FUN, SKI & JAMMED
Chaos on road to the slopes as mercury falls to -13C in parts of the Highlands
SCOTLAND was blasted by blizzard conditions over the weekend as the temperature fell to its lowest level for two years.
A bone-chilling -13.5C (7.7F) was recorded in the Highland village of Dalwhinnie on Saturday night into Sunday morning, lower than the mercury has fallen anywhere in the UK since February 2016.
But the big chill is finally expected to end tomorrow, as milder temperatures of up to 10C (50F) are expected in some areas.
Yesterday, hundreds of snowsports enthusiasts heading for two of Scotland’s most popular ski centres found themselves stuck in huge tailbacks.
A two vehicle crash on the A82 near to Glencoe Mountain Resort closed the road and forced police to advise people to seek shelter.
Five people were injured in the crash but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
The road conditions then deteriorated quickly at the popular ski centre, with snow drifting in high winds and white-out conditions so dangerous that snow gates were closed.
Inspector Jen Valentine issued a warning, saying: ‘For those who are currently at Glencoe Mountain Resort or at homes, hotels and restaurants in the area, I would urge them to stay where they are and to stay safe and warm as there will potentially be a significant delay, due to the road conditions, in getting people out of the area.’
On Saturday, people faced sixmile tailbacks as they flocked to the slopes at Glencoe.
Police said that the resort as well as the Nevis Range ski centre near Fort William were both at full capacity by Saturday afternoon, and urged drivers to turn back.
But many abandoned their cars on the A82 as they tried to reach the resorts, hampering the efforts of gritter crews.
Scotland’s other ski resorts were also crowded with skiers and snowboarders, who enjoyed excellent conditions.
Skier Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards returned to his former ski school at Glenshee on Friday. Edwards, 54, was once a ski instructor at the Perthshire centre. It is understood he is working on an episode of Countryfile for the BBC.
On Saturday, two ski-tourers had to be rescued after getting stranded overnight in blizzard conditions in a ‘precarious position’ at 3,000ft in the mountains of Glencoe.
The two found themselves stuck next to a steep drop on the Bidean Nam Bain ridge late on Friday night.
Bad weather stopped rescuers from reaching the peak despite their overnight efforts.
They were then spotted by the crew of a Coastguard helicopter early on Saturday on a snow-covered ridge and were winched to safety.
A Coastguard spokesman said: ‘The pair had spent the night without shelter at 3,000ft after bad weather hampered rescue attempts.
‘UK mountains should not be underestimated as they can be unforgiving for even the most experienced people.’
Glencoe Mountain Rescue deputy team leader Brian Bathurst said the two men were suffering from hypothermia.
He said: ‘They were fairly experienced guys. Conditions had just come in quite fast.
‘They had the appropriate gear and were adequately protected against the elements. We started making our way to them but there was quite a bit of snow and a considerable avalanche risk in the area so we eventually had to pull out and wait for first light.
‘By then the Coastguard rescue helicopter had been tasked to assist and found the pair.’
A yellow warning for snow and ice was still in place for many parts of Scotland yesterday, ending at 6pm last night. Glasgow Airport was temporarily closed so the runway could be cleared following heavy snow.
The A77 in Ayrshire was also blocked by an accident at the A78 Dutch House roundabout.
Two broken down HGVs and an accident cause hold-ups on the M74 in Glasgow city centre. And traffic was held up on the M8 at Kirk O’ Shotts in Lanarkshire because of an accident at junction five
Police in East Ayrshire, which also saw heavy snowfalls yesterday, urged drivers to stay off the roads if possible.
But while Scotland experienced frigid temperatures over the weekend, the mercury rose to 11C (52F) in the far south west of England.
In Glasgow tomorrow the temperature is expected to rise as high as 10C (50F).
Marco Petagna of the Met Office said: ‘Things will start to turn noticeably milder as warmer air pushes in from the south west.
‘It will herald much milder conditions, with temperatures coming back to seasonal levels. It will become very windy by Wednesday, setting a pattern for very unsettled weather.’
‘Spent the night without shelter at 3,000ft’ ‘Things will start to turn milder’