MWIS North Cairngorms forecast for Saturday

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 Misha 24 Nov 2021

Don’t recall seeing anything this before but perhaps that’s because I didn’t pay attention last season and memory fades.

“Exceptional snowfall. Massive fall of heavily drifted snow.”

I wonder what that will actually mean in practice. A metre before snowdrift?

Sounds like death on a stick on the loaded slopes. Could result in a great base though once temps go up in a few days. No doubt a turbothaw will be along shortly.

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 ianstevens 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

Think the models are forecasting 25-30cm, so not loads - I guess just a lot for late November.  But with drifting/terrain trapping, definitely enough for death on a stick, *especially* as a lot of people who have been unable to get out for the last 2 years will pile into the Cairngorms at the first sign of the white stuff.

 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

MWIS like a bit of hyperbole. You'll no doubt remember the ' mobility widely tortuous' phase.  

Must check out what's happening with the road.

 Grahame N 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

And for Friday - "How windy? - From middle of day abruptly 70-90 to in gusts 100-120mph in hurricane force winds".   Its going to be a challenging day to be on the hills.

Post edited at 09:57
 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Grahame N:

> And for Friday - "How windy? - From middle of day abruptly 70-90 to in gusts 100-120mph in hurricane force winds".   Its going to be a challenging day to be on the hills.

It's back! "Abruptly any mobility will become tortuous " what an absolutely dreadful sentence. 

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 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> It's back! "Abruptly any mobility will become tortuous " what an absolutely dreadful sentence. 

Why? Would you be happier with the usual "buffeting"?

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 MG 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> MWIS like a bit of hyperbole. You'll no doubt remember the ' mobility widely tortuous' phase.  

Personally I like "buffeting", particularly a bit of "extreme buffeting".

 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to MG:

> Personally I like "buffeting", particularly a bit of "extreme buffeting".

I think the full "extreme buffeting abruptly making all mobility tortuous" might be called for.

 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

> Why? Would you be happier with the usual "buffeting"?

It's really clunky language and it's not an either or between tortuous and buffeting, there are plenty of other ways of getting that message across.

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 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to MG:

> Personally I like "buffeting", particularly a bit of "extreme buffeting".

Would that involve more than one visit to the salad bar?

 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> It's really clunky language and it's not an either or between tortuous and buffeting, there are plenty of other ways of getting that message across.

Well, they could just give a wind speed, but I don't see the problem with using language giving a feel for what it might be like to be out. What alternative language do you suggest for "buffeting" or "mobility tortuous". I think both are pretty good!

 McHeath 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

Thing is, "tortuous" means twisting, turning, looping - not the way I'd choose to walk if trying to get somewhere where the buffeting would be less. How about "arduous"? 

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 McHeath 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

Thing is, "Tortuous" means twisting, turning, looping - not the way most would choose to walk to escape the buffeting. Maybe "arduous"? 

 subtle 25 Nov 2021
In reply to MG:

> Personally I like "buffeting", particularly a bit of "extreme buffeting".

Yes, I rather like the term buffeting when discussing the affect wind speed has.

Anyway, 'mon the snow! 

 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to McHeath:

> Thing is, "Tortuous" means twisting, turning, looping - not the way most would choose to walk to escape the buffeting. Maybe "arduous"? 

I think that describes staggering around in high winds rather well. It is, of course, arduous as well.

OP Misha 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> It's back! "Abruptly any mobility will become tortuous " what an absolutely dreadful sentence. 

I’d say that’s a fair description in 100mph…

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OP Misha 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

> What alternative language do you suggest for "buffeting" or "mobility tortuous". I think both are pretty good!

I wouldn’t see mobility tortuous the same as buffeting. Buffeting can be mild or taking you off your feet and fundamentally doesn’t sound that bad. I suspect the use of descriptive adjectives is to give people an idea of what it would be like, especially those who don’t regularly go out.

 TobyA 25 Nov 2021
In reply to McHeath:

Meanwhile down here in the beautiful south (I'm off to Snowdonia tomorrow) we merely have "frequent considerable buffeting on higher areas; at times mobility difficult." I think yesterday mobility was going to be "arduous", so maybe it's getting better if we're just down to "difficult" now...?

Coincidentally I was teaching about Aquinas on religious language as analogy this morning so trying to get some kids clear on equivocal and univocal words - not terms I commonly use. But considering the MWIS reports are arguably 'safety critical', perhaps a less equivocal word than "buffeting" could be used? Particularly as when you top out on the Trinity Face you are by the café, and whilst I've never been in - I'm sure you can experience "extreme (-ly expensive) buffeting" inside the café!

OP Misha 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> Must check out what's happening with the road.

Would you actually head out? I was planning to but sacked it off. Not just highly unpleasant weather but going to be pretty dangerous with the avalanche situation. Plenty more winter left… I guess as a local you can always go and have a look how bad it actually is. 

 ScraggyGoat 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

MWIS has for a while been hyperbolic and have cried wolf to often, you get the impression they think their task is to discourage people rather than  objectively inform us of the most likely weather.
This doesn’t change the likelihood that it is going to be wild.

Every comment on effect on you, or additional adjective reduces the amount of information that can fit in their boxes. Cut this out and they would have more space for useful information in terms of geographic differences, or overnight very early morning forecasts.

Ive come to the conclusion that the main benefit of MWIS is to give the met office a bit of competition. I now resent the tax payers money they get.

if you pardon the pun most of MWIS is ‘overblown’.

Post edited at 14:00
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 jezb1 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

If people don’t like the language just ignore that bit? The paragraph above tells you wind speed in mph.

I don’t really see the problem.

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 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

> I wouldn’t see mobility tortuous the same as buffeting. Buffeting can be mild or taking you off your feet and fundamentally doesn’t sound that bad.

Of course. This is why buffeting generally needs a qualifying adjective, and, if it is extreme, could make mobility tortuous.

> I suspect the use of descriptive adjectives is to give people an idea of what it would be like, especially those who don’t regularly go out.

Of course (again)! 

 MG 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

> Of course. This is why buffeting generally needs a qualifying adjective, and, if it is extreme, could make mobility tortuous.

There is also the visibility to consider.   It may be abruptly appalling.  And coupled with buffeting

 Robert Durran 25 Nov 2021
In reply to MG:

> There is also the visibility to consider.   It may be abruptly appalling. And coupled with buffeting.

Absolutely. One does not want to caught out with your compass still in the sack when the visibility becomes abruptly appalling, especially when the buffeting is already making mobility tortuous.

scotthldr 25 Nov 2021
In reply to MG:

Maybe replace all written text with “only the bloody stupid would venture out in the forecasted conditions” plain and simple and if you can’t understand that, then you are “bloody stupid”.

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In reply to Misha:

For locals, it's just a fresh northern breeze!

 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

> Would you actually head out? I was planning to but sacked it off. Not just highly unpleasant weather but going to be pretty dangerous with the avalanche situation. Plenty more winter left… I guess as a local you can always go and have a look how bad it actually is. 

It's 45 minutes drive for me and we've got pretty good at going for a look and sacking it if it's risky rather than ploughing on. I think the venue we were considering should be safe, the first part of the approach will be on a scoured ridge and the second part is very low angle and should also be fairly scoured. I'll leave you to work out where that is... This will be Sunday, assuming the wind dies down and the road is open. 

West is another option as it looks like there might be less snow there but I'm not sure it will have been cold enough long enough for the lower venues and I can't be bothered with the Ben.

Post edited at 16:02
 DaveHK 25 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

I wonder if they've read this thread because Saturday says: "Storm-force winds bring very difficult conditions on higher areas, at times any mobility difficult."

Post edited at 16:37
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 gravy 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

Awww, I think it's a real shame if we've clipped their range of adjectives. "tortuous" is a very good description of how it feels.

 ScraggyGoat 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

For tomorrow:

MWIS N cairngorm forecast; starting 40, then 70-90, to in gusts 100-120mph.

Met office cairngorm summit forecast; starting 40, then 50-60, gusting 80mph.


MWIS in upper ranges is 50% greater than Met, that is a significant difference. They are corroborating in the sense of a storm coming (but I can tell that looking out the back door), but one is forecasting  a major blow, and the other a standard autumnal storm ‘buffeting’. 

Met will update later; Be interesting to see which is most representative.

Post edited at 17:38
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 rsc 25 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> MWIS like a bit of hyperbole. You'll no doubt remember the ' mobility widely tortuous' phase.  

I’ve always assumed they meant “torturous”. But they’ve been doing it for years…

 Mike-W-99 25 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

Have the met not trumped mwis with - "Flying debris is likely"

OP Misha 25 Nov 2021
In reply to gravy:

> Awww, I think it's a real shame if we've clipped their range of adjectives. "tortuous" is a very good description of how it feels.

