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Scotland/Alba Regional Weather Discussion - 16/01/2018 Onwards


BlueHedgehog074

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Posted
  • Location: NH7256
  • Weather Preferences: where's my vote?
  • Location: NH7256

Headed out just before 8 this morning, mental heavy snow for the first 20 mins and was thinking, gosh this could be quite a journey... then it just fizzled out! Got to Thurso after an easy run up the A9, now home again. Pretty cold here and more snow on this part of the Black Isle than anywhere further north. Nuts.

I see the mythical Moray Firth streamer at the end of the month too. Unicorn territory :D

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Posted
  • Location: Tarves, Aberdeenshire, 86m asl
  • Location: Tarves, Aberdeenshire, 86m asl

Icy layer survived here in Tarves.  A bit crunchy on the side roads.  Fingers crossed for some proper depth of snow here before winter is out.

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Posted
  • Location: N.E. Scotland South Side Moray Firth 100m asl
  • Location: N.E. Scotland South Side Moray Firth 100m asl
38 minutes ago, howham said:

Icy layer survived here in Tarves.  A bit crunchy on the side roads.  Fingers crossed for some proper depth of snow here before winter is out.

Spring Show  is at Thainstone on the 28th of February. When it was held in Aberdeen at Kittybrewster in the seventies when I was at college it nearly always snowed on the day.

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Posted
  • Location: Moffat - D&G
  • Location: Moffat - D&G

Anyone else get the thundersnow this morning ? I'm just back from working in Wanlockhead. It was hooning down this morning for a couple of hours and a fun drive up at 8 am. Mrs moffatross said thundersnow  in Moffat too with multiple cracks of thunder/lightning in the heaviest snow.

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Posted
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Thunderstorms, Severe Gales, Hot & Sunny or Cold & Sunny!
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland

Has anyone climbed a Munro or Corbett in the weather conditions attached below?

I have been to the summits of Ben Nevis, Cairngorm Mountain and Ben Lomond to name a few but only in calm conditions. (mostly Summer weather, snow on the ground with light winds and clear visibility for the most part) 

Today would have been the perfect day for it but I didn’t have the time - off work tomorow so thought I would give it a bash! (Fully equipped and would make for a proper wild adventure) 

Think I might be biting off more than I can chew but was just curious to know if anyone has sampled walking conditions like this? (Blizzards, Storm force gusts, very poor visibility and feel like temperatures of -15?)

 

93CBE041-801C-4F2B-BB35-8D57FCAA2F3F.png

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Posted
  • Location: NH7256
  • Weather Preferences: where's my vote?
  • Location: NH7256
8 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

Has anyone climbed a Munro or Corbett in the weather conditions attached below?

I have been to the summits of Ben Nevis, Cairngorm Mountain and Ben Lomond to name a few but only in calm conditions. (mostly Summer weather, snow on the ground with light winds and clear visibility for the most part) 

Today would have been the perfect day for it but I didn’t have the time - off work tomorow so thought I would give it a bash! (Fully equipped and would make for a proper wild adventure) 

Think I might be biting off more than I can chew but was just curious to know if anyone has sampled walking conditions like this? (Blizzards, Storm force gusts, very poor visibility and feel like temperatures of -15?)

 

93CBE041-801C-4F2B-BB35-8D57FCAA2F3F.png

Mountain Weather Information Service http://www.mwis.org.uk/ is a good place for mountain weather info.

To go on to the mountains in the conditions shown on your screenshot would be (sequentially) pointless, unpleasant, then dangerous. If you want to get into winter mountaineering find someone with good experience to advise you on what skills, kit, etc., you need.  Don't become another casualty.

And yes, I have experienced awful winter conditions on mountains, but not for many years. Snow and cold conditions quickly become your enemy. 

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Posted
  • Location: Moffat - D&G
  • Location: Moffat - D&G
9 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

Has anyone climbed a Munro or Corbett in the weather conditions attached below?

I have been to the summits of Ben Nevis, Cairngorm Mountain and Ben Lomond to name a few but only in calm conditions. (mostly Summer weather, snow on the ground with light winds and clear visibility for the most part) 

Today would have been the perfect day for it but I didn’t have the time - off work tomorow so thought I would give it a bash! (Fully equipped and would make for a proper wild adventure) 

Think I might be biting off more than I can chew but was just curious to know if anyone has sampled walking conditions like this? (Blizzards, Storm force gusts, very poor visibility and feel like temperatures of -15?)

 

93CBE041-801C-4F2B-BB35-8D57FCAA2F3F.png

Yes, I've summited on touring skis in storm blizzard conditions by day and at night by headtorch. Anything over 40 mph is horrendous with the 'feels like' windchill factor being much.much more chilling than it suggests, feeling a whole lot colder than the -30's I've experienced in the Alps and North America. If you're going on foot rather than ski, it will also be much tougher than on skis. I wouldn't contemplate it.

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Posted
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
19 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

Has anyone climbed a Munro or Corbett in the weather conditions attached below?

