Soft today firm tomorrow
23rd December 2025
Another mild day with limited visibility in the Southern Cairngorms. The freezing level has remained well above the summits for the last 24 hours or so resulting in a widespread thaw and extensive snow loss.
Observations of the remaining snow was hampered by the visibility today. However, it is clear that the mountains to the south of Braemar haven’t received the same snow amounts as elsewhere. Correspondingly, these areas have been the first to loose their superficial snow cover, with just patches remaining.
On the higher summits such as Lochnagar the greatest snow remains around the coire rims and gully lines above 950 metres. North of the River Dee in the main Cairngorms massif, more extensive snow patches, ribbons and gully lines are likely. As always it is worth comparing the images here with those of the Northern Cairngorms Blog.
Tomorrow a high pressure system is expected to build over Scandinavia and extend westwards over Scotland. This will result in little to no precipitation, although freezing levels are expected to drop. The snow surface will become very firm, with the potential for frozen turf from around 850 metres upwards. This will have implications for crossing snow patches, which will be firm underfoot, and are by their nature surrounded by bare exposed ground. A fall or slide could have serious consequences.
Artificial snow at Glenshee Ski Centre. Enough for a festive slide, and with colder temperatures expected the centre might be able to maintain or even extend this area in the coming days.
Looking south towards Meall Odhar and the Glenshee Ski Area. This was about as good as the visibility got today.
“The Watchers” on the A939 Lecht Road. These origami like steel shelters give shelter from the elements while taking in the view. Their abstract nature invites interpretation as to what they may represent: a henge, a herd on a hillside, armoured figures, helmets or perhaps even the faces of a facet (for the avalanche forecasters)? The track behind goes to Delnadamph and west onwards to Faindouran Lodge and the Fords of Avon, worth tracing on a map just to be reminded of the scale of the Cairngorms and the granite pluton which created it.
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