Mountain weather
Lake District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for changeable weather to continue in the weekend
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
Gales
Gale force winds (gusts over 50mph) make walking difficult and strenuous with a potential to be blown over by gusts. There is often a marked increase in winds through cols or on exposed ridges and summits. Distances can take longer to cover and compass bearings become harder to follow accurately.
Severe Chill Effect
Wind significantly lowers the ‘feels-like’ temperature relative to the actual temperature, with even moderate winds significantly adding to the chilling effect. Strong winds can result in a severe and debilitating wind chill many degrees below the actual temperature. This effect will be enhanced in rain or wet snow. Without protection, prolonged exposure could result in frost nip or frostbite on exposed parts of the body and/or hypothermia.
Poor Visibility
Poor visibility presents challenging route finding conditions. Visibility could be significantly less than 50 metres in all directions with few or no visual references, especially on featureless moors or plateaux. Distances become hard to judge and cliff or cornice edges can be difficult to recognise. These conditions require good navigational skills. There is a risk of white-out conditions when mist or fog is combined with extensive snow cover.
Storm Force Winds
Storm force winds (gusts over 70mph) make walking very strenuous with any mobility virtually impossible over exposed ground. Where these conditions occur there is a high risk of being blown over and even standing may be impossible at times with a risk of being blown off one’s feet. Basic tasks such as using a map, eating, putting on extra clothing or communication become extremely difficult away from any shelter.
Mountain weather forecast
Cold and windy with occasional snow
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
30% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 40% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
E
52
|
E
50
|
E
49
|
E
49
|
E
48
|
E
48
|
| 600m |
E
26
|
E
31
|
E
34
|
E
33
|
E
32
|
E
31
|
| 300m |
E
7
|
E
9
|
E
12
|
E
14
|
E
14
|
E
15
|
| Valley |
E
10
|
E
11
|
E
14
|
E
15
|
E
13
|
E
14
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 58 | 59 | 58 | 59 | 58 | 58 |
| 600m | 33 | 39 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 40 |
| 300m | 34 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| Valley | 37 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 39 | 40 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
| 600m |
1°
|
1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
4°
|
3°
|
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
700m
|
600m
|
600m
|
500m
|
400m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-11°
|
-12°
|
-13°
|
-13°
|
-14°
|
-14°
|
| 600m |
-6°
|
-7°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-9°
|
-9°
|
| 300m |
1°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
| Valley |
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
0°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Strong to gale summit winds will for make slow progress, a risk of being blown over and severe wind chill.
Weather
A cloudy day with occasional sleet and snow, this most predominant across the Eastern and Southern Fells. Drier towards the west coast.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, best chance across the west of the Park
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in areas of cloud down to 600 to 900 metres, lowest and most extensive cloud across the Eastern Fells. Best chance of breaks towards the west coast.
Ground conditions
Date: Wednesday 4 February. Location: Helvellyn summit at 11:55. Temperature: minus 0.4 degC. Maximum wind speed 8.5mph. Wind chill: minus 5.5 deg C. Full report: Fresh Snow, Firm Base. Fresh snow fell during the early hours of Wednesday down to around 400m. As the morning progressed and temperatures rose slightly, the snowline gradually lifted back up the fells. Despite this, excellent winter conditions were found on the open snow slopes of Helvellyn, with poor visibility being the main limiting factor. The fresh snowfall arrived on light winds, meaning very little redistribution occurred and a largely uniform cover exists above 700 m. For walkers, this becomes particularly noticeable above around 650m, where previously compacted snow on paths is now concealed beneath a thin new layer. Above Red Tarn, snow patches are fully weight-bearing, and the overall snowpack has transitioned into firm névé (hard, stable snow), capped by a shallow 1cm layer of light fresh snow. Occasional light snow flurries through the day added to this surface layer. With summit temperatures hovering around freezing (950m) and moist air present, the fresh snow is bonding well with the older base, giving a generally low concern for avalanche activity at present. Snow has re-covered both Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, restoring them to deserving mountaineering challenges where crampons and an ice axe are required. Rock surfaces are coated in either verglas (black ice) or rime ice (feathered deposits), making axe placements particularly useful. Micro-spikes are satisfactory on less exposed terrain. Trainers are not. For climbers: reports from the gullies of Brown Cove Crags and the Helvellyn headwall suggest they are poorly formed or only just complete and very little ice elsewhere. In contrast, the open snow slopes (such as the Snow Bowl) are in excellent condition, with no problematic cornice development observed. Some cornice build-up is more evident above north-facing slopes between Lower Man and the Swirral Edge exit. Strong to gale-force winds are forecast for Thursday and will be the dominant feature of a day on the Lakeland fells. Full winter clothing and equipment are essential.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Remaining mostly cloudy with some occasional sleet or snow across Eastern and Southern Fells, otherwise mainly dry.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, best chance across Western Fells
Maximum wind speed expected
Easterly average speeds of 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph on the higher tops
Temperature
- At 800m 0 Celsius
- Valley Plus 3 rising to 6 Celsius
- Freezing level 800 metres
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in areas of cloud down to 700 to 900 metres, lowest bases across the south and west of the Park
Mountain weather information
Sat 7 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
A cloudy day with rain and higher summit snow in the morning. Becoming drier in the afternoon and evening.
Sun 8 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with outbreaks of rain.
Mon 9 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy and mainly dry with the chance of a brief shower.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Lake District covers an area of 885 square miles with its highest point, Scafell Pike, standing at 978 metres.