Mountain weather
Lake District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence for southeasterly conditions for the rest of the weekend, then turning colder towards Christmas with easterly winds drawing in cold air. Mostly dry apart from drizzle at times in the east. Lower confidence in cloud details for any particular day.
This evening forecast
Clear spells developing in the evening and remaining mostly dry, strong Southeasterly winds will make it feel very cold our on the fells overnight,
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Patchy light rain or drizzle at times but some brighter conditions, particularly for NW fells.
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
20% | 60% | 60% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 40% | 70% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
SE
39
|
SE
38
|
SE
29
|
SE
23
|
SE
21
|
E
22
|
E
24
|
E
24
|
| 600m |
SE
33
|
SE
33
|
SE
21
|
SE
19
|
E
16
|
E
18
|
E
16
|
E
16
|
| 300m |
SE
16
|
SE
13
|
SE
11
|
SE
9
|
E
5
|
E
7
|
E
7
|
E
6
|
| Valley |
E
14
|
E
13
|
E
11
|
SE
9
|
E
6
|
NE
6
|
E
8
|
NE
7
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 49 | 49 | 37 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 30 |
| 600m | 46 | 45 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 23 |
| 300m | 37 | 35 | 28 | 22 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
| Valley | 33 | 33 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 19 | 18 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
3°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
7°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
1,200m
|
1,400m
|
1,300m
|
1,300m
|
1,400m
|
1,500m
|
1,500m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-9°
|
-7°
|
-6°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
| 600m |
-6°
|
-6°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
| 300m |
-1°
|
0°
|
1°
|
2°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| Valley |
2°
|
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
7°
|
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Quite a windy day and feeling cold in fresh or strong southeasterly winds, freezing level lifting above all summits.
Weather
Spells of light rain or drizzle will affect the lake District at times during the morning, brightening up for a time in the afternoon, then further spells of rain in the evening. Falling as rain at all levels as freezing level is above all summits. The north and west fells will see some shelter from the rain and will likely remain dry, fells towards the east will be more exposed and perhaps wetter during the day.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
60% in the west and north, 40% in the south and east.
Low cloud and visibility
Layers of scattered or broken low cloud above 500m are likely around Southern Fells with cloud bases increasing and amounts decreasing further north and west, the cloud is associated with light rain and drizzle. Visibility will be moderate or poor at times in drizzle higher on the fells but will be mainly good in the north and west of the area.
Ground conditions
Date: Saturday 20 December Location: Helvellyn summit at 13:30 Temperature: plus 1.1°C Maximum wind speed 40.9mph Wind chill: minus 8.4°C Average wind speed: 25.2mph Full report: Severe wind chill, overal gradual improvement. Strong, blustery winds dominated the day, creating a significant wind chill at all levels and dropping the perceived temperature to around -7°C on the summit of Helvellyn-strong enough to make your eyes water when facing into the wind. Underfoot, graded and rocky paths were generally dry, and streams have returned to near-normal levels following the recent heavy rainfall, continuing to recede throughout the day. The cloud base fluctuated around 800m, making Swirral Edge damp and occasionally slippery on the slabby sections. No snow or hail was present, aside from the diminishing ribbon of snow overlooking Brown Cove at the northern end of the summit plateau-likely the last remaining patch in the area. Even in the absence of snow, conditions should still be treated as winter hillwalking. The risk of hypothermia remains significant, especially if forced to stop on exposed terrain. Walkers should carry full winter clothing, including spare hats and gloves, even though no technical winter equipment is currently required.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Overnight rain clearing during the morning, with some clear spells developing. Quite a cloudy day but remaining mostly dry, perhaps some drizzly patches in the east.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, more low cloud around south and eastern fells.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southeasterly 20 gusts 30-35mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 4 Celsius.
- Valley Plus 8 Celsius.
- Freezing level Above all summits
Low cloud and visibility
Scattered or broken layers of cloud above 600m for much of the day. Visibility moderate or poor at first but becoming good for most areas.
Mountain weather information
Tue 23 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Turning colder in freshening easterly winds. Quite a cloudy day especially for eastern fells, with some persistent hill fog here, perhaps some brighter spells in the west. Some outbreaks of drizzle possible in the east too.
Wed 24 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
A bitterly cold day with fresh easterly winds, some winter sunshine likely but doing little for the cold feel, mainly good visibility with cloud above the fell tops.
Thu 25 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Remaining cold and a cloudy Christmas day, likely with easterly winds.
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.