Ok, so it is warm, max temperature on Cairngorm summit today 4.5 degrees. Melting at all levels, some cornice collapse observed in the avalanche forecast today:
http://www.sais.gov.uk/northern-cairngorms/
Forecast is colder overnight tonight with the freezing level dropping to 1000 meters, then warming again tomorrow. Sunday is the warmest day in this cycle with summit temperatures around 7 degrees and potentially a fair bit of rain.
Longer term it is looking good and cold again from wednesday.
Looking up the hill today is encouraging, a lot of snow has been stripped from lower levels and exposed ridges, but the cover on the plateau and around the corries is still very good. The gullies had filled in really well, and a lot of the rocky routes were well buried. This warm spell will clear the rock, firm up the gullies and a ski base for the plateau, knock off some cornices and stabilize the snowpack.
In the mean-time, warm temps in the northern corries mean rockfall and cornice collapse, so watch the temperatures closely.
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