[ { "ID": "13460", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "6", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "No snow below 650m but with heavy drifting at higher altitudes. No visibility throughout the day above 700 metres. Winds 20 -30 mph progress difficult at times with stronger gusts", "Comment": "Poor stability on all lee slopes throughout the forecast period.", "WeatherInfluences": "Storm Dave will pass through the area in the early part of Saturday night and bring heavy snowfall for several hours. Frequent but less intense snow showers will follow and continue right through the forecast period. Strong winds, initially South Easterly then from the South to West quadrant. Briefly freezing near summits then falling quickly and remaining cold for the rest of the day.", "SnowStability": "Poor stability on all steep North West through North to South East aspects above 900m where avalanches are likely. Steep slopes at lower altitudes in these locations will also be affected. New weak, collapse prone cornices will be present above all very steep recent lee slopes. Better stability on wind exposed locations and all ridge crests. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "Persistent overnight snow showers, occasionally heavy, then dry during the morning. Storm Dave made its presence felt in the early afternoon with additional snowfall. Moderate South West winds backed South East later and became strong later in the afternoon. Generally cold overnight and during the morning but a little less frigid later.", "ObservedSnowStability": "Weak windslab became deeper and more widespread on all steep North West through North to East aspects above 850m. Stability declined further in these places later in the day with the onset of more snowfall and drifting with the approach of Storm Dave. New weak cornices in place above most very steep lee slopes. Better stability on all wind scoured slopes and ridges. The avalanche hazard is Considerable", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=23002300230013001100110011001300&txts=800&txtm=900&txte=1130", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "900", "elevation_lower": "900", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "NW" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "850", "elevation_lower": "850", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "NW" ] } ] }, { "ID": "13459", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "7", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "A superficial covering of fresh snow on most aspects. Clear early in the morning with clouds developing during the day. Winds 20 -30 mph increasing during the afternoon.", "Comment": "Storm Dave bringing strong winds and significant snow overnight Saturday and into Sunday. Much more settled conditions forecast for Easter Monday.", "WeatherInfluences": "Storm Dave will bring significant snow, heaviest Saturday evening into the night, with showers continuing through the day. Very strong Northerly winds in the evening decreasing slightly and becoming West-South-Westerly during daylight hours.", "SnowStability": "Windslab will build rapidly during the forecast period. Areas most affected will be steep wind sheltered locations, on North-East to South-East aspects above 750 metres with more localised deposits on North and South aspects and at lower elevations. Cornices will build above these aspects. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable.", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "A mostly dry day with moderate South-Westerly winds. The freezing level rose to around 750 metres before dropping again towards the end of the day.", "ObservedSnowStability": "The older snowpack is well bonded and stable. There is a superficial covering of soft snow on most aspects above around 600 metres. Isolated deposits of windslab on North-East to South-East aspects above around 750 metres are rapidly consolidating. The avalanche hazard is Low.", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=12002300230023002200110011001100&txts=600&txtm=750&txte=1110", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "700", "elevation_lower": "700", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "S" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "700", "elevation_lower": "700", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "S" ] } ] }, { "ID": "13458", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "5", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "Very hard snow ice on exposed windward slopes. Clear in the morning with poor visibility during snow by afternoon. Winds 20-30 mph progress difficult at times with stronger gusts later.", "Comment": "More snow forecast for the North Cairngorm forecast area. Please read that forecast if accessing those mountains from Deeside.", "WeatherInfluences": "Late afternoon on Saturday, snow will turn to rain or sleet on the very highest summits during the early evening. By Sunday morning, light snow will fall to increasingly lower levels as the freezing level drops back down to 600 metres. Very light snow showers will continue through the day above 500 metres. Generally Southerly gale force winds during the evening will veer to become variable strong Westerlies overnight, continuing through the day.", "SnowStability": "Fresh, unstable windslab will form in wind sheltered locations on North-West through North-East to South-East aspects above 800 metres. Small fragile cornices will start to form. Areas most affected will include gully tops and around sharply defined corrie rims, especially in the mountains along the northern boundary of the forecast area. Many places will have shallow snow or firm, wind scoured snow. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate.", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "Bright and sunny first thing, with cloud cover developing rapidly during the morning. Dry until early afternoon, when precipitation arrived, falling as snow above 600 metres. Moderate South-South-Westerly winds during the morning, becoming strong South-South-Easterlies by mid-afternoon. Freezing level fluctuating around 700 metres.", "ObservedSnowStability": "Localised pockets of shallow windslab are present in wind sheltered locations on North through East to South-East aspects above 850 metres. Fresh windslab is starting to form on North-West to North-East aspects above 800 metres. Depth and distribution have yet to become significant. The avalanche hazard is Low.", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=12001200120012001100110011001200&txts=700&txtm=800&txte=1215", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "800", "elevation_lower": "800", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "NW" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "800", "elevation_lower": "800", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "NW" ] } ] }, { "ID": "13457", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "3", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "Deep snow cover above 700m- exposed ridges and slopes scoured and icy. Clear early in the morning with poor visibility in clouds and snow afternoon. Winds 20 -30 mph progress.", "Comment": "An unsettled day on Sunday, forecast more settled for Easter Monday.", "WeatherInfluences": "Overnight the freezing level will briefly rise to about 1300 metres before dropping down to 500 metres where it will remain during Sunday. Winds will be strong and variable in direction overnight, before being generally from the South-West or West during the day. Heavy snow overnight will briefly turn to rain below 1000 metres. Snow showers will continue through the day.", "SnowStability": "There will be a period of instability early in the night as the freezing level rises. There will then be a slight consolidation as the freezing level drops. However, areas of fresh windslab will continue to be deposited through the day in sheltered locations on mainly North through East to South-East aspects above 900 metres. Fragile cornices above these aspect will be prone to collapse. Avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable.", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "After some overnight snow it was a dry morning. Snow fell through the afternoon. South-Westerly winds back to the South-East and strengthened through the afternoon. The freezing level was around 600 metres throughout.", "ObservedSnowStability": "Fresh areas of moderately bonded windslab have been deposited on mainly North to East aspects above 900 metres. There are some unstable cornices above these aspects, and a couple of small to medium sized cornice triggered avalanches were observed on an Easterly aspect at 1150 metres. Through the afternoon further deposits of windslab were deposited on the aspect mentioned above, with North-West aspects also becoming affected. The avalanche hazard is Considerable.", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=23002300230023001200110011001200&txts=600&txtm=900&txte=1345", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "900", "elevation_lower": "900", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "1000", "elevation_lower": "1000", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE" ] } ] }, { "ID": "13456", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "2", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "Firm snow ice on exposed windward slopes. Clear in the morning with poor visibility in the clouds and snow during the afternoon. Winds averaging 30 to 40 mph.", "Comment": "Complex weather over the next 24 hours as storm Dave crosses the Highlands.", "WeatherInfluences": "Snowfall over the next 24 hours, this will be heaviest during the night when it will very briefly turn to rain at all levels before turning to snow again for the duration of the forecast period. Initially winds will be gale to storm force South-South-Easterly, before veering Westerly and easing strong to gale force during the day. Overnight the freezing level will briefly rise to just below the summits before quickly falling to around 600 metres.", "SnowStability": "Initially, unstable windslab will become widespread on North-West to North-East aspects above 950 metres; here, avalanches are likely especially in steep wind sheltered areas. West aspects will be affected by cross loading. As the wind direction changes, unstable windslab will build above 950 metres on wind sheltered North-East to South-Easterly aspects. Localised instabilities will develop on steep banks and burn lines below. Cornices will be fragile. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable.", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "A dry sunny morning with fresh Westerly winds. Snowfall from early afternoon onwards on strong South-South-Easterly winds. The midday freezing level was around 700 metres.", "ObservedSnowStability": "Accumulations of unstable windslab are present on North-East to South-East aspects above 800 metres. During the afternoon new accumulations of unstable windslab developed on North-West to North-East aspects above 800 metres. On these aspects the greatest instability is around coire rims, gully exits and steep rollovers. Recently formed cornices are fragile. The avalanche hazard is Moderate.", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=23002300230022001100110012002300&txts=600&txtm=950&txte=1310", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "950", "elevation_lower": "950", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "W", "NW" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "950", "elevation_lower": "950", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "W", "NW" ] } ] }, { "ID": "13455", "DatePublished": "2026-04-04", "Region": "4", "Summary": "", "SnowDistribution": "Snow lying above 350 metres with deeper accumulations mainly above 850 metres. Reasonable visibility in the morning which deteriorated in the afternoon as more snow showers and clouds affected the area. Moderate to fresh Southerly winds at first these strengthened in showers in the afternoon.", "Comment": "A stormy period during Saturday night with snowpack instabilities quickly developing.", "WeatherInfluences": "Saturday night, the freezing level will briefly rise above the summits then rapidly fall to be around 500 metres for the rest of the period. Initially some overnight rain followed by snow showers through the day. The Southerly winds will reach storm force Saturday night before veering Westerly easing but remaining strong through the day.", "SnowStability": "Instabilities in poorly bonded windslab will exist with further deposits becoming more widespread in the strong winds. Unstable accumulations in wind sheltered terrain mainly above 800 metres particularly in sheltered gullies and on steep slopes with a N, NE, E and SE aspect. Fragile cornices will exist above similar aspects. Cross loading may affect other wind sheltered locations. Wind exposed slopes will be firm and often icy with better stability. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable.", "ObservedWeatherInfluences": "Overnight, the freezing level lowered to 350 metres and snow fell above 300 metres. Daybreak was a lovely clear morning but these conditions didn\\'t last long clouds quickly covered the summits. The freezing level has slowly risen through the morning but midday summit temperatures were still around minus four degrees Celsius and the freezing level continues to slowly rise. Southerly winds were generally moderate in strength with snow showers falling mainly above 550 metres.", "ObservedSnowStability": "Moderately bonded windslab exits in wind sheltered locations.. Greatest accumulations are in sheltered gullies, scarp slopes, coire rims and on steep slopes on North-West through North to Easterly aspect above 850 metres. Fragile cornices also exist above similar aspects. The avalanche hazard is Moderate.", "KeyIcons": "34", "CompassRose": "val=12001300130012001100110011001200&txts=400&txtm=800&txte=1150", "avalancheProblems": [ { "problemType": "wind_slab", "elevation": "800", "elevation_lower": "800", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "NW" ] }, { "problemType": "cornices", "elevation": "800", "elevation_lower": "800", "elevation_upper": null, "aspects": [ "N", "NE", "E", "SE", "NW" ] } ] } ]