This view of Y Garn is just one of three on the OVMRO website

Walkers and mountaineers heading for the hills in the North of Snowdonia can check out real-life conditions, thanks to mountain rescuers.

The Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation has set up three webcams which point at peaks in the area, including some of the most popular mountains in the valley. And, on today’s evidence, there is still plenty of snow on some of the hills.

The OVMRO is one of the busiest in north Wales, with Tryfan, the Glyderau, Y Garn and the Carneddau all in its area.

The three webcams are placed at its rescue base at Bryn Poeth, near the foot of Tryfan Bach, and two give a panoramic view westwards and eastwards. The east-facing camera shows Y Garn, part of Pen yr Ole Wen, Cwm Idwal and Foel-goch. The westward view shows the Ogwen Valley towards Capel Curig. A third camera is occasionally used for the mountain rescue team’s operations, but at other times will be pointed at Tryfan.

The webcam pictures can be seen on the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation website.

Webcam views enable those heading for the hills to get an idea of weather conditions before setting out, but walkers and climbers should also obtain an up-to-date weather forecast. The Mountain Weather Information Service is forecasting gales and snow showers for the Ogwen Valley today, with temperatures down to -5C on summits, exacerbated by windchill.

A similar picture is forecast for Saturday and Sunday, with freezing conditions continuing, and sunny spells disappearing towards the end of the weekend as cloud builds.

grough’s links, at the top of this page, will take you to other mountain webcams, weather forecasts and avalanche forecasts for the Scottish Highlands.