Glencoe Blog & Mountain Info » Snow to low levels

Snow to low levels

14th January 2021

Covid -19

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service issues information to support permitted activity under current Scottish Government guidance.

Please be aware of current mandatory travel restrictions inÂ Local AuthorityÂ areas within Scotland and respect local communities by referring toÂ Scottish Government guidanceÂ and safe route choices for exercise. For further guidance please refer to the following information forÂ hillwalkers and climbersÂ andÂ snowsports on ski and board.

This blog is intended to provide hazard and mountain condition information to help plan safer mountain trips.

Overnight snow fell to around 200 metres with showers continuing through the day. The snow fell with light winds and is on all aspects and generally soft and unconsolidated. Localised areas of windslab were to be found at higher elevations where the wind had been slightly stronger.

Before the snow fell there was a period of freezing rain which has coated rocks, vegetation and the old snowpack with a layer of ice. This ice is hidden by the layer of fresh snow but is still very slippery giving difficult walking conditions. I tried with and without crampons but neither was easy.

Fresh snow in an empty Glencoe car park this morning.

This rock is covered by a layer of clear ice which is hard to see. It’s more obvious on the right hand edge and can also be seen on the vegetation to the right of the rock.

The obvious line across this snow profile is a layer of ice caused, I think, by freezing rain. Soft fresh snow on top, with old snow below.

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