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UK Mountain snowfall from 2016 onwards


damianslaw

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Posted
  • Location: Wellseborne, Warwickshire
  • Weather Preferences: Southerly tracking low pressure in winter. Hot and thundery in the summer
  • Location: Wellseborne, Warwickshire
10 hours ago, Ice Day said:

Glencoe is looking in great shape for a prompt start for the Scottish ski season.  I'll be there myself at Christmas, can't wait!!!!

.  Glencoe.jpg

Hi ice day. 

I'm on a budget this year so thinking of taking the Mrs to Scotland this year. Just wondering if you have any recommendations on where to go. I'm a boarder she's a skier? I'm told aviemore is the biggest . Also is it much cheaper than Europe? 

Would really appreciate your reply. Many thanks 

Shaun 

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Posted
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and Cold.
  • Location: High Wycombe

Aviemore lift pas is ~£30 p/p / day  (~£15 for a half day pass) if i remember rightly. I'm assuming you're taking your own gear which means the only other cost is travel /  accommodation. 

Aviemore is probably the best spot for varied terrain and has the best facilities on site.

Glencoe has some of the toughest runs and rickity old single person chair lift which is an experience lol. It is a bit cheaper, but facilities are limitied. However, the worlds best pub, the Clachaig Inn is only a 10 minutes drive further into the Glen. If you do Glencoe, then make sure you visit this pub. (google it). Also, you could get accomodation near Glencoe / Fort William and do Nevis.

Glenshee is pretty good but is limited in it's terrain options and facilities.

Not done Nevis.

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Posted
  • Location: Tullynessle/Westhill
  • Weather Preferences: Cold and snowy or warm and dry
  • Location: Tullynessle/Westhill
3 hours ago, Severe Siberian icy blast said:

Hi ice day. 

I'm on a budget this year so thinking of taking the Mrs to Scotland this year. Just wondering if you have any recommendations on where to go. I'm a boarder she's a skier? I'm told aviemore is the biggest . Also is it much cheaper than Europe? 

Would really appreciate your reply. Many thanks 

Shaun 

Any idea of when or for how long? With Scotland it pays if you can be flexible as conditions can vary from week to week, or even day to day. One week the West coast resorts (Glencoe & Nevis Range) can be buried, but a week or two later the Easter resorts (Aviemore, Glenshee, Lecht) can be better. It just depends on what direction the weather systems have come in. For example, there's an outside chance the Lecht could run some lifts this weekend but the other resorts are unlikely to. Same with the weather on the day itself, it could be blue skies in one resort whilst another is shut due to wind.

Based at Aviemore you could ski at Cairngorm, Lecht (40mins?) or Nevis (1hr?) if you have transport. Glencoe and Glenshee from there are possible but a bit of a trek. Based in Ft.William you'd get Glencoe, Nevis & Aviemore within driving distance. Both are decent bases accommodation wise and I doubt you'd have problems finding somewhere to stay with a couple of weeks notice (we've taken a long weekend trip to Nevis Range the last 2 years, only booking a week or two beforehand) .

As for the ski areas, Lecht is small, OK for beginners and tends to open sooner than the other resorts when there's snow due to it's grassy terrain. It's lower though, so can suffer during mild spells. Not a huge vertical drop, or anything terribly tough, but sometimes it's better than not skiing at all and I sort of have a strange affection for the place (I can be there in just over 1hr from home).

Glenshee is my usual destination as I can be there in under 1.5hrs from home. It's the biggest area but there's nothing overly steep. It's usually quite good in marginal winds as you can usually find somewhere sheltered in just about any wind direction cos it has slopes in several corries (bowls). For the same reason it picks up snow better on some slopes than others depending on the wind direction. There's a couple of bottleneck lifts, especially if there's trouble with other lifts.

Cairngorm is the 'big name' resort, but it's not had a great name in Scottish skiing circles for a while. Constant changes of ownership and the removal of some lifts means it's not a patch on what it used to be. There's often complaints about lift queues during weekends or holidays. I wouldn't write it off completely though, especially midweek. It has some decent terrain and holds snow well from mid mountain upwards.

