Conditions

Note: For safety reasons this report has been carried out a day early on Thursday due to a forecast of strong winds for the more usual Friday.

There was snow on the mountain above about 600m today. There were a few patches of old snow lower than this, but new snow lay above this height. The new snow lay mostly on the mountain itself, but also on top of thick old snow in some areas.

The new snow was quite thin on the whole, and had fallen under the influence of westerly or south-west winds. There were areas of thicker snow, with the snow having drifted and accumulated in some places. It filled the furrow of the Llanberis route higher up on the mountain, and snow had gathered on the PyG path and the miners' path under Bwlch Glas, where new snow lay on significant areas of old, hard snow.

The snow was generally quite moist, with even the new snow quickly becoming dense in nature. A few icy spots were seen, but also a number of areas starting to develop an icy crust on top of the snow. Any refreeze could turn large areas very icy.

A few cornices were seen during the observations, although they were relatively small in size, it would still be a very unwise idea to walk on, or near these, even if the structure is not overhanging. A number of new cornices were growing on top of the base of old dense ones.

A cloudy and misty day, with significant wind, with showers or longer periods of precipitation at times. It was snowing at times as low as 600m, with rain as high as 900m at other times.

Essential equipment
Seasonally appropriate walking gear, including lighting (such as a headtorch or two).

Carrying snow goggles (such as ski goggles) will protect the eyes from cold winds and wind blown snow, making it easier to see in order to travel more safely on the mountain.

Carrying an ice axe and some sort of spikes for the feet will give you options to stay safe on the mountain. An ice axe and crampons are more likely to enable safe movement on the snow of PyG and miner's paths (assuming there are other possible dangers), even if only a relatively small part of the path might require them.

Additional Information

On the day of Thursday's report the forecast suggests that the temperature on the summit will remain below freezing for most of the period until the next report on Tuesday, but there will be periods when the temperature is close to, or above freezing as well. Temperatures at the summit are forecast to be as low as -5˚C, feeling as low as -16˚C at times.

There is a forecast for strong winds at times, with wind up to 100mph predicted for Friday (and an Amber warning issued by the met office), but also up to 75mph and 70mph on Sunday and Monday.

A period of strong thawing is forecast for the early hours of Friday morning, and this could melt most of any new snow. Any snow that survives this period of thawing (which is likely to include at least the areas of deep old snow), could turn very hard and icy when it refreezes.

With the possibility of icy areas, and some new snow at times, one should be prepared to encounter areas of wintry conditions on the mountain. There is also the possibility of periods of poor visibility at times.