Cold with snow showers
5th February 2025
Snow showers overnight and during the day have made the hill look quite wintery from a distance. Snow cover is generally still thin, but it did feel wintry. As expected the old snowpack has frozen hard in the cold conditions, and does create a slip hazard. However, these areas are not extensive and often avoidable. Areas of fresh windslab are not well bonded, but again these areas are not extensive and can often be avoided. Quite a few photos today which should give a good idea of what conditions are like.
At an altitude of about 700 metres, a thin skin of frozen snow lies on top of a layer of wet slush. At higher levels things are better frozen.
Looking up the Goose burn from the bridge. Compare to the photo below which shows the same view just over a week ago gives an idea of how much snow was lost in the thaw over the past few days.
NOT TODAY! This picture taken on the 27th of Jan after Storm Eowyn, but before the mild wet weather of the past few days. A fair bit of snow last week, not so much today, but more today than there was yesterday!
Cracking underfoot. The fresh deposits are not well bonded. However, they are not particularly extensive. I accidently put the camera in a different mode, hence the grainy black and white effect, which in retrospect shows the cracking quite clearly.
In many areas even on lee aspects such as Coire Dubh there is just not much snow, which the fresh deposits concentrated around the coire rim.
However, the tops of the higher gullies such as Easy Gully have caught the fresh snow.
There are some fragile looking section of cornice about. Although not extensive or large compared to previous seasons, I am sure if would feel big enough if it collapsed and you were underneath.
The crags of Coire an Lochan.
The view out over the Grey Coires between snow showers.
The skies darkens as the next snow shower approaches.
Comments on this post
Got something to say? Leave a comment
