Despite steadily rising temperatures snow has continued to prevent Snowdon Mountain Railway from taking workers to Snowdon's summit. However, today the train couldn't even reach the snow-line. It had to stop below Clogwyn owing to winds  gusting up to 50 m.p.h. A few workmen set off walking to look at the condition of the snow with a view to possibly 'tracking down' a machine from the summit to dig out the line.


An animated Roger Pinney from BBC Wales interviewing Carillion Regional
Director, Meirion Evans.

For camera crews and reporters on a press trip organised by the National Park, the high winds meant they had to observe the snow and cloud covered summit from a distance. Addressing the media, Carillion's Regional Director, Meirion Evans described the late snowfalls as "unbelievable" and said: "It's been very frustrating for the workmen, getting up in the early hours and heading up the mountain but being unable to reach the top. I've huge admiration for them. There are 12 weeks of work left to do."


Carillion Regional Director, Meirion Evans, scrutinising an anenometer
for the cameras.

Snowdonia National Park Chief Executive, Aneurin Phillips, had some good news from the Welsh European Funding Office. They have extended the deadline to early Autumn for completing the building and drawing down the £4.2 million grant funds.


The building as it was on Wednesday 16.4.08.

Last Friday, winds were averaging 85 m.p.h. at Clogwyn gusting to 113 m.p.h. around lunchtime. On the Beaufort scale winds in the range 73-83 m.p.h. are described as Hurricane Force. But these figures are eclipsed by the 132 m.ph. gust recorded on February 25th this year; very likely the highest wind speed recorded at Clogwyn this decade.