You mean winter climbing in general?

OP Misha 25 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

Probably getting soft in my old age but 50-60 gusting 80 is a ‘no’ for me anyway.

 DaveHK 26 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

> Probably getting soft in my old age but 50-60 gusting 80 is a ‘no’ for me anyway.

Very sensible. There's a bit of unhealthy  bravado around going out in high winds but as well as being unpleasant it narrows your safety margins in subtle and sometimes unpredictable ways.

Post edited at 06:58
 Michael Gordon 26 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

Yes, like causing bad spindrift on the route, and I don't just mean gullies. OK it's predictable but not always something that springs to mind.

 ScraggyGoat 26 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

Met Office updated; Starting 50, increasing 70, gusting 93mph later.

In reply to ScraggyGoat:

I was using the MWIS forecast as part of daughter’s geography homework last night, and got to some supplementary googling about the highest wind speed ever recorded in the U.K. I’d always thought it had been at the Cairngorm summit weather station, and it is, officially. 
 

But I hadn’t been aware that a higher speed was detected at RAF Saxa Vord on Unst in 1992- 197mph…! It’s not official, because the instruments, along with the entire weather station, were destroyed by the wind shortly afterwards 😳

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Saxa_Vord

i wonder how MWIS would describe those wind speeds in their forecast…?

Post edited at 08:35
 planetmarshall 26 Nov 2021
In reply to McHeath:

> Thing is, "Tortuous" means twisting, turning, looping - not the way most would choose to walk to escape the buffeting. Maybe "arduous"? 

I always assumed they'd just mixed it up with "torturous".

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 ScraggyGoat 26 Nov 2021
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I’ve been to Saxa Vord and was aware of the record and damage.   What struck me was not just how exposed the radar head is, but that even at sea level the locals around Saxa tie down their heating oil tanks!

 Garethza 26 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> It's back! "Abruptly any mobility will become tortuous " what an absolutely dreadful sentence. 

Is that a quote from a brexit negotiation?

Post edited at 09:10
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

We visited Unst a couple of summers ago, to Hermaness to catch a glimpse of Muckle Flugga. It was a calm day, and was awe inspiring- the swirling white dots of thousands of gannets in the distance, and the overwhelming smell when you looked down the cliffs at the sea bird colony. But it was a bleak and elemental landscape, the sense of the potential power of nature was there even on a nice day in summer. I can well imagine that things need tying down. 
 

we saw the famous Unst weather rock too 😁 

https://twitter.com/yearinshetland/status/1172929765231267840?s=21

 John Lyall 26 Nov 2021
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I’m fairly sure that on the occasion of the two highest winds recorded on Cairn Gorm, that the mechanism stopped working. And I seem to remember that on the night when the roof was ripped off the lower chairlift station, that the wind continued to increase for another 3 hours after it stopped recording.

In reply to John Lyall:

Thanks - I wasn’t aware of that. 
 

and awe inspiring- these are wind speeds more associated with major hurricanes, totally out of my comprehension what it would be like to experience them. 
 

As part of the above mentioned homework, we watched some YouTube weather related videos- one was an American tv weatherman in a wind tunnel to simulate being out in a hurricane. He managed to tolerate wind speed of about 150mph before they ended the exercise, ie a category 5 hurricane- but he had a full body harness on and was anchored by a cable, and was still not far off going airborne. That’s sustained wind speed, rather than strongest gust, so not quite the same- but what would being in a 200mph gust like the Saxa Vord one be like? Glad I’m never likely to find out…

Post edited at 10:50
 Robert Durran 26 Nov 2021
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

> and awe inspiring- these are wind speeds more associated with major hurricanes, totally out of my comprehension what it would be like to experience them. 

In the early '80s one New Year a friend and I tried to walk up the Fiacaill Coire Cas (we were dossing at the Shelter Stone and had walked out for the day to resupply in Aviemore - we were keen in those days!). About half way way we gave up after being repeatedly blown off our feet. There were stones blowing around and one even ended up in my mouth. Mobility was decidedly tortuous and the buffeting really quite extreme. We retreated to the YH for the night and heard that record wind speeds had been recorded on Cairngorm. Next day we got back to our kit at the Shelter Stone via Strath Nethy but it was drifted in so we bailed to the Hutchison Hut. After a further two nights stormbound there we escaped rather arduously through the drifts to Braemar and regained Aviemore via bus and train with a final desperate bivi in an Inverness shopping centre. 

