After the previous day's snow and a cold night the morning of the 3 January 2010 was beautiful with sunshine, a good cover of powdery snow and temperatures well below freezing - it was about minus 4C as I set off on a walk at 1030. This is the field near my home in Mossley looking to Greenfield and Wharmton.
There was some cloud moving in from the east as seen here behind Aldermans Hill and Pots & Pans above Greenfield
Heading up the access road to Chew Reservoir which was covered in deep snow.
Drifts on the reservoir road, the cloud had now cleared and the blue sky was back.
No vehicles were going to be accessing the reservoir today, a deep drift completely blocks the road.
Temperatures were below freezing all day, this is the icy scene in a disused quarry near Chew reservoir. Note the couple of ice climbers to the bottom left having a rare chance to practice in Saddleworth.
Chew reservoir, nearly 500 metres above sea level with the reservoir wall buried under drifts.
The reservoir was completely frozen.
Another view of Chew Reservoir.
I then headed across the moors of Dish Stone Moss. The snow had made the moor look level by filling in the deep hollows and peat groughs with up to waist deep snow. I know it was that deep as despite trying to plot a careful route I ocassioanlly sank into it!
The snow was very deep at the side of the moors.
On Dish Stone Moss
A view across the moors of Saddleworth beneath the deep blue sky.
The drifted snow hs started to form cornices. Dovestone reservoir can be seen below
Huge drifts on the edge of the moors above Dovestone as I began my decent to the valley. It is hard to get the scale but the snow beneath my feet was upto waist deep and some of the drifts at the top were couple of metres high, stunning scenes.
Looking back up the hillside. Even lower down the snow was still deep - note the bottom step of the stile has been covered.
The view across Dovestone Reservoir as the late afternoon sun lights the hilltops
On my way home looking across to Pots & Pans in the afternoon sun.