The Swinhope Head road at 3pm Wednesday
(alt. 590m) looking towards Teesdale
Current snow conditions and a ski report will appear only when there is skiing to be had. This page contains the archived reports for previous good seasons to give an idea of the level of detail ...
There was a week of good snow in January when the uplifted skiing at the head of Teesdale was so good it even got onto "Look North". The large snowfall at the start of February seemed to cause chaos all over the country but was limited to a few millimetres here, until overnight February 2nd/3rd, when we had up to 10cm. This was enough for skiing down to fairly low altitudes. Skiing possible all week across the north, and skiing in the Lake District will be featured on BBC 1's "Countryfile" on February 16th.
There is some thawing here at 240m altitude, and clear patches are appearing in fields where Tuesday's winds took much snow off. However, higher up, conditions still look OK (I wasn't able to get out on the hill to check). The milder conditions with little wind should help consolidate snow built up on lee slopes and in gullies, and skiing should continue to improve at higher levels if we have a decent frost overnight, though it looks a bit overcast just now (4 pm). Roads are now largely clear as there is no drifting.
Snow is settling and transforming in the Dales, and proved to be in excellent condition in the Lake District. The route up from Dockray (above Ullswater) onto Matterdale Common was in a fine state both for skiing up (this is the start of an excellent tour for alpine skiers up onto Raise and down to Glenridding) and for skiing down (there were several nordic skiers in this area on Wednesday on the gentle slopes, and I also descended this way on alpine kit, to meet the BBC team from "Countryfile").
Snow conditions in the Dales looked similar to yesterday, with stronger winds, so my snow report if from out of the area. Snow was much better in the Howgills, partly due to the grassy substrate, rather than heather. Windslabs had consolidated, and skis were not breaking through, though when skis were removed (to take skins off, for example) a foot would still break through. I skied Green Bell from the minor road above Ravenstonedale, passable to 375m altitude - snow at the road level ran nicely, and was starting to compact and transform.
Snow to 200m or lower overnight. Snow on the hills is deep but unconsolidated and drifting in a westerly wind. I skied on Bowes Moor where conditions (between 350 and 450m altitude) were for the most part poor as the snow has not settled on the heather moor. Drifting has produced much soft slab on lee slopes and in the lee of even minor obstacles like soft rush patches. This makes ascent very laborious and one tends to break through into very loose snow underneath vegetation in heather, bracken or in boggy areas. That said, on ridges where snow has been consolidated by the wind on paths, conditions were excellent, and with bright sunshine, the scenery compensated somewhat for the effort of ascent. With temperatures higher and wind reducing in the afternoon, the snow is starting to consolidate, with soft slabs being replaced with hard slab and some crust. There was one nasty snow shower, adding a little more cover. Overnight frost should improve things for tomorrow and any more snow showers will have something of a base to add to. My best guess is that west and southwest facing slopes high up will offer the best prospects on Tuesday. If, as forecast, winds swing round to the north, east and northeast facing slopes may get better by Wednesday. But this is an art, not a science ! Forest areas like the Stang and Hamsterly should be OK on all slopes once the snow settles.
Roads: My reason for skiing Bowes Moor was access from the A66, which is open and clear of snow. Higher roads like the Stang may open soon if the winds are light and no more snow falls, but are likely to be pretty dicey Tuesday morning, especially on the north side.
2000-02-16
Two or three centimetres here by lunchtime - but sticky and not much use for skiing here at 240m altitude (great for snowballs and snowmen...). This is cold-front snow, with the ground not frozen before its arrival. However, on north-facing slopes high up, like the Stang, it could be skiable. It's been fairly windy, though, so in the trees is likely to be best, avoiding drifts and blown-bare patches. Snow showers are interspersed with sunny spells, so if it continues, there could be good sport on the 17th, especially if temperatures plunge overnight.
Snow since New Year, mostly not in sufficient depth for good conditions on the open moors, but excellent (and popular !) over the weekend in sheltered forest, and set to continue a few days yet.
1997.01.05 (4 pm): Although conditions are poor on open moors, and the Stang forest looks poor from a distance, cover was complete and conditions excellent on Saturday. The skiing was crowded by English standards (ie. we met some others skiing). Snow on some tracks compacted by four-wheel drive traffic (shooting parties) and pedestrians, but not inconveniently rutted. By Sunday the snow had consolidated and was a little faster, though there were also a few rocks showing. Even more crowds throughout the Stang forest (ie. we met two other parties - a record !). Temperatures distinctly milder but new snow started falling at 3pm in almost windless conditions. Forecast is for temperatures to stay fairly low, with a little more snow. Potentially good skiing at higher altitudes for a few days yet. Wet sleet at 240m on Monday morning, so expect wet snow at the bottom of the Stang - may be providing useful cover on the moors, if temperatures drop later.
1996.11.21 (4 pm): Good snow everywhere above 350m, best on north-facing slopes or in the shade of walls or trees. A little wind crust on ridges, and occasional icy patches where it's been in the sun, but overall, the snow is consolidating nicely, no longer drifting and not melting at the higher altitudes in today's sunny but cold conditions.
1996.11.21 (9.30 am): Frost overnight means very good snow conditions quite low down - though warming up quickly in the sun and unlikely to last. Crust quite likely higher up - north-facing slopes likely to give the best skiing today. Whatever the quality of the skiing, the scenery promises to be excellent in the sunshine !
1996.11.20 (3.30 pm): Excellent snow conditions on the Tees/Wear watershed. Minor roads ploughed to the last inhabited farms only. For example the Swinhope Head road (Newbiggin to Westgate) accessible to Watson's bridge (390m) and ploughed that far by late afternoon. You could get a bit further with a high-clearance 4-wheel drive, but not much.
Beyond this the road was skiable and an excellent schuss back down.
1996.11.20 (9.30 am): snow turned to rain and returned to snow overnight at 240m, so expect conditions on the tops to be a little heavier than yesterday, though there should be more snow. The A66 is clearly open again (we can see trucks going past), so most roads should be ploughed today. Winds much lighter than yesterday, so less sheltered areas may be worth a try.
Tuesday 1996.11.19: snow falling in Teesdale at 13:00 GMT. New snow (the first this season) is settling here at 240m altitude, though it is quite windy. The ground has been frozen for a couple of days, so the snow should last long enough to provide some skiing this afternoon (headtorches recommended !) and tomorrow morning.
Grassy terrain is likely to be the best, as there is no base, and sheltered areas high up are the best choice this early in the season. The top track on the Stang forest was excellent late this afternoon as far as "officially the bridleway turns left" in the description, perhaps a little beyond. One to two centimetres of snow is quite adequate for the grassy path. The ground is frozen hard (so don't fall - it hurts), and there are some frozen tyre tracks where this path gets steeper at the far end - not recommended. The forest tracks lower down look too gravelly to ski as yet. The road was passable right to the top, though the top hairpins were perhaps a little iffy on the return at 4 pm.
Snow that lasts only a day has been the norm for nearly all the snow we've had for the last couple of seasons, except when I have been away skiing in the alps and unable to report. Bad timing, that :-( But older information is provided in the hope that it will be helpful for your future planning.
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