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 John Lyall 26 Nov 2021
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I’ve been blown over lots of times in the Cairngorms but, on one occasion I was lifted off the ground after having been blown over. Really shouldn’t have been there.

 Dave Hewitt 26 Nov 2021
In reply to John Lyall:

> I’ve been blown over lots of times in the Cairngorms but, on one occasion I was lifted off the ground after having been blown over. Really shouldn’t have been there.

I've had several crawling jobs but without doubt the windiest I've been out on a hill was alone on Ben Chonzie on a March day in 2009. Got to the top OK but had trouble getting back into a screaming SW gale - even crawling didn't really work and I was stuck for some time, pinned down on all fours in slushy stuff. The first 200 yards back from the cairn took 20 minutes, after which I was able to start scurrying crabwise towards the edge of the slope and began to work round from there. Later read that there had been a gust at Glen Ogle of something like 120mph. I remember thinking that the same storm encountered 1000ft higher on the Cairngorm plateau, with more snow and proper cliffs around, probably wouldn't have been survivable.

In reply to Robert Durran:

That sounds like quite an adventure! Puts my ‘broken tent at Loch Einich and uneventful (bar the midges that spoiled dinner) walk back to the car’ incident into proper perspective! 

I guess I need to be getting out more… 😄

 DaveHK 26 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

> Must check out what's happening with the road.

I've been in touch with Cairngorm today to ask what's happening with the road.

I have been unable to establish whether they intend to attempt to clear the road this weekend and next when the facilities are closed. Either I didn't word my questions very well or they are being deliberately evasive. I don't suppose many people will be making the journey anyway but I thought I'd try to find out. If I get a definitive answer I'll start a new thread.

 StuDoig 26 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

I'd love to see the probability banding for both - I remember an interview on here a few years ago Geoff Monk said they take the worst case wind for a given probability as folk then go out prepared for the worst case.  That would certainly explain why MWIS tends to be higher (often significantly so) than other forecasts and reality.

I'm pretty sure the MET and YR use a mean figure or tighter probability band from memory.  One of the reason I like to see the ranging behind the numbers - forecasting 100mph winds where you've a 60% probability band range of 30-100mph is very different to forecasting 100mph where the 60% probability band range is 80-100mph!  Importance of looking at more than one forecast I guess - watch for them converging and agreeing for a bit of certainty!

Interesting quirk on the northern cairngorms MET forecast that the Aberdeen office are suggesting lower elevation winds are out by 20-30mph in their opinion.

 ScraggyGoat 26 Nov 2021
In reply to StuDoig:

If they always forecast high and know they always forecast high (as a great number of us suspect) then they are acting unprofessionally and are providing unreliable information. If the forecasts are unreliable we shouldn’t be providing tax payers money.

I notice our MS safety officer was parroting MWIS on the radio this morning, virtually telling listeners not to go on the hill.  It appears during covid and now beyond the Mountain Safety Group are continuing to morph into the Mountain Police…..and arbiters of ’thou shall / not go on the hill’

that doesn’t change the fact today and tomorrow are going to be wild and I’m going to light the fire and have a roast.

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 Mark Bull 26 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

> For tomorrow:

> MWIS N cairngorm forecast; starting 40, then 70-90, to in gusts 100-120mph.

> Met office cairngorm summit forecast; starting 40, then 50-60, gusting 80mph.

> MWIS in upper ranges is 50% greater than Met, that is a significant difference. They are corroborating in the sense of a storm coming (but I can tell that looking out the back door), but one is forecasting  a major blow, and the other a standard autumnal storm ‘buffeting’. 

> Met will update later; Be interesting to see which is most representative.

No functioning AWS on Cairngorm at the moment it seems, but the Cairnwell station reported a mean of 83mph, gusting 99mph at 2pm today. 

 Garethza 27 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

Any update? Hopefully they open it tomorrow  

 Fat Bumbly2 27 Nov 2021
In reply to scotthldr:

Or 

You’re gonna die

 Fat Bumbly2 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Dave Hewitt:

I had a pack trashed and had to resort to ice axe braking on the flat on An Riabhachan once. That’s me and Winter overnighting kit being birled along.

meanwhile there is that old Great Outdoors cartoon, 

“They said it was a high performance tent, we have just overtaken a Jag”

 Fat Bumbly2 27 Nov 2021
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

During that storm which took down Saxa Vord’s anemometer, a hut at Hermaness was blown off the island with its two occupants.

