Winter Conditions

Finding out what is "in" in Scotland in winter is not that easy, especially if you live in England or Wales. In fact, finding out what is "in" in England and Wales isn't that easy either. Here are the pick of the most useful websites that can help you plan your trip. Many of these sites are of use in summer too.

Avalanche Information: first port of call!

The SAIS Latest Forecast is invaluable - and potentially life-saving. There is also quite often some good information about route conditions hidden away in there too. Unless you know the area like the back of your hand, it is generally considered foolish to set out on a climbing trip if the avalanche warning is 4 (Considerable) or above, and to take great care if it is. However, these are only forecasts, and, as always, it is up to the individual climber to assess the situation and make their own predictions.

In addition, the SAIS posts blogs written by its staff that give a little more detail and photographs:

Weather Forecasts: Large pinches of salt required

The Met Office	Five day regional forecasts and lots more
BBC	Five day regional forecasts and a Monthly Outlook
Accu Weather	Four day regional forecasts - includes Mountain Weather Forecasts for relevant altitudes (NB these vary according to area) and a Satellite View
Weather Online	Useful long range national forecasts (and annoying pop-up windows!)
Met Check	48 hour, 1- 7day and 8-14 day, and most importantly, night time, forecasts, for all regions of the UK
MWIS	The Mountain Weather Information Service (aka Geoff Monk) gives detailed forecasts three day forecasts for mountain areas in PDF format - generally accurate
Weather 2	Weather 2 has some useful satellite photos and weather charts as well as providing 14 day forecasts
YR.NO	yr.no is the joint online weather service from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and is widely reckoned to be the most accurate available, with incredible detail
Mountain Forecast	Mountain Forecast gives individual mountain forecasts for 6 days for many areas of the world including Scotland.
Windy.com	Worldwide detailed long term forecast of wind, rain, snow, temperature with amazing graphics.
ECMWF	The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts is has proved spookily accurate over recent years
The Weather Outlook	Long term predictions
Snow Forecast	Three day snow forecasts for the UK and elsewhere - more if you sign up
Cairngorm Weather Station	Data from the Cairngorm Weather Station and sometimes a webcam, from Herriot Watt University

Winter Conditions Monitoring

BMC

In an attempt to stop overenthusiastic climbers hacking the turf to bits on popular crags when things are not sufficiently frozen, the BMC have placed winter conditions monitors in various locations in Snowdonia, North Wales and in the Lake District. These show not only the air temperature, but also the temperature of the turf at 5cm, 15cm and 30cm – an incredibly useful tool which could save you a long walk for nothing and rare floral from getting trashed by the inconsiderate.

Route Reports: Winter climbing reports submitted by climbers - small pinches of salt required

Abacus	Mike Pescod's site has a Blog, mainly based around Ben Nevis and Glencoe, but often also including Creag Meagaidh and the Cairngorms
Alan Kimber	Alan is retired now but his daughter runs the Bunkhouse in Fort William
Climbwhenyoureready Mountaineering	Alan Halewood has a Blog
Ecosse Mountains	Ken Rutherford's site has a Blog
Greenwood Mountaineering	Has a regularly updated Facebook Page
Highland Mountaineering Skills	Dave Buckett maintains a good well illustrated blog on his Facebook page
Max Hunter	Highland instructor has a good Blog
More Than Mountains	An up to date Facebook Page with conditions in both Scotland and the Lakes over the winter months
Nevis Range	The Mountain Report gives current conditions on the Anaoch Mor ski slopes, which will be similar to what you can expect on the Ben, and of course very handy for conditions on Anaoch Morr and Anaoch Beag
Scot Mountain	Formerly Mountain Innovations, this mountaineering course website has a useful winter conditions Blog centred on the Cairngorms
Skye Guides	Mike Lates, local instructor and author of the SMC climbing guide to the Cuillin, has a regularly updated Blog giving conditions reports
UK Climbing	The Winter Forum has some useful stuff, and quite a few reports. They also have a Winter Conditions page which is a round up all all the winter climbs that have been logged by UKC users recently

Webcams: Scotland

There area numerous webcams all over Scotland. However, as fast as we list them they seem to go out of commission. Here are a couple of sites giving links to lots of webcams followed by a few favourites that actually seem to work.

Steven Fallon	Mountaineering instructor with a good Webcams page
Traffic Scotland	Traffic reports and a load of useful roadside Webcams - click the relevant link on the right
Skye	These cameras provides a few views of Skye Bridge, and maybe even the the Cuillins (if you are lucky!)
Ben Nevis	The SMC have installed a webcam on the CIC Hut. It points up at the Orion Face so you can not only see what conditions are like but how crowded Orion Direct is!
Ben Nevis	Visit Fort William's Webcam is located at Tomacharich, Fort William and gives view looking up to the North Face from the valley bottom. The camera viewing angle changes every 3 minutes, rotating through a selection of preset webcam views
Lake District Ski Club	Photos from the ski area on Raise, just north of Helvellyn

Have you found a site not listed here that gives good Scottish winter climbing information? If so please let us know about it - email us at info@needlesports.com – thank you!

"Few plans survive contact with the weather."