Nevis always seems to get overlooked but I like the place. If you do off piste then the Back Corries are supposed to be good but I've never personally had the guts to try it. I've never seen the lifts busy in the times I've been there, and the views are fantastic. Can maybe suffer a bit more than other resorts with thaw/freeze cycles as it's right on the West coast.

Glencoe is somewhere I've not skied for many years as it's just too much of a hike from where I live on the East coast. It has a good reputation though as they have been investing in new tows, lifts etc. Probably the largest vertical descent in Scotland if you get lucky and can ski right back to the car park.

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Posted
  • Location: Nr Chelmsford, Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and blizzards please!
  • Location: Nr Chelmsford, Essex
12 hours ago, Severe Siberian icy blast said:

Hi ice day. 

I'm on a budget this year so thinking of taking the Mrs to Scotland this year. Just wondering if you have any recommendations on where to go. I'm a boarder she's a skier? I'm told aviemore is the biggest . Also is it much cheaper than Europe? 

Would really appreciate your reply. Many thanks 

Shaun 

Hi SSIB

I think the Ravelin and Gavin have given you more direction that I can as I'm not a skier, but love just getting up on the mountains.  I know a day pass at Glencoe is about £30 (or just a chairlift up is £10).  The downside for skiers (no pun intended) from my limited experience is how windy it gets.  I was up there for a week last year and the mountain was only open for 3 days.   I think Cairngorm is probably the best bet as being away from the west coast it's probably not as prone to periods of thaw, but again the other peeps advice on here is probably more valuable than mine.

The main point is though, the whole of the Highland area is absolutely stunning, skiing or no skiing.  Hope this has helped a bit, good luck.

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Posted
  • Location: Dundee
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, thunderstorms, gales. All extremes except humidity.
  • Location: Dundee
1 hour ago, Ice Day said:

Hi SSIB

I think the Ravelin and Gavin have given you more direction that I can as I'm not a skier, but love just getting up on the mountains.  I know a day pass at Glencoe is about £30 (or just a chairlift up is £10).  The downside for skiers (no pun intended) from my limited experience is how windy it gets.  I was up there for a week last year and the mountain was only open for 3 days.   I think Cairngorm is probably the best bet as being away from the west coast it's probably not as prone to periods of thaw, but again the other peeps advice on here is probably more valuable than mine.

The main point is though, the whole of the Highland area is absolutely stunning, skiing or no skiing.  Hope this has helped a bit, good luck.

Yes in a Westerly Winter wind and rain can be a big problem at Glencoe and Nevis. I once booked 5 days in the area and didn't manage up once. However the skiing is great if conditions are good.. Plenty for beginners / early intermediates at Nevis plus the back corries for advanced if open. Glencoe good for intermediates and advanced. Glenshee has the most terrain but like Cairngorm and the Lecht the roads can be a problem if snowy. Like others I don't like the vehicular at Cairngorm though I do like the skiing but it and Glencoe are most reliable for snow later in the season. Accommodation easiest to get in Aviemore or nearby and Fort William in the West.

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

BBC Weatherman Peter Gibbs tweeted this wonderful photo of snow covering the tops of the Southern Uplands this morning.

Nov 18 Southern Uplands.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Plenty of cover on the fells today, indeed snowline was a low 150 metres. A wintry weekend ahead for those venturing onto the tops, apart from the third weekend in November last year, we had to wait until the weekend of the 16 January before we had proper wintry conditions on the fells. Not this year, far from it.. a great start to the season and its not December yet.

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

On Bowfell in the Lake District today - the view towards Langdale. And with a rainbow thrown in!

Nov 18 Lake District.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Great photo of Bowfell and the rainbow, looks like it was taken from somewhere close to Tarn Hows/ Coniston area. Hope to see similiar scenes tomorrow in between the showers. Do love this time of the year when the fells are cloaked early in snowy splendour and you still have the last of the autumn colours around, with the promise of a long winter season ahead..