Movement at Glen level in Wester Ross (was seeing in the new year in a bothy) was definitely tortuous.

 colinakmc 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

Don’t know why folk are resenting MS asking you not to go out on the hill. Experienced folk will make their own decisions with a view to managing the risk, but we now have a big tranche of inexperienced Covid hill goers who might not appreciate the risks involved. MS’s public face has to be geared to the public’s comprehension levels.

Personally, I’ll be staying in, with the proviso that I’m one of those lucky folk who can go out midweek.

On a lighter note I once got out of the car in the Ski car park at Cairngorm , to be knocked flat before I could even get the door shut. We ended up on Falkirk climbing wall that day after a 300 mile round trip…

Another wind memory is of being on all fours for the last 200m of the path up Ben More (Crianlarich) - the path is a bit of a trench so my profile was very low - but the wind plucked me off all fours, airborne, and dumped me on the grassy flank. Good fun once we got down again. These were both long before the level of sophistication of modern forecasting.

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 Dave Hewitt 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Fat Bumbly2:

> I had a pack trashed and had to resort to ice axe braking on the flat on An Riabhachan once.

Axe braking on the flat is a bit alaming - I've had that too, on Lochnagar years ago.

Things seem to have turned out not too bad here in Stirling although it was quite worrying (and noisy) for seven or eight hours last night until the wind eased off in the small hours. We're on the north-eastern edge of town, open to any weather that comes in from that direction (the Beast from the East was a bit crazy here), but it's been reasonable enough this time round. One shooglie old fence panel (the neighbour has lost a couple of panels on the other side to us) and nothing bad treewise either with us or up the road - I've just been out sawing off branches from the one thing that did come down and was half-blocking the pavement.

A friend along in Blairlogie has lost power however (ongoing) and the Callander road has been shut for hours. The local orienteering event has been cancelled - worries about the junior contingent, seemingly. I'll head out after lunch but will happily potter about in the woods above Bridge of Allan and save a proper outing on the Ochils (which have some thin-looking and rather attractive snow) until Sunday, by when the wind should have dropped a good bit more.

PS - Shortly before midnight last night I went to the edge of the fields, about 200 yards away and very open to the N and E, and could barely stand up straight when I got there. Nice and clear with a moon, though! Could see a light from someone either on the shoulder of Dumyat or high up in the Abbey Craig woods - not sure which as it was nigh on impossible to look in that direction for more than a few seconds - but they were being quite adventurous and very much "engaging with the elements".

 Joak 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Dave Hewitt:

The Reporting Scotland presenter coming live from Aberdeen on last night's 1830 programme made me chuckle. Describing the severity of the wind he said ".....the Xmas tree bobbles are clinking down the street".     

 kwoods 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Joak:

I had one March 2020, walking along the top of Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, the wind went from easily tolerable 60ish, skyrocketing to god knows where. Took me by surprise, went from standing upright to rapidly being pulled across the plateau on my feet. Wind speed on Cairngorm flicked like a switch to 120mph gusts, 200m higher. I managed to make Carn nan Gabhar by crouching in the rocks and holding on. High winds are always good, more fun than heavy rain.

 FactorXXX 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

> I wouldn’t see mobility tortuous the same as buffeting. Buffeting can be mild or taking you off your feet and fundamentally doesn’t sound that bad. I suspect the use of descriptive adjectives is to give people an idea of what it would be like, especially those who don’t regularly go out.

How about using Buffeting and applying prefixes to indicate how bad it is.
Something like:
Severe Buffeting
Very Severe Buffeting
Extremely Severe Buffeting
Exceptionally Severe Buffeting
Wonder though if 'Extremely' and 'Exceptionally' are too close linguistically and how they sound if heard on a forecast, etc.  Maybe stop at 'Extremely' and denote the severity by ever increasing numbers: Extremely Severe Buffeting 1, 2, 3... , etc.
 

 Joak 27 Nov 2021
In reply to kwoods:

Haha, aye I've had my fair share of "Bobble clinking" days oot in the hills.....nae doubt I'll be having a few more afore winter is oot.   

