in the right areas, it pays, you only have to look at Glencoe or the Lecht to see what can be done to improve the areas and attract skiers. The previous few winters have been roaring successes for all except Cairngorm, and that is down to bad management decisions and awful input from HIE and Natural Retreats.

I'm not sure where you get your 30% over X years from, a non statistic if I ever saw one. 

"Its actually a 60% reduction in mountain snow by 2080. 

Nobody can deny the impact climate change is having on the ski industryaround the world – weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable, snowfall less reliable and temperatures warmer.

The Game Changer report also claims that the Scottish ski industry could collapse within as little as 50 years as climate change continues to affect weather patterns – with a predicted 60 per cent reduction in snowfall in Scotland by 2080. It warns there could be “potentially devastating consequences for local economies in the Scottish mountains"

As for the 30% figure I made mention of. According to the Met Office, snowfall across the Scottish mountains has reduced by a third over the last 45 years.

Edited October 22, 2019 by Sceptical

[Sceptical]

44 minutes ago, prolongedSnowLover said:

This winter will see above average snowfall for Scottish ski resorts. Mark my words.

That's a brave guess given 2 of the worst seasons on record for Scottish skiing have occurred in the last 4 years.

[ItNeverSnowsInWindsor]

21 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

That's a brave guess given 2 of the worst seasons on record for Scottish skiing have occurred in the last 4 years.

The solar minimum cycle will have something to say this winter.

[Mr Frost]

53 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

"Its actually a 60% reduction in mountain snow by 2080. 

Nobody can deny the impact climate change is having on the ski industryaround the world – weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable, snowfall less reliable and temperatures warmer.

The Game Changer report also claims that the Scottish ski industry could collapse within as little as 50 years as climate change continues to affect weather patterns – with a predicted 60 per cent reduction in snowfall in Scotland by 2080. It warns there could be “potentially devastating consequences for local economies in the Scottish mountains"

As for the 30% figure I made mention of. According to the Met Office, snowfall across the Scottish mountains has reduced by a third over the last 45 years.

I remember all this tosh from back in Febuary 2018...

You seem to have missed out what the actual Ski-Scotland and Association of Scottish Ski Areas (ASSA) said in reply to this report...

Climate report 'incorrect' on investment

WWW.BBC.COM

---

Scotland's snowsports industry groups say the report was mistaken in its claim on centres' use of snow factories.

There was also a very good article in the Telegraph...

Is skiing in Scotland on its last legs?

WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

---

Scottish ski resorts hit back at claims that climate change is forcing them to spend half their budgets making snow

In a nutshell we get great years for snow sports, average ones and terrible ones - as has always been the case

Quote from Andy Meldrum below (Ski-Scotland)

Mr Meldrum, who is also involved in the running of Glencoe Mountain, said: "In the last decade on the west coast winters have on average been stormier and snowier. 
"More days have been lost to wind, but a deeper snow pack has meant a longer season."

Mr Meldrum said that before 2010, Glencoe Mountain had never opened before Christmas for skiing and snowboarding. 

Since 2010, the centre has opened six times before Christmas and this season began in November.

Mr Meldrum said: "Scottish resorts continue to have some great winters, some average winters and occasionally - like last season - some terrible winters. 
"Some seasons skiing is great at the east coast resorts and not so good at west coast resorts and others it's switched around."
He added: "It just seems to depend on where the prevailing weather patterns are coming from that winter."

Link to quote above.

'It's complicated': Skiing and Scottish weather http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-42975031

Personally as someone who enjoys snowboarding and visiting the ski resorts in Scotland every year...there is nothing to worry about. (All pretty standard stuff for our Ski Resorts as Mr Meldrum states)

Edited October 22, 2019 by Mr Frost

[Sceptical]

19 minutes ago, prolongedSnowLover said:

The solar minimum cycle will have something to say this winter.

Well according to NASA, only if you're an astronaut. Any reduction in global temperatures will be negligible.

[Sceptical]

15 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

I remember all this tosh from back in Febuary 2018...

A 30% reduction in snow over 45 years for the Scottish mountains, is not "tosh".

Its a fact.

[The PIT]

1 minute ago, Sceptical said:

A 30% reduction in snow over 45 years for the Scottish mountains, is not "tosh".

Its a fact.

It's only a fact after his happened at the moment it's speculation.

[Sceptical]

3 minutes ago, The PIT said:

It's only a fact after his happened at the moment it's speculation.

Its ALREADY happened.

Snowfall across the Scottish mountains has REDUCED by a third in the last 45 years - Met Office.

[ItNeverSnowsInWindsor]

26 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

Well according to NASA, only if you're an astronaut. Any reduction in global temperatures will be negligible.

Let’s see in April 2020

[Mr Frost]

27 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

A 30% reduction in snow over 45 years for the Scottish mountains, is not "tosh".

Its a fact.

Eh? The 30% reduction you mention was from research by the Metoffice in 2006 - only article I can find on it is below.

The future's a no-snow zone | Environment | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

As Scotland's snowfall is predicted to drop by up to 90 per cent, wildlife and tourism chiefs are preparing for a change of scene.

It mentioned settling snow but does not include days with snowfall - also no information about whether this research took place at low ground/high ground so I don’t know about the Scottish Mountains part you mention above in a reply to another member. 

I think we will go round in circles here so I will stick with my thoughts on my original post above and the information from Ski-Scotland and the ASSA. 

The only facts here are that I will once again be snowboarding on loads of snow in a Scottish Ski Resort this Winter just like I have in all previous ones.  

Absolutely nothing to worry about - we get great, average and terrible Winters. Always have and always will. 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Mr Frost

[Sceptical]

2 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

Eh? The 30% reduction you mention was from research by the Metoffice in 2006 - only article I can find on it is below.

The future's a no-snow zone | Environment | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

---

As Scotland's snowfall is predicted to drop by up to 90 per cent, wildlife and tourism chiefs are preparing for a change of scene.

It mentioned settling snow but does not include days with snowfall - also no information about whether this research took place at low ground/high ground so I don’t know about the Scottish Mountains part you mention below in a reply to another member. 

I think we will go round in circles here so I will stick with my thoughts on my original post above and the information from Ski- Scotland and the ASSA. 

The only facts here are that I will once again be snowboarding on loads of snow in a Scottish Ski Resort this Winter just like I have in all previous ones. 

Absolutely nothing to worry about - we get great, average and terrible Winters. Always have and always will. 

Its not just Scotland ski resorts that are struggling, we are seeing similar issues across the Alps.

I guess you might accept there is a problem when one of the five Scottish ski centres go bust. That has almost happened to one in recent times.

[Methuselah]

12 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

Its not just Scotland ski resorts that are struggling, we are seeing similar issues across the Alps.

I guess you might accept there is a problem when one of the five Scottish ski centres go bust. That has almost happened to one in recent times.

I would have thought that the most objective measure of Climate Change would be an increase in the altitude at which the heaviest snowfalls are recorded (somewhere close to the freezing-level?)... and, of course, of the snowline?

And, when that altitude-of-maximum-snow rises above that of the ski resorts...it'll be curtains?!

[jonboy]

50 minutes ago, Sceptical said:

Its ALREADY happened.

Snowfall across the Scottish mountains has REDUCED by a third in the last 45 years - Met Office.

Funnily enough the most active sunspot cycles have occurred over the last 45 years!!! - fact