Special forecast warning -- stay away from all summits this weekend

M.T. Cranium · 17-03-2018 8:56am #1

Moderators feel free to move this to a more suitable location than the weather forum if you think it will have the desired results.

All climbing and adventure touring interests should be aware that extreme winter conditions will develop later today (Saturday 17th) and persist through Sunday 18th on all exposed high terrain in Ireland.

Conditions will rapidly deteriorate in snow, blowing snow and storm force easterly winds this morning and will remain hazardous all weekend.

Some upstream reports give an idea of what is coming.

Great Dun Fell in the Lake District, near peak level, reporting at this hour east winds 100 km/hr gusting to 160 km/hr, temperatures near -8 C, snow and blowing snow, wind chills near -22 C.

An upper level disturbance will concentrate this strong easterly wind (a low level jet situation) over Ireland by tonight and Sunday. I fully expect very similar conditions to the above near summits of all higher mountains in Ireland.

The combination of wind chill, snow and likely very poor visibility could get even experienced climbers into some trouble, and these conditions won't let up until Monday morning.

A taste of this kind of weather may be experienced in higher terrain below the summits, in particular in Leinster and Munster as well as portions of Connacht.

I am hoping that the thread title will spread the word where it can be most useful although I would expect that most in that interest group would have figured this out from the forecasts. The conditions are potentially life threatening as illustrated by the report I cited from the Pennines. As the weather is currently not too extreme in the western counties, don't be fooled, even a medium-height peak like Croagh Patrick might prove very hazardous later on. These extreme conditions may set in rapidly after mid-day.

CardinalJ · 17-03-2018 9:13am

Can a Mod copy this into outdoor pursuits as well maybe?

Gaoth Laidir · 17-03-2018 9:16am

This thread is summit to take note of.

carltonleon · 17-03-2018 9:28am

Jaysus , I was thinking along the lines of the G7 summit, and thinking that is really strange title, a bit of snow should not affect that .... ****ing hell, I’m going off my rocker 😂

vicwatson · 17-03-2018 9:46am

Please heed this advice and think of the emergency services. You act the maggot and they ruin their weekend going looking for you. It's their weekend too.

Graces7 · 17-03-2018 10:01am

M.T. Cranium wrote: »

Moderators feel free to move this to a more suitable location than the weather forum if you think it will have the desired results.

All climbing and adventure touring interests should be aware that extreme winter conditions will develop later today (Saturday 17th) and persist through Sunday 18th on all exposed high terrain in Ireland.

Conditions will rapidly deteriorate in snow, blowing snow and storm force easterly winds this morning and will remain hazardous all weekend.

Some upstream reports give an idea of what is coming.

Great Dun Fell in the Lake District, near peak level, reporting at this hour east winds 100 km/hr gusting to 160 km/hr, temperatures near -8 C, snow and
blowing snow, wind chills near -22 C.

An upper level disturbance will concentrate this strong easterly wind (a low level jet situation) over Ireland by tonight and Sunday. I fully expect very similar conditions to the above near summits of all higher mountains in Ireland.

The combination of wind chill, snow and likely very poor visibility could get even experienced climbers into some trouble, and these conditions won't let up until Monday morning.

A taste of this kind of weather may be experienced in higher terrain below the summits, in particular in Leinster and Munster as well as portions of Connacht.

I am hoping that the thread title will spread the word where it can be most useful although I would expect that most in that interest group would have figured this out from the forecasts. The conditions are potentially life threatening as illustrated by the report I cited from the Pennines. As the weather is currently not too extreme in the western counties, don't be fooled, even a medium-height peak like Croagh Patrick might prove very hazardous later on. These extreme conditions may set in rapidly after mid-day.

Thanks for this; Croagh Patrick? Thought Mayo was going to escape?

M.T. Cranium · 17-03-2018 10:49am

Most lower elevations in Mayo are likely to escape the snow but the wind conditions alone would suggest avoiding summits and you can get localized snowfalls on peaks which will just appear to be cap clouds from a distance.

Southeast Mayo could be more likely to see some snow than other parts.

My warning has in mind the possibility that the date and perhaps seemingly ordinary weather this morning might invite people to set off on a climb that they might come to regret. It made an impression on me to see how many climbers had succumbed to extreme conditions on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, most of the dates were in the late autumn suggesting that they might have set off in okay weather conditions and then were overtaken by sudden weather changes to harsh wintry conditions. I realize that's a higher summit but a lot of the incidents took place well below the barren summit portion.

It may be okay for the best trained and equipped, but I know that on weekends, a lot of people go into challenging terrain as if they are taking a stroll to the corner shops, which may work out okay if the weather stays benign.

uck51js9zml2yt · 17-03-2018 11:30am

Can we open a snap contest thread what time the first report of someone being rescued will be and the location?

Special forecast warning -- stay away from all summits this weekend

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