 Dave Hewitt 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Joak:

> The Reporting Scotland presenter coming live from Aberdeen on last night's 1830 programme made me chuckle. Describing the severity of the wind he said ".....the Xmas tree bobbles are clinking down the street".     

Was that Lorna Gordon in Stonehaven? She was doing well, proper reporting, standing there in the worst of the weather talking sense.

Re Kevin's mention of Beinn a' Ghlo, the boulderfield on the summit ridge of Carn nan Gabhar needs care in poor conditions - I know of two people who broke limbs there, one having been there maybe 100 times before. Both got themselves out without recourse to the MRT but it was a significant effort both times given how far CnG is from the nearest road.

 alibrightman 27 Nov 2021
In reply to ScraggyGoat:

> For tomorrow:

> MWIS N cairngorm forecast; starting 40, then 70-90, to in gusts 100-120mph.

> Met office cairngorm summit forecast; starting 40, then 50-60, gusting 80mph.

Sadly the Cairn Gorm weather station is out of action at the moment, and has been for months.  But the Cairnwell recorded average windspeeds of 90mph, with gusts to 117 yesterday evening.  And that's 300m lower altitude than Cairn Gorm.

One thing I notice about the Met Office mountain forecasts is that the "Met Office Aberdeen Meteorologist's View" often contains a comment along the lines of "summit windspeeds likely to be 20 mph greater than shown in the table".  I assume the numbers in the table are computer-generated; whereas the comment is an interpretation by a forecaster.   MWIS seems to show just the interpretation, and not the raw numbers.  Perhaps that accounts for some of the difference.  

Cheers

Al

 Sean Kelly 27 Nov 2021
In reply to alibrightman:

> Sadly the Cairn Gorm weather station is out of action at the moment, and has been for months.  But the Cairnwell recorded average windspeeds of 90mph, with gusts to 117 yesterday evening.  And that's 300m lower altitude than Cairn Gorm.

Surprised that no-one was sent up to fix it last night so we would know the actual recorded windspeeds on the summit. Might require crawling to reach it though!

 Joak 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Dave Hewitt:

I think Lorna was on the main six o' clock news, the master of the understatement was on Reporting Scotland which follows. He was reporting from a windswept Aberdeen city centre. 

OP Misha 27 Nov 2021
In reply to DaveHK:

I know someone who got picked up by a gust above Sneachda and then dumped on the ground, fracturing something in his leg in the process. One of those fractures where he managed to walk off and didn’t realise till later but it still cost him most of the season. He said the forecast wasn’t even that bad.

 DaveHK 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Garethza:

> Any update? Hopefully they open it tomorrow  

It was closed yesterday afternoon and I couldn't get a straight answer out of them about whether they would be clearing it or not so I'm going to assume not and go elsewhere. 

I asked several variations of the question 'assuming it's safe to do so will your gritters/ploughs be out to clear the road over the weekend' and each time I got some vague and non committal answer. So just the usual Cairngorm guff.

Post edited at 17:30
 Robert Durran 27 Nov 2021
In reply to colinakmc:

> On a lighter note I once got out of the car in the Ski car park at Cairngorm , to be knocked flat before I could even get the door shut. 

It can't have been too bad if you could get the door open in the first place🙂

OP Misha 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

Yes but was the car door ever seen again?

 colinakmc 27 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

Thank you Misha & Robert Duran, you’ve made my night.

Post edited at 21:30
 streapadair 28 Nov 2021
In reply to Fat Bumbly2:

> During that storm which took down Saxa Vord’s anemometer, a hut at Hermaness was blown off the island with its two occupants.

A grimly interesting story.

https://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.com/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-pa...

 Fat Bumbly2 28 Nov 2021
In reply to Robert Durran:

Was once saved from an over eager partner up at the Cairngorm car park by the window of the car next door shattering due to wind causing pressure differences. Ended up walking around Abernethy  Forest after that.

 Webster 28 Nov 2021
In reply to Misha:

> Would you actually head out? I was planning to but sacked it off. Not just highly unpleasant weather but going to be pretty dangerous with the avalanche situation. Plenty more winter left… I guess as a local you can always go and have a look how bad it actually is. 

i would have thought the avi risk to be negligible. there is no base, therfore no windslab unless there is some pretty extreme cross loading. when it all warms up there is a risk of some large wet full depth slides of course but while the snowpack is cold and dry it should be pretty safe.

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