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Great photo of Bowfell and the rainbow, looks like it was taken from somewhere close to Tarn Hows/ Coniston area. Hope to see similiar scenes tomorrow in between the showers. Do love this time of the year when the fells are cloaked early in snowy splendour and you still have the last of the autumn colours around, with the promise of a long winter season ahead..

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Great photo of Bowfell and the rainbow, looks like it was taken from somewhere close to Tarn Hows/ Coniston area. Hope to see similiar scenes tomorrow in between the showers. Do love this time of the year when the fells are cloaked early in snowy splendour and you still have the last of the autumn colours around, with the promise of a long winter season ahead..

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

Conditions on higher routes in Cumbria looking pretty bad this morning during heavy showers. Photo by Paul Kingston.

Cumbria 19 Nov Paul Kingston.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
1 hour ago, Blessed Weather said:

Conditions on higher routes in Cumbria looking pretty bad this morning during heavy showers. Photo by Paul Kingston.

Cumbria 19 Nov Paul Kingston.jpg

Know where this photo was taken. Suspect somewhere in the Pennine part of Cumbria, perhaps? Kirkstone Pass was closed last night, but all roads remain open I think today - all main roads any way.

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

Great photo of the highest pub in Britain today! The Tan Hill Inn in the Yorkshire Dales which had 200 people stranded there this morning!! A pub that's on my bucket list of places to visit! :)

Tan Hill Paul Kingston.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

A unique view of Blencathra and Skiddaw in the Lake District this morning, taken by Iain Cameron onboard his flight back to Scotland:

Nov 20 Lake District Iain Cameron.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

Remarkable scenes in the Pennines today. Hard to believe this is the UK in November! Fantastic! :)

Wintry scene in Nenthead: Nov 23 Pennines Nenthead.jpg An avalanche on Melmerby Fell: Nov 23 Pennines Pennines Melmerby Fell.jpg

And skiing in Yadmoss: Nov 23 North Pennines Yadmoss.jpgNov 23 North Pennines Yadmoss 2.jpgNov 23 North Pennines Yadmoss 3.jpg

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  • 11 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

@damianslaw Hi. I was wondering if this thread would be relaunched for the 2017/18 season? There were some wonderful photos of winter scenes posted last year, and whilst there was a little confusion about which thread Scottish mountain posts should appear in, I felt this thread was a great addition. One alternative is to have a "Snow on Scottish & other UK Mountains" thread (but too late for this year?).

And if I may raise another point, I feel we should drop the actual years from the titles so the threads just keep running. That way we can easily look back at previous seasons and notable events (e.g. last snow patch on the Scottish mountains) without having to trawl back through dozens of pages (as I've just done to find this!). Thanks. :smile:

Anyway, I'll crack on.... this was Helvellyn range in the Lake District yesterday.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Hi - oh yes lets just keep this one going. I'd forgotten all about it - the fact it ran out of steam before winter started says something about how poor last season was for mountain snowfall. Yes good to see the first dusting of snow lingering on the tops yesterday. Suspect we will see some similar amounts this week, more so end of the week with another northerly plunge.

Would be good to see some photos again of this years snowfall.

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

Nice to see a dusting on the tops of the Pennines today:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

A dusting of snow up on Fleet Moss, North Yorkshire today (24th Nov):

 

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Posted
  • Location: Napton on the Hill Warwickshire 500ft
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and heatwave
  • Location: Napton on the Hill Warwickshire 500ft
10 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Should be quite a decent cover on the fells tomorrow, down to probably about 300 metres, there was a covering above about 550 metres this morning. 

could we change the thread title ? or start a new one 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

A stunning photo taken from the top of the Old Man of Coniston in the Lake District this weekend (10th Dec).

 

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Great photo above, fells look superb at the moment, alpine like against the blue sky and should retain snow cover throughout the week, although a thaw likely below about 500m on Wednesday, temporarily though, before heavy snow again.

I look directly onto the Coniston Fells.

The start to a long snowy season I hope!

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