I have been to the summits of Ben Nevis, Cairngorm Mountain and Ben Lomond to name a few but only in calm conditions. (mostly Summer weather, snow on the ground with light winds and clear visibility for the most part) 

Today would have been the perfect day for it but I didn’t have the time - off work tomorow so thought I would give it a bash! (Fully equipped and would make for a proper wild adventure) 

Think I might be biting off more than I can chew but was just curious to know if anyone has sampled walking conditions like this? (Blizzards, Storm force gusts, very poor visibility and feel like temperatures of -15?)

 

93CBE041-801C-4F2B-BB35-8D57FCAA2F3F.png

I enjoy walking and hiking but do not have the skills (ice axe, crampons etc.) you need to safely negotiate Scottish mountains in full winter mode. On this thread I would suggest @Benvironment or @moffatross are the men to give appropriate advice but to be honest I wouldn’t even think about venturing onto the hills in conditions like that.

 

Edited by Hawesy
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Posted
  • Location: NH7256
  • Weather Preferences: where's my vote?
  • Location: NH7256
34 minutes ago, CatchMyDrift said:

If you squint carefully at this there's the ECM's attempt at a unicorn in the charts. Coincidence? I think not.

Screenshot_20180213-215234.thumb.jpg.906e59bb7cc541861b25709ee6a42798.jpg

Serendipity? :)

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Posted
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Thunderstorms, Severe Gales, Hot & Sunny or Cold & Sunny!
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland

Cheers for replying so quickly with fantastic feedback - all very much appreciated.

On that note I will definitely not be going up Beinn Ime tomorrow! There is an adventure and then there is just being plain stupid! I will stick to walking/hiking/climbing the Munro’s/Corbetts on calm days when snow is about and during other seasons of the year - have an ice axe, crampons and microspikes which I have used before but never in anywhere near the kind of severe weather forecast for tomorrow. 

Again - thank you for the advice. 

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Posted
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
26 minutes ago, Hairy Celt said:

Serendipity? :)

Terrible film.

After all the time and effort I’ve put into securing a snowless winter in Broughty Ferry I will be raging if it’s spoiled by some misguided late season NEly. Let’s hope the models have dropped any notion of such a terrible idea by tomorrow. I’ve got my reputation to think of.

:D

Edited by Hawesy
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Posted
  • Location: Braemar
  • Weather Preferences: Subzero
  • Location: Braemar
27 minutes ago, Hawesy said:

I enjoy walking and hiking but do not have the skills (ice axe, crampons etc.) you need to safely negotiate Scottish mountains in full winter mode. On this thread I would suggest @Benvironment or @moffatross are the men to give appropriate advice but to be honest I wouldn’t even think about venturing onto the hills in conditions like that.

 

Lord no, the only people out in conditions like that are mountain rescue and the people they're rescuing. Quite aside from the fact that you'd get blown over and probably wouldn't even be able to walk, when there's falling snow and winds over 30 or 40mph the spindrift reduces visibility to zero. Flat light, whiteout.....and proper whiteout at that, not the Daily Mail variety where there are pavements and roads visible. Proper, horrid, disorientating whiteout when there is no detail whatsoever and you feel like you're floating or your eyes have stopped working. Then you start tripping over undulations and cornices on the ground that you can't even see......and not to mention the wind blowing all that new snow onto leeward slopes and coire tops to form avalanche dangers.

As for the windchill....well that's serious. I've had frostnip on my nose and fingers and it's really rather alarming. And in a -20 windchill it will happen very quickly. Nigh impossible to keep warm under conditions like that. 

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!

Erm.....hope that's not too alarmist ;-)

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Posted
  • Location: Braemar
  • Weather Preferences: Subzero
  • Location: Braemar

You're best consulting MWIS for a detailed forecast, as the Met Office forecast doesn't really tell you what the effects will be of the informaiton you're seeing. West Highlands for tomorrow, Thursday and even Friday isn't looking great IMO. Saturday is possible looking calmer just now:

http://www.mwis.org.uk/pdf/weather-forecasts/WH-MWI-WM11469_2018-02-13_183716_9780000.pdf

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Posted
  • Location: Moffat - D&G
  • Location: Moffat - D&G
12 minutes ago, Hawesy said:

Terrible film.

After all the time and effort I’ve put into securing a snowless winter in Broughty Ferry I will be raging if it’s spoiled by some misguided late season NEly. Let’s hope the models have dropped any notion of such a terrible idea by tomorrow. I’ve got my reputation to think of.

:D

Well, your unblemished record may go unbroken, even on a full-blown Easterly that the model output thread lot have been up and down about for what seems like weeks. The 18Z GFS models mostly dry, a bit of rain, and at T384, some sleet !

Edited by moffatross
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Posted
  • Location: Braemar
  • Weather Preferences: Subzero
  • Location: Braemar
45 minutes ago, Hairy Celt said:

Mountain Weather Information Service http://www.mwis.org.uk/ is a good place for mountain weather info.

 

Ah, sorry, didn't see you'd posted that. Yep, wot he said :)

Scottish Avalanche Information Service invaluable too, especially the weekly snowpack summary.....but it can take a wee while to get your head around it all. All the ranges are showing 'considerable' risk above 800 metres. A bit of milder weather followed by a refreeze is actually a good time to head out as the snowpac will be more stable....but then of course crampons and ice axe come into play.

https://www.sais.gov.uk/

Like others have said before, it's best to go on a winter skills course if it feels like a big step up. I went on a weekend one at Glenmore Lodge the first winter after I moved up here in 2003, and the avalanche info was a real eye opener.

Edited by Benvironment
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Posted
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Thunderstorms, Severe Gales, Hot & Sunny or Cold & Sunny!
  • Location: Gourock, Scotland
19 minutes ago, Benvironment said:

Lord no, the only people out in conditions like that are mountain rescue and the people they're rescuing. Quite aside from the fact that you'd get blown over and probably wouldn't even be able to walk, when there's falling snow and winds over 30 or 40mph the spindrift reduces visibility to zero. Flat light, whiteout.....and proper whiteout at that, not the Daily Mail variety where there are pavements and roads visible. Proper, horrid, disorientating whiteout when there is no detail whatsoever and you feel like you're floating or your eyes have stopped working. Then you start tripping over undulations and cornices on the ground that you can't even see......and not to mention the wind blowing all that new snow onto leeward slopes and coire tops to form avalanche dangers.

As for the windchill....well that's serious. I've had frostnip on my nose and fingers and it's really rather alarming. And in a -20 windchill it will happen very quickly. Nigh impossible to keep warm under conditions like that. 

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!

Erm.....hope that's not too alarmist ;-)

I have actually just took a screenshot of this post incase I ever get a stupid urge to attempt a climb in horrendous Winter weather again - thank you very much for that. (have also took note of the links and Winter skills course - will definetly look into doing that!)

Really drives home the message of how ridiculous it was to even consider it!

Much appreciated yet again! 

 

 

Edited by Mr Frost
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Posted
  • Location: Braemar
  • Weather Preferences: Subzero
  • Location: Braemar
2 minutes ago, Mr Frost said:

I have actually just took a screenshot of this post incase I ever get a stupid urge to attempt a climb in horrendous Winter weather again - thank you very much for that.

Really drives home the message of how ridiculous it was to even consider it!

Much appriciated yet again! 

 

Ha ha!

Don't be hard on yourself, until you've found yourself in adverse conditions (which occur in far less severe weather than that) you don't really have a sense of just how bonkers it can be. But the only reason anyone on here can tell you how hideous it can be, is because folk have for some reason or another found themselves caught out.......usually by mistake or because the bulk of the day is forecast to be okay, and any 'seriousness' might be shortlived and temporary., and so you head out regardless......say when a snow shower blows through and visibility falls to nil for 15 minutes or so. But that's usually enough to make you stop and think about exposing yourself to that kind of thing again. Much as I find being in the sunny hills in snow and strong winds exhilarating, I don't necessarily enjoy being buttoned up so that no skin is exposed! ;-)

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Posted
  • Location: Cumbernauld
  • Location: Cumbernauld
14 hours ago, Hawesy said:

Morning all - a right messy mix of conditions out there today. Needless to say it's plain rain in St Andrews at 3c/2c.

@CatchMyDrift Tell me the wet baw temperature is not going to become a thing...:D

@aggy Are you telling me you've now had a measurable snowfall? :cc_confused:

Well no ? well it might of been measurable but it melted by the time I left for work 

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Posted
  • Location: Cumbernauld
  • Location: Cumbernauld
17 hours ago, ciel said:

Well done, aggy.:) 

Still no snow here, just light to moderate rain and it does not feel too cold either.

Have to go to Ellon today and judging by the meto forecast Ellon and the A90 should be clear too, hopefully anyway.

Thank u but sadly it melted very quickly ?? it was away in an hour of falling 

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Posted
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
6 hours ago, aggy said:

Well no ? well it might of been measurable but it melted by the time I left for work 

Right, well we’re not counting it then. That way I’m not left alone in a thread full of snow folk. :D

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Posted
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife
  • Location: Home: Glenrothes, Fife Work: St Andrews, Fife

Thanks @Benvironment, like @Mr Frost I’m interested in doing a winter skills course and the Glenmore one sounds ideal. Definitely on my to do list for next winter.

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Posted
  • Location: Scottish Highlands 310m
  • Location: Scottish Highlands 310m
1 hour ago, Hawesy said:

Thanks @Benvironment, like @Mr Frost I’m interested in doing a winter skills course and the Glenmore one sounds ideal. Definitely on my to do list for next winter.

See you there, always been a plan of mine? Well done to @Mr Frost  for being sensible enough to ask on here, some people just head straight up like it's a stroll to the newsagents. We hear the search helicopter flying low overhead on too many a winter's night 

Very breezy morning, snow blowing across the roads, looks like some heavy showers inbound, my partner works from home so can enjoy it while I'm at work, not jealous at all..

Edited by Northern Strath
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