Mountain weather
Lake District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence that high pressure will bring a lot of dry, settled and very mild weather over the next few days. There is some uncertainty in day to day cloud amounts.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
Strong Sunlight
Harmful UV levels from sunlight increase with altitude giving a greater risk of sunburn and eye damage, even on some overcast days. On breezy days, the cooling effect of wind on exposed skin may disguise any feeling of sunburn until it is too late. If there is snow cover, glare increases the effect of UV rays especially on the eyes. It is advisable to wear sun block, protective clothing such as a long-sleeved top and hat and have good quality eye protection.
Mountain weather forecast
Dry and cloudy, brightening up later. Light winds. Very mild.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
20% | 10% | 00% | 00% | 00% | 00% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
S
13
|
SE
10
|
SE
10
|
S
8
|
E
11
|
E
10
|
| 600m |
S
14
|
SE
8
|
SE
8
|
SE
5
|
NE
5
|
E
7
|
| 300m |
S
3
|
SE
5
|
S
4
|
S
2
|
N
1
|
E
3
|
| Valley |
SE
2
|
SE
4
|
S
4
|
SW
2
|
NE
3
|
NE
4
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 15 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
| 600m | 20 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 9 |
| 300m | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Valley | 11 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
4°
|
4°
|
6°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| 600m |
6°
|
6°
|
9°
|
11°
|
10°
|
9°
|
| 300m |
8°
|
9°
|
12°
|
14°
|
11°
|
10°
|
| Valley |
9°
|
10°
|
12°
|
14°
|
13°
|
12°
|
| Freezing Level |
2,000m
|
2,100m
|
2,000m
|
1,900m
|
1,900m
|
2,000m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
0°
|
1°
|
3°
|
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
4°
|
7°
|
10°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| 300m |
7°
|
8°
|
11°
|
13°
|
11°
|
9°
|
| Valley |
9°
|
10°
|
12°
|
14°
|
12°
|
11°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Good hillwalking conditions with early cloud soon clearing the summits. It will feel rather warm in the valleys in the afternoon with highs of 15 to 17 Celsius.
Weather
Cloudy overnight and to start the morning with the odd spot of light rain possible. Otherwise dry with sunny spells developing through the afternoon. Dry evening with clear spells.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30% at first, becoming 90% through the morning.
Low cloud and visibility
Mainly good visibility. Extensive cloud above 600 or 700m overnight and early morning, lifting and breaking up through the morning.
Ground conditions
Date: Tuesday 17 March Location: Helvellyn summit at 12:00. Temperature: plus 3.5C. Maximum wind speed 34.2mph. Wind chill: minus 4.9C. Average wind speed: 29.3mph. Full report: There has been a dramatic thaw of lying snow in the past 24 hours with the freezing level rising well above the summits and heavy rain followed by glorious sunshine. The remