Summer is almost here, but some areas feel like winter is hanging around

While the sunscreen and barbeques have already been out with summer just round the corner, an Arctic wind has swept through Scotland bringing with it dustings of snow and pushing temperatures in some areas down to well below zero.

Snow has been falling over some of the country’s highest mountains, including in the Cairngorms.

Thermal imagery shared by forecasters on social media show temperatures were still at -1.1C at 2pm “not factoring in wind chill” at the Cairn Gorm summit.

Map showing temperature changes in Scotland | @TheSnowDreamer

The weather change means some of the country’s more exposed areas could reach minus 10C, according to the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS).

Weather forecast for Cairn Gorm over the next few days | Met Office

Previous weather reports show snowfall in June is not unusual.

In 2013, roads in Aberdeenshire and Morayshire were closed because of snowfall in June and temperatures reaching minus 3.

In 2010, skiers took advantage of ski tows being open at the Cairngorm Mountain resort near Aviemore for the first time in midsummer. It was a year where the ski resort’s problem was not too little snow, but too much.

During the season that year, the centre was forced to close on 19 days, usually to clear the tons of snow from roads, car parks and the funicular train track.

MWIS said the recent cold spell included a forecast for a mix of hail and snow falling over high ground.

The service’s forecast added: “Temperatures are likely to recover a little by the weekend and conditions will tend to improve, but good mountain weather is expected only from Monday onward."

Why has it snowed in Scotland and is there set to be more snowfall this week?

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