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I will admit I didn't see this coming, in fact, snow was the last thing on my mind when a mate messaged me asking if I had seen the charts?, I admitted that I hadn't, I was informed of cold air and snow on the way, I didn't think much of it at first, likely just a few Wintry showers which would quickly melt in the March sunshine, certainly nothing to get excited about with regards to photo opportunities and probably hyped by the usual social media pages anyway. That night I settled down and went through the latest GFS and got quite a shock, there was indeed a potent cold spell showing and in a reliable time frame too.
The charts showed several days of snow potential and extremely cold temperatures for the time of year, this was actually worth monitoring and as I watched developments over the next few days I knew this was something I needed to pay attention to. I honestly thought I had seen the last of snow this season, after all, it's already late Winter and Spring is in the air, in fact, the days are much longer, you can feel the heat of the sun on your face and weak solar heating was already affecting any surface based cumulus clouds. When nature presents these clues my thoughts naturally turn to Spring convection and perhaps the first thunderstorms of the season, but not snow, so this was why I was caught off guard.
Being a severe weather nut and also a snow lover I couldn't turn down Mother nature when she shows her hand, photo opportunities from nature can be difficult enough to come by so when an opportunity arrives I take it. If this meant chasing the white gold in March then so be it, I had a feeling this was going to be the last chance of proper Winter scenes before the full onslaught of Spring.
Arctic air plunging south across Ireland and lasting for days, really good cold uppers, low surface temps, wet dew points, and possible trough and front interactions all promised potent snow potential. The main show was March 9th when an Atlantic low would swing a warm front across the country from the SW, as it trekked NE it would engage the cold air and rapidly turn to snow. GFS showed constant snow from evening, all through the night, then clearing before dawn, potentially up to 14 hours of continuous snow, it looked to be the most significant frontal snow event in years. The Met Office had issued a yellow warning for all of N. Ireland which was later upgraded to an amber for Co. Antrim, Co. Down and Co. Armagh which could be impacted the most. My mates and I began obsessing over the event which was only two days away, we knew there wouldn't be much sleep and that relentless hours of radar watching and model checking would consume us, and it did.
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The day prior to the main event turned out to be very photogenic, the cold air had already moved in and with it there was weak instability which was forecast to produce scattered snow showers. By midday I was located near Lissan keeping an eye on the sky when I spotted a line of cells which looked very promising. At first I could only see their tops due to the summit of Slieve Gallion blocking the view then as the lead cell began moving further S it came into view and looked lovely.
The crisp clean air combined with the bright Sun lit the clouds brilliantly, from the base fell an increasingly dramatic white curtain of cascading hail then snow. I launched the Mavic 3 Classic straight into the sky and ended up having a brilliant flight, I began taking stills and shooting video sequences as this cell evolved over the beautiful sunlit countryside. Altitude 100m, cell moving L to R, at this moment in time it was over the NW section of Lough Neagh.
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Another image cropped in showing the snow precip core which was in the process of dropping a heavy snow shower over Ballyronan Marina. Using the Mavic 3 I was able to zoom into the core using the camera's digital zoom feature, I was initially skeptical of what I could get, after all, it's just a digital crop into the footage and I was only shooting 1080p, however I was rather impressed by the results. x3 was poor and clearly broken down but still usable if needed for a rare occasion, x1.8 and x2 zoom however were actually very good, especially when the light is decent. I was able to almost full the frame with the snow curtains and as I flew the drone sideways to the R trekking the cells I could see the falling snow moving horizontal across the landscape at the same rate, it was quite a thrilling experience. I had such a buzz filming this that I simply had to include these images, I now realize the zoom feature will come in handy for thunderstorm structures.
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My battery began to get low so I hovered and shot this horizontal pano of the entire cell, the lead cell was now well over the Lough however the flanking cell was becoming dominant with more snow curtains falling over the Moneyneany area. For me this scene perfectly sums up March, this is the transition between Winter and Spring, a solitary snow shower over the bright and warming countryside, a time of year when anything could happen.
