Ooooh, it's wintry showers - all the links you need to check this weekend's mountain weather and more...
We've resurrected our weekend links summary for the popular UK
hill areas. Simply select the mountains of your dreams then check out
the direct links for the latest specific forecasts from the main
weather sites on the web. Each link opens in a new window, so once
you've finished you can simply close that window and return to
OUTDOORSmagic for the next link.
There are also links for web cams, conditions and avalanche
forecasts where available - if there's a site we've missed, let us
know and we'll add it to the next one.
Weekend 6/7 Jan 2001 - 2001• Where did that
come from then•
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Mountain Forecast
Online weather's brilliant new
mountain-specific
forecast is definitely the best
starting point on the web with an overall overview of the UK
plus detailed mountain area forecasts for both now and the
next three days complete with:
• Freezing levels
• Hill temperatures
• Wind
• Cloudbase and visibility
• Overall weather severity forecast
See specific areas below for links to the
relevant sections
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The National Forecasts
• Online
Weather's Mountain Forecast has a
general overview as well as specific forecasts for each area
- see below - predicts wintry showers over the north western
hills on Saturday, with things easing off on Sunday making
for better walking albeit on 'some slippery surfaces'.
Freezing level today, Friday is estimated at around 2500
feet all over today and dropping lower over the weekend
before the weather improves on Sunday/Monday.
• The
Met Office says grumpy in teh
south on Saturday but sunny shiny over the northern English
hills, then sunny periods everywhere on Sunday except the
north western hills which cop wintry showers, snow on high
ground.
• Three-day
pressure analysis animation from
the Met Office shows a low sitting off to the NE over the
weekend
• Online
Weather for Saturday says sunny
spells and cloud with some wintriness over northern
Scotland, Northern Ireland and North Wales. Sunday
offers wintry showers in the North / NW, drier in the South
with sunny intervals.
• Ananova's
forecast says Saturday have sunny
spells and showers in most places except for the East and
South, cold enough for snow over some northern hills. Sunday
cold with sunny spells and wintry showers mainly in the
north and west.
The Bottom Line Looks like the
hills in the North and NW are in for some more snow, but
sounds like flurries rather than big dumps. Cooler
conditions should help the freeze thaw cycle in Scotland if
there's anything left to freeze that is...
In Your Pack Or On Your Back
Waterproofs, hat, gloves, gaiters if you're off
somewhere muddy... decent insulation layer, survival bag.
Crampons and axe if there's enough old snow, though we'd
expect most of it to have gone except in the highest
Scottish hills. According to the Scottish Avalanche
Information Service, icing on the Cairngorm Plateau is
'complete between boulder fields' so you'll be wanting
crampons up there
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Climbing Updates If you have a
television handy, check out page 159 on ITV's teletext
service for their regularly updated climbing, er, updates
including temperatures on the tops and other more general
information.
The Scottish
Avalanche Information Service is
now running regular daily reports including climbing
condition forecasts and is currently - Friday - saying that
the avalanche forecast is generally considerable - but check
for specific areas - cornices building and freeze-thaw cycle
should be improving conditions.
WinterNet
Scotland is a useful source for
firsthand reports for some Scottish hill areas complete with
pictures plus links to web cams - check it out.
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