Some impressive lingering patches to be found.

http://webstartravel.com/melting-snow-leaves-behind-magical-frozen-caves-in-scotland-2/

For any wondering how the snow patches did this Summer see the provisional table below for the late August count [21st]. There were still a good number of reports to come, especially from the North West at this stage. Usually few patches make it through in that part of the Highlands but this year there were lots, many in pretty inaccessible areas so a few will probably be missed. From the 281 last year 21 made it through to the lasting snows despite them coming late. This year unless there is a mild Autumn more may to survive than in any year since at least 2000 and possibly 1994' a very successful year for snow survival.

 Edit. Now 648 patches in the count.

Edit again. 654 and rising.

However in the days following the count there was a thaw in the strong mild SE gale so some of these probably didn't make September.

Obviously Scotland is but a dot in the global climate system though...

This table looks like an extract from a website. Do you have a link?

I have to admit to being sceptical about such a dramatic increase in snow patches (although potentially excited by it), even given the favourable weather conditions of the last two years. So I'd like to read up on the method used for counting, just to reassure myself that the same method was being used in, say, 2010 and 2015.

Could it be that reporting is so much easier, with images of patches now shareable on social media?

Indeed: I'd expect no less. My point rather was, how are these observations collected up? Even as recently as 2010, your explorer in NW Scotland wouldn't have had an Internet connection to go with their camera phone; now they might even send a photo of the snowpatch before they're off the hill and certainly before getting home. So is it the snowpatches that are increasing in number, or the reporting that's increasing in frequency?

The survey is based on actual observations on a given [similar date near to 21st August] each year. It is very well organised by Iain Cameron and published in the Royal Meteriological Society's Scientific Journal "weather". It has been produced for many years with a significant contribution from Dr Adam Watson whose knowledge of the Scottish Highlands is probably unparalleled.

If anything this year, given the numbers and distribution of patches over a much greater area than usual, it is more likely that patches have been missed than in previous years.

There are threads on the Winterhighland forum that gives much more detail about the survey.

Can understand why the figures might be met with scepticism but generally speaking the 4000 foot (1220m) mountains are the ones where any snow patches are normally found at the end of summer. There aren't many of those but if conditions are favourable for snow to survive, say, 500-800 feet lower then this enables snow to survive on a lot more mountains, and in more places on the highest mountains.

The August survey methods have been the same since its inception in 2008. Namely, volunteers actually physically counting each patch of snow from a vantage point, taking photographs and notes where necessary. Each patch of snow, no matter how large or small, is counted as separate and is recorded as such.

Scepticism of the figures is understandable, though unwarranted. Every one of the patches on each hill is physically counted by trusted observers and then relayed to me, and from which I calculate the total amount.

2015 has been a remarkable year so far, with patches of snow found on survey day on Beinn Mhanach (Bridge of Orchy) in the south, to Beinn Dearg (Ullapool) in the north. There were over 100 hills this year that held snow, with Ben Nevis having 58 on its own. Some had only one or two.

As it stands there was a total of around 670 patches of snow counted, and I am still finalising the end figure. This is a very high number, and is almost certainly down to a large amount of westerly snow-storms in winter, coupled with a very cool summer.

I organise the annual survey and collect all the data, and I can assure all members on here that each and every patch of snow included in the survey was seen and counted.

Fascinating stuff - and thanks for taking the time to come on here to post.

Thanks to both Norseman and Firefly for dealing so politely with my sceptical remarks - perhaps my view is coloured by the fact that we haven't even had measurable snow lying down here for the last two years!

Wasn't there some in late July?

.

Some fell but didn't lie if I remember correctly.

With so much cool, dry weather recently I imagine little further thawing has occurred and by late October new snow normally accumulates on top of the old stuff.

Could 2015 hold a new record for the number of snow patches surviving summer? Climatic conditions in Scotland this year seem perfect for such a record to be set.

Andy

It's not that simple, because until 2008 no one seriously tried to count or keep a record.
However 2015 has seen an astonishing increase at last count.
As you say conditions have been good for retention through autumn with cool and dry-ish conditions predominating.

http://theiaincameron.tumblr.com/post/130550839541/12-august-snow-survey-2015

I'm off up to the Cairngorms in the morning for a week and it would be nice to see a bit of snow.  We were there, near Aviemore, three years ago at the same time of year and saw some snow topped mountains along the way up there.  When we came home a week later, we just missed a heavy fall.  The A9 snow gates closed the day after we left.

That's quite an increase! As you indicate, it would have been interesting to know whether the 2008-13 counts were stupendously low compared to the last 30 years or whether 2015 is impressively high... or neither!

Interesting stuff