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As the cell began to decay this single core of falling snow gently descended over the land, it was quite cool to see how fine a line it was between snow and sunshine. Once it passed the sky was sunny and dry for the remainder of the day, I could only hope that the frontal snow event would be just as photogenic. When I arrived home I checked online and was astonished to see that a tornado had been captured on video from the Shetland Islands, not only that but the tornado was rotating over snow and churning the snow into a debris swirl below the funnel, and it was blowing snow at the time while all this was happening, all captured by chance by a farmer attending his sheep, it really was a rare catch for the UK. There was speculation it may have been a waterspout which then came on shore.
March 9th arrived and with it came many hours of anticipation, excitement, disappointment and frustration. The front arrived earlier than expected at midday in Cookstown and began snowing for hours, however there was something badly wrong, the snow flakes were tiny like snow mizzle, the flakes were just not big enough, also they were melting on the wet ground and despite blowing for hours nothing was laying. Radar showed weak returns and I began to get concerned that this was a major let down. If it mizzled all night it was difficult to believe we would get any accumulations at all, even when I was shopping in town the shop assistant was complaining about it, she said 'what snow?', it was almost embarrassing.
I took a break then came back on during the late evening and tried to work things out and stay optimistic. The front would be over us for hours, the snow was falling heavier and temps were dropping fast, maybe there was hope yet, also the front was intensifying somewhat and would stall over us before shifting down to the SE again so it would be dropping plenty of snow. I just needed enough to fall on the mountains to have a chance of decent photo opportunities the following day. I went to bed expecting to wake up to a non event, my Dog Rhua woke me up at 02.00 to go to the bathroom, when I opened the back door I immediately felt encouraged, snow was falling fast and the ground had a good thick dusting, if this kept up for a few more hours there just might be a chance of action, the forecast was looking good, clear skies and sunshine after the front, the light would be good, all the boxes were ticked, I just needed decent snow.
I woke at 05.45, I didn't sleep well due to the anticipation, a feeling I also get on chase days, by 06.00 I was up and had a quick breakfast then Rhua and I packed the van, I scraped 2 inches of snow off the roof and ice from the windscreen and I was ready to go. I had to be up early as the Sun rises earlier in March and the snow could melt fast. As morning dawned I hit the road, the Cookstown side of Slieve Gallion was patchy, Moneyneany looked patchy, Mullaghmore looked promising but I wasn't liking what I was seeing. Soon after I pulled into the lay by at the Moyola River outside Tobermore and could see that Glenshane was also patchy, my heart sank, this wasn't good, patchy snow isn't photogenic and would look even worse with the drone, I came very close to going back home, this just wasn't up to standard. I text Nigel McFarland and he rang me back, we decided we could meet at Dungiven to assess the situation. As I drove over Glenshane the rising sun was beautiful, the snow was glowing pink and the light was gorgeous.
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Once the sun got high enough we made our way to our old faithful location at Benbradagh, a beautiful mountain which always looks amazing in snow, and this morning it didn't disappoint, in truth it was absolutely beautiful and far better than I had expected. This would be my first drone flight of the day, Nigel flying the Mavic 2 Pro and I was using the Mavic 3 Classic. I shot a lot of video however I only took two still images, and this was one of them. I've never captured this angle before showing the southern summit looking north west.
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Same position at 120m from the take off point showing the sculptured flank of the mountain, in the distance is Lough Foyle and Co. Donegal, you can even make out snow on Binevenagh near the north coast. Nigel and I both had a great flight, the question now was where to next?, we contemplated going back over the Birren Road to shoot Mullaghmore however I fancied something different today, a new location. I've always wanted to film Slemish in snow and never got around to doing it for various reasons, usually the snow is better here and less in the east, or else it was cloudy or too windy or I was engaged with the Sperrins. While I lay in bed the previous night I couldn't get Slemish out of my head, I threw the idea into the air to see what Nigel thought.
We had several questions we needed answered, how long would it take to get there?, would the strong sunshine melt the snow before we got there? in which case it would be a wasted trip, and was there any decent snow on it to begin with?, Slemish was close to the amber warning area so in theory it should have been even better than the Sperrins this time. We checked online and saw an image of Slemish covered in snow taken by our chasing mate Colleen Webb and it looked wonderful. Nigel asked Colleen if it was still good? and she confirmed it was and that she was staying on location, Nigel and I looked at each other and said let's do it!
Nigel and I drove from Dungiven to Ballymena, luckily the amazing sky conditions remained and Colleen informed us that a plow had just cleared the back roads so we could get close to the mountain. After an hour we made it to Ballymena and onto the back roads, narrow twisting roads covered in slush spraying our vehicles as we rushed to get to the location. We took the main route to the mountain and entered a magnificent Winter wonderland. We pulled over at the side of the road onto snow and took in the view, the gamble had already paid off.
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We where surrounded by gorgeous flat countryside as far as the eye could see, flat fields and farmland all covered by pristine snow, it was utter perfection, it was as smooth as icing on a cake. The sun shone brilliantly in a perfect cloudless blue sky, the polar air was transparent and clean and exceptional, there wasn't even a breath of air, perfect conditions for flying and perfect light. I wasted no time, I had one battery left in the Mavic 3 Classic so I immediately got in the air and began recording video and taking still images. Slemish is a very striking mountain, it looks dramatic and imposing as it towers above the otherwise flat plains of the Co. Antrim countryside in these parts, it really gets your attention, we have often seen it on good days from the Sperrins and it really stands out on the horizon.
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This is why I love drones, being able to place a camera anywhere you want at any angle or compass point or elevation to get a scene that a ground based DSLR can never get, in fact, I never used my DSLR once all day, this entire chase was documented by drone. This is an extinct volcano which makes the mountain even more fascinating, this volcano dates back to the Palaeogene, this period in geologic history spans from the Cretaceous period when Dinosaurs walked the Earth to the beginning of the Neogene period, so at its oldest Slemish is somewhere in the order of 50-60 million years old, today its known as a volcanic plug.
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I had such a great time flying around this mountain, mid level, high level and very low level, skimming across the snow-covered fields, fences and wonderful stone walls which lined this area, flying from the surface then up the flank to the top is like an out of body experience, there's no other feeling like it, if you are a drone pilot you will know what I'm talking about, if you are not then you are missing out on a truly magical experience. I was using auto white balance with the Mavic 3, I then switched it back to manual to lock it, for some reason the WB has very a cool blue cast with this drone which is completely different from the images I've taken with the Mavic 2 Pro and Phantom 3 Advanced.
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Next week is St. Patrick's Day when many people drive here to climb the mountain to the top in memory of the famous Saint who is said to have spent time here as a Shepherd when he was brought to Ireland as a slave, he worked here for six years between the ages of 16 and 22. According to wikipedia while at Slemish St. Patrick turned to prayer due to his loneliness and in a vision he was encouraged to escape and return home. The legend tells that this conversion took place on Slemish out in all weathers, communing with nature and praying continuously, he then fled, became a priest, then returned back to Ireland. Every March 17th large crowds arrive here to hike to the summit as part of a pilgrimage.
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One of my favourite aerial images from the trip showing the road leading up to the base of the famous mountain.
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180 degree pano shot fairly close to the mountain, I really like the inclusion of the Sun in the blue sky above the mountain, this was quite a large dynamic range scene shooting into the sun yet exposing the mountain and foreground, the four thirds sensor done a great job. I landed the drone, still with 20% battery remaining and took a break to take it all in. Rhua had her lunch eating chicken pieces in the snow and I had snacks and several cups of tea from a flask and just basked in to the Winter beauty all around us. We were all buzzing, it felt great to get filming snow at a brand new location and to tick a new location off the bucket list.
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Feeling energized I got my old faithful Mavic 2 Pro in the air for a flight, I wanted to make the most of this opportunity. Flying low over the Sheep, their tracks indicated they liked the upper left section of this field for some reason.
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With the M2P I normally shoot snow using cloudy WB, this helps negate the deep blue shadows often seen in drone images, it works for the most part, it's interesting to compare these to the cooler temp of the M3C images above.
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My opinion between the two drones regarding image quality? M2P is sharper every single time, however the dynamic range and extra detail with the M3C really is outstanding, especially in low light situations. Both sensors are 20MP however the four thirds does make a difference, even in these daylight images the M3C has more detail when you zoom in, but the M2P is definitely sharper, for this reason I use both drones for different situations, they are excellent tools. Even after four years the M2P is still at the top of its game.
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180 degree aerial pano from further back, as always you can't appreciate the detail in these 980 pixel wide images, when you see the high res files on the computer the resolution is remarkable and the images are massive.
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It was a remarkable afternoon, in one hand we where standing in 10cm of snow and surrounded by a Winter wonderland, yet the March sun was so strong that we were complaining about being too warm, I had to take off my hat, coat and one jumper too cool down, what a paradox. I don't think I can ever recall feeling so warm under intense sunshine while standing in snow in my life, it was a very nice experience. We built a snowman, as is our tradition on a good snow chase, we took some images to document the day and just relaxed and took in the scenes. Rhua had to be in the middle of it all, I lifted her up and showed her the snow and the mountain, when I turned around Nigel took this image which I absolutely love, thanks Nigel!
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The next day, March 14th, would bring convection and more wintry showers. Instability was low end with 40-50 SBCAPE however with -30c cloud tops and 40 knots shear with 20mph surface gusts on a NWly flow it looked like a day worth watching, especially now with the much warmer March sunshine. A dusting of snow from a pre-dawn front had already affected the hills and behind it came a clearance with scattered showers. A long and moderate strength band formed on radar to my N, slowly moving E and S at the same time, I decided I would go chase it in case there was any interesting features along the leading edge.
I pulled up at the countryside near Lissan and could see the line approach, it was definitely convective with a low topped anvil sheared downrange, as the line appeared over Slieve Gallion a long curtain of snow formed on a weak gust front feature. Once again I got the Mavic 3 Classic in the air to get images, this way I can avoid cluttered foreground subjects and get a clean look at what's coming, wind was gusting over 20mph. The curtain of snow along the leading edge extended across perhaps 120 degrees of sky and was surging in fast, from the drone's perspective it was fun watching the wall engulf homes and farms. I landed and got the drone back in the van just in time as the curtain hit, first came a deluge of dry hail stones for five minutes followed by a good 25 min's of snow which was great to watch, it wasn't laying on the wet ground but I enjoyed it.
Once it cleared back to blue skies and with instability peaking between midday and early afternoon I decided to stay out longer and see what was on offer. I took the high ground roads and pulled up above Lough Neagh not far from the wind farm, the place was covered in 1-2cm of snow and bathed in lovely light. I didn't even take images, just enjoyed it visually and took Rhua for a walk, she loved trotting through the snow as usual. I then parked facing W and spent the next couple of hours watching cells over the Sperrins.
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A potent long duration snow shower passed close by me and when I saw the back end I was impressed, the cell was very large, the updraught was steep and leaning over with shear, below curtains of snow fell over the hills and turbines, however the shear was moving the cell so fast that the parent cloud preceded the snow, as a result snow curtains could be seen falling through clear air and lagging behind the cell. I ran outside, across the marsh and up a hill for a better view, this is 15mm wide angle on full frame, cell moving to the right and away.
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I ran onto the back road for a final image, the cell was moving so fast it had already moved rapidly between these two images, it was the most photogenic scene I experienced all day, and the first time in three days of snow chasing that I actually used my DSLR. I began driving E to low ground following the cell but it was impossible to chase, my last view of it was from near Cookstown, the cell was already crossing the Lough towards Antrim and the back edge was solid and high with mammatus forming, the left side was almost like a breeze block tilted at an angle with clear blue sky all around, it was quite a cool sight and left me with the feeling that perhaps the Spring convective season has actually begun.
Drone footage of the isolated snow cell crossing from behind Slieve Gallion to Lough Neagh and experimenting with digital zoom on the snow curtains falling.
Full length drone footage of my drone flight at Slemish mountain in perfect conditions, a flight now ticked off my bucket list. These last three days of Winter chasing have been tremendous fun and highly rewarding and likely my last Winter scenes of the season so thanks very much for reading and watching.
Martin McKenna
