Mountain weather
Lake District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for changeable weather to continue for the rest of this week
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.
Heavy Persistent Rain
Heavy and persistent rain can lead to drenched clothing and footwear with waterproofs often becoming soaked through, especially if accompanied by strong winds. This can lead to significant loss of body heat and an increased likelihood of hypothermia. Terrain may turn increasingly boggy underfoot while streams can flood and become impassable. There may also be a risk of flooding in valleys or glens. If there is snow cover, a heightened avalanche hazard is possible and avalanche reports should be consulted where available.
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
Cloudy and windy with rain. Colder with sleet and snow by evening.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
40% | 70% | >95% | 80% | 70% | 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 |
SW
46
|
SW
43
|
SW
47
|
SW
37
|
SW
35
|
W
30
|
| 600m |
SW
36
|
SW
35
|
SW
32
|
W
28
|
SW
27
|
W
23
|
| 300m |
SW
11
|
SW
12
|
SW
11
|
SW
7
|
SW
10
|
NW
10
|
| Valley |
SW
11
|
SW
13
|
SW
11
|
W
7
|
SW
11
|
W
9
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 54 | 51 | 55 | 44 | 43 | 37 |
| 600m | 44 | 45 | 42 | 37 | 36 | 30 |
| 300m | 35 | 34 | 33 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
| Valley | 32 | 32 | 31 | 24 | 28 | 25 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
2°
|
0°
|
| 600m |
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
2°
|
| 300m |
7°
|
8°
|
8°
|
7°
|
6°
|
4°
|
| Valley |
9°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
8°
|
6°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,500m
|
1,600m
|
1,800m
|
1,700m
|
1,300m
|
800m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
-8°
|
| 600m |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-5°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
3°
|
1°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
5°
|
3°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Drenching conditions can be expected in rain with summit gales and significant wind chill. Making progress will be slow with a risk of being blown over on the higher tops.
Weather
Cloudy in the morning with outbreaks of rain, becoming persistent and heavy by late morning. The afternoon will be wet with heavy rain. Rain will turn more showery through the evening and increasingly turn to sleet and snow as it turns colder.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30%, best chance across the east of the Park.
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in widespread cloud down to 500 to 800 metres, lowest bases across the southwest. Cloud will be higher and occasionally more broken across the eastern more fells given some shelter from the southwesterly winds. Cloud tending to lift and break more widely after dark.
Ground conditions
Date: Monday 23 March. Location: Helvellyn summit at 13:45. Temperature: plus 0.5 deg C. Maximum wind speed 28.8 mph. Wind chill: minus 8.2 deg C. Average wind speed: 21.2 mph. Full report: There's a hint of winter back in the air with a cold wind dropping the windchill to -8 deg C on Helvellyn today. The few remaining patches of old snow are to be found above 850m on steep north through east aspects, in gullies and around corrie rims. The vast majority of paths across the National Park are currently clear of snow including Striding Edges. A narrow snow free line has opened up on the exit to Swirral Edge so it can now be climbed without setting foot on snow. However conditions are forecast to deteriorate tonight with heavy rain and gale force winds before a dramatic drop in temperature could give significant snowfall for periods throughout the rest of the week. Localised flooding may be a risk and some stream crossings may become impassable. Despite the spring like conditions of the past few days full winter clothing and equipment will be required to safely enjoy the fells over the next few days. Please be conservative with your plans as conditions could be very challenging and changeable.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Mostly cloudy and cold with hail and snow showers, but some drier spells of weather too. Bitterly cold, strong to gale northwesterly winds.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
80%
Maximum wind speed expected
Northwesterly average speeds of 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph
Temperature
- At 800m Minus 2 Celsius
- Valley 0 rising to 6 Celsius
- Freezing level 400 to 600 metres
Low cloud and visibility
Very good visibility with good air clarity. Visibility temporarily reducing as snow showers pass by with cloud lowering to 850 metres. Otherwise little in the way of summit cloud.
Mountain weather information
Thu 26 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Chance of a snow shower at first, otherwise dry with variable cloud cover. Rain and summit snow spreading from the west late evening.
Fri 27 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain for a time in the early hours, then dry. Light winds.
Sat 28 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry with variable amounts of cloud, perhaps the odd wintry shower. Strong, cold northwesterly summit 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.