Avalanche forecasts for Scottish hillwalkers and climbers will start this year on 17 December.
The Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) provides a daily avalanche hazard report for six Scottish areas – Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon. The service usually runs until mid-April but is dependent on the snow conditions. Anyone planning a hillwalk during the winter is advised to check the avalanche service in the same way as they would routinely check the weather forecast and plan their route accordingly.
Some snow is already lying on higher, eastern mountains with heavy snowfalls predicted for the coming weekend (20 – 22 November).