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Current snow conditions thread 2019

Current snow conditions thread 2019


Postby Daymoth » Wed Jan 16, 2019 12:54 pm

Havent found a snow conditions thread for this season.

You know how it goes: if you are in the hills in Scotland please come back and tell us where you went and the date, the level of the snowline and the type of snow you encountered so we can all get excited and plan better :).

Cheers!
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Border Reiver » Wed Jan 16, 2019 2:56 pm

Although this information is useful to a certain extent, it might only apply to the actual day it was noted. Scotland is well known for the way conditions can change within hours. What's here today may well be gone tomorrow & vice- versa. Personally, when I go out into the mountains in the winter, I always take all my winter kit in the car with me and make a final decision when I reach my destination. It doesn't hurt to wear or carry with you, enough gear to cope with the worst possible conditions you might encounter.
I hope you get some good conditions, the mountains in winter can be fabulous.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Daymoth » Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:39 pm

Its not about gear (only). Knowing the conditions beforehand is useful to understand better avalanche conditions on the day. Same as we look at wind conditions days in advance to make safer decisions when on the spot.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby davekeiller » Wed Jan 16, 2019 8:38 pm

I agree. Knowing what it's been like recently is useful information. To that end, it's worth remembering that SAIS not only produce avalanche forecasts in some areas, but also have blogs where you can see pictures of the snow conditions. Also, MWIS not only provide useful weather forecasts but also have a page of links to various webcams which might prove helpful
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby NickyRannoch » Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:09 pm

Avalanche forecasts/ weather forecasts are what are what you need to know, not what the snow was like 5 days ago.

Its also clear from what gets asked on here, as well as elsewhere on social media, that snow is pretty much some people's only consideration and not frozen terrain in general which is just as dangerous.There's a misconception that no snow = safe
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Caberfeidh » Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:58 am

NickyRannoch wrote:Avalanche forecasts/ weather forecasts are what are what you need to know, not what the snow was like 5 days ago. Its also clear from what gets asked on here, as well as elsewhere on social media, that snow is pretty much some people's only consideration and not frozen terrain in general which is just as <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">dangerous.There's</span>misconception that no snow = safe


Agreed - too many people are distracted by the presence or absence of white stuff when it is the ice (which you cannot see from down in the glen), that is the potentially deadly obstacle. I can foresee the usual; "I wont need ice axe and crampons will I?" posts...
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby CharlesT » Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:23 am

Caberfeidh wrote:Agreed - too many people are distracted by the presence or absence of white stuff when it is the ice (which you cannot see from down in the glen), that is the potentially deadly obstacle. I can foresee the usual; "I wont need ice axe and crampons will I?" posts...


Good point. Wind stripped frozen turf and paths which run with water in milder weather can be lethal. For the sake of a few extra ounces take the right gear and don't trust to fortune.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby jmarkb » Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:35 am

I see no problem with providing such information - if the SAIS blogs are useful then so are user reports, especially if they relate to different areas. The ski touring and winter climbing communities do this all the time. Personally I find them useful for trip planning (I'm usually seeking snow rather than trying to avoid it!) and for keeping an awareness of current and recent snow conditions. Of course they have limited currency, and is up to individuals to use and interpret them sensibly, and to be responsible for their own decision making, but that's a separate issue.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Robinho08 » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:47 pm

I'm not a big fan of snow condition questions on FB, mostly due the reliability of the replies, most advice is down the lines of:

"I drove passed two weeks ago looked fine"
"I was up there 5 days ago, crampons not needed"
"Don't bother with an axe and crampons"...

You've got MWIS, SAIS, Traffic Scotland, webcams and a constant stream of photos being posted online. Plus if you carry the gear you shouldn't have to ask in my opinion.

I would only give snow conditions to someone I know well (for experience) and if I was there within last 24 hours.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby walkingpoles » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:40 pm

If you ever end up in a bad situation and then say: but the others on the internet said, it will be OK, you're doing it wrong.
Regardless whether you brought an ice axe or not.

I see no harm in people discussing snow levels. Also seems to be a tradition here.

Caber, you're losing touch. I'm sure those fond of ice axes are in a majority here.:)
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Caberfeidh » Fri Jan 18, 2019 9:12 am

walkingpoles wrote:Caber, you're losing touch. I'm sure those fond of ice axes are in a majority here.


Aaaaarrrrrrrr, aye, I'm sure it's various Facebucket hillwalking pages where I keep seeing such posts, like: "What will the weather be like on Ben Nevis in the middle of March? I can't be bothered with ice axe and crampons I wont need them will I?" I'm sure the polis put out a warning recently about taking advice on line then getting killed to death on the hills.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby BlackPanther » Fri Jan 18, 2019 5:38 pm

It's not just the use of crampons and/or ice axe up on higher ground.

Things can happen on lower level walks, a recent example here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46890799
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Caberfeidh » Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:25 am

Maybe we should change the title to "Recent Winter Conditions 2019"? So Glen Coe two days ago was very cold and the wind leached the heat from me until my face went numb, maybe one of those neoprene face masks would be good, with a skull on it if you're feeling goulish. Ice down to road level, light snow over ice higher up; the gullies look like they are in good condition for a bit of ice climbing though the ice may be a bit thin. Since then there has been severe frost overnight, some more precipitation, sun and overcast conditions so it's a mixed bag. As ever the roads are dodgy.

IMG_1219#r.jpg
Ungritted single track road to Clachaig, Glen Coe


DSCF9405#irr.jpg
Bidean


DSCF9391#r.jpg
Buchaille


IMG_1207#r.jpg
Glen Coe 17th January 2019 - cold and windy


Glen Coe climb#1r.jpg
I think this was Gear Aonach, 1991.


Glen Coe climb#4r.jpg
I think this was 1991 too.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Caberfeidh » Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:32 pm

After last night's frost, it's probably very icy now. Only now it's afternoon, so we could be having a thaw cycle at the moment. It'll probably start freezing up again after 15:30hrs.
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Re: Current snow conditions thread 2019

Postby Caberfeidh » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:25 am

It's precipitating down with snow all over the place just now. A82 closed in Glen Coe.
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