Conditions
Snow was lying on the mountain above about 250m today, covering the paths across a large part of the mountain above this.

A layer of older frozen snow was seen across large areas of the mountain, covered with a layer of soft snow in some places. The soft snow had been moved under the influence of the easterly wind. There was snow lying on parts of slopes facing west because of this, but the influence of the westerly wind which has been present all week was also visible, with different snow lying on slopes of a variety of aspects.

Various snow was seen in different places, with a windslab forming in some places, with a soft and harder crusts seen.

There were several areas of hard and icy older snow, and several areas of hard ice were also seen on the mountain, in a variety of places at all heights.

Evidence was seen of drifting on westerly and easterly winds, and that the snow was corniced in a number of places. In particular, a significant cornice was seen at the top of the miners' and the PyG's paths at Bwlch Glas (see photos). These paths here were very steep and narrow when approaching Bwlch Glas.

A fine day, being more cloudy for some periods, with a strong easterly breeze at times.

Essential equipment
Seasonally appropriate walking equipment, including lighting (such as a head torch or two).

Carrying snow goggles (such as ski goggles) will protect the eyes from cold winds and wind driven snow, making it easier to see in order to travel more safely on the mountain.

Carrying an ice axe and crampons will provide options to stay safe on the mountain.

Additional Information
On the Friday of the report the forecast suggests that conditions will remain wintry and develop over the period until the next report on Tuesday. Temperatures on the summit are forecast to remain below freezing over the weekend, with a thaw beginning at all elevations from Monday. The thaw will start sooner at lower altitudes. The temperature at the summit is forecast to be as low as -4˚C, feeling as low as -14˚C at times.

Showers are forecast at times, so some new snow is possible. The forecasts suggest that there will be variable winds, being significant at times, with the direction changing from being easterly, to being more southerly. This means that there can be a change in the slopes that snow tends to lie on.

Periods of very poor visibility are still possible, especially during cloudy or showery periods. The paths can disappear in such periods, and footprints fill.

As temperatures rise, it will start to feel less wintry, but conditions underfoot are likely to remain very wintry, with winter hazards continuing, if not getting more slippery and severe as the moisture due to thawing makes things more awkward.