Sat 26 Oct 2019
I read yesterday in the news that there was snow on Cairngorm in Scotland – I was pretty surprised as that’s ridiculously early for Scotland.
When I drove to work in Keswick this morning, however, I got a far bigger surprise… all the way along a long straight towards Skiddaw, I kept thinking in the back of my mind that I could see a long, white ridge in front of me. My mind, concentrating on driving, kept ruling out such a silly thought…
Then – I looked at Skiddaw and saw that he had a snowy cap and that the long ridge of white I’d been subconsciously noticing was the back of Blencathra – fair plastered in the white stuff!
As I arrived in Keswick, I further noticed that the snow was even on Grisedale Pike which is only 2600 feet. Crag Hill at the end of Coledale was fairly plastered too.
When I drove home at tea-time, it was all still there.
In my 62 years on this planet and in this country, I’ve NEVER seen snow in England this early – it’s even before the clocks change – it’s even before the leaves fall. Mind you, this has been the worst year I’ve ever seen weather-wise so I suppose it’s probably not surprising.
Time to emigrate to warmer climes perhaps?
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Love walking in the snow. Perhaps there’ll be a dusting when we walk the Howgills. Been a bit soggy recently though. Hope to meet up again in December.
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I’d like some snow on the Howgills when we do them – my sort of hill in snow. But I’d like a decent amount – you know, enough to get your feet into. Can’t stand a thin, slippery layer nor can I stand the waist-deep stuff!
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I agree, up to knee-deep is acceptable and fun!
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and is nice and cushiony if you fall on your arse!
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Bloody snow is right. I don’t want to see it any time soon. 😀
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We’ve had even more since then – even on the very small 1000 foot hills! And it isn’t clearing away on the bigger hills either. I think we’re in for a very nasty winter this year…
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Ugh!
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It’s even worse now – the snow has mainly cleared but it rained and then froze hard and it’s really hard even getting TO the hills now 😦
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Goodness. Well stay safe!
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I remember going up Cairn Gorm in snow in early October – ridiculously early for the Lakes though!
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I’m hoping to get back up to The Cairngorms in February for some proper winter walking – haven’t been up to Scotland since my Munro Tops compleation!
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Love the snow! Well, I love it on the mountains 🙂
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I love it on the mountains in proper winter – I just don’t want to see it in October/November – especially seeing as we’ve not really had any summer this year up here!
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[…] Another look across the sunny fields towards the shadowy outlines of Stybarrow Dodd and Great Dodd. On the extreme right, behind Stybarrow Dodd, is Raise and if you zoom in and look very closely it is possible to see a dusting of snow across its top. Cloud wasn’t obscuring the fell tops today, and we have had a very early fall of snow as reported at this link –https://mountaincowardadventures.wordpress.com/2019/10/26/bloody-snow/#more-12166 […]
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Yeah, there was snow on the mountains surrounding Glasgow today and minus 4 overnight. Car windscreen thick with ice at 8:00am this morning.. Supposed to be a very cold winter this year if you believe the long range models- mind you 3 day ahead forecasts are often wrong never mind two month predictions. Getting mild again later this week.
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Actually, with our winter starting so early and it being such a cold year, I, for once, AM believing the long-range weather forecast. They’ve said for the last few winters that it would be a bad one but I think it really will this year!
I was out on Skiddaw today and could see there’s still snow on one side of Helvellyn. Bitter wind chill on Skiddaw too – most people were turning back at the South Summit rather than continuing to the real summit. The wind chill was at least -5 but probably colder…
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I was actually gutted. I’d left Keswick on Friday morning and by that evening it had snowed on Skiddaw. Couldn’t believe I’d missed it, even worse I found out that Ill Bell which I climbed on the Thursday had snow on it.
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It probably wasn’t the ‘fun’ kind of snow – just a cold, thin covering.
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That does seem very early for Snow, Carol, no wonder it came as such a shock. We’ve certainly had our fair share of weird weather this year and it all points to a change in climate. They do say that we’re more likely to be plunged into another ice age as an effect of global warming, as the gulf stream moves south. Still it won’t stop me moving to Northumberland. And on another lighter note -THAT is your drive into work? Wow! 🙂
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The gulf stream switching off and us freezing to death is the theory I most subscribe to on climate change. Not a nice thought!
It is a very scenic drive into work though 🙂
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Me too, although I doubt we’d have to worry about it in our lifetimes though.
If only my three-and-a-half hours of school run a day was as scenic as that! Still, maybe, when we live up there! 🙂
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I’m rather afraid that we will. I think it’s all happening much faster than anticipated. I hope it doesn’t though – I hate the cold with a vengeance!
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😕
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Once got caught out in a fierce snowdrift on Dartmoor in JUNE!!!. Had snow once in early October on the top of Red Screes.
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Actually, now you mention it, we did have a freak snowstorm one June day and I had to walk 2 miles home in my little cloth shoes. It went in a couple of hours though…
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The weather is certainly making itself felt this year…down in the south we seem to have had weeks of solid rain, only punctuated by the odd hard frost. Makes no sense…
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Actually, we haven’t had a frost yet but, yeah, weeks of rain here too 😦
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Odd weather…
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