Scottish Ski Season Re-boot?
Scotland’s 22-23 Ski season appears on the verge of a reboot with low temperatures and snowfall reaching the five Highland centres.
Although the season started fairly well the past few months have seen a common roller coaster of weather conditions (freeze, thaw, snowfall, melt) gradually diminish what the centres could open and the past week has seen very limited terrain still available. But things may now improve fast.
Overnight temperatures as low as -16C have been reported over the past few nights and up to 35cm (14”) of snowfall so far with Met office weather warnings for heavy snowfall at the end of this week and through the weekend.
Ski centres in the east seem to have done beat with The Lecht posting runs all white, Cairngorm, which had had the most terrain open, the most snowfall, and Glenshee saying they have great conditions – with low temperatures, blue skies and some and fresh snow today, on the couple of runs they have open.
But what is currently open remains limited and what’s likely to open in the next few days remains rather uncertain.
Cairngorm above Aviemore currently has the most terrain open with 9 of its 32 runs reported open.
“It’s calm, clear, and sunny which is forecast all day and a temperature of -11C rising to -9C. We have some lovely snow conditions with 35cm of fresh cold powdery snow from yesterday. On the pistes the beginner’s area at the conveyors, is in great condition. The Zig Zags have reopened allowing beginners to ski to mid mountain. Great cover in the Ptarmigan bowl and down the upper M2 into the Fairway piste. Traverse, 105 also have a good depth and base. The Gunbarrel is improving but still narrow, but suitable for intermediates and experts,” a statement from the ski area explains noting you can ski to the funicular’s mid-station and that there’s also a terrain park operating.
Glenshee, which posted the image below early on Wednesday 8th March, have a couple of short runs open but most of their ski area does not have enough snow to open and they currently fear the forecast storms may track to the south of them.
Despite the snowy images (picture top from Wednesday 8th March) cover at The Lecht is thin and it reports it has a handful of runs open so far:
“Fresh snow on all runs, beginners area will be opening with natural and factory snow. The Grouse is opening giving access to the grouse runs, the chairlift run and the Osprey.”
All slopes at Glencoe are currently closed but they are hopeful of good snowfall next week. Nevis range has hardly opened its ski slopes this winter and remains closed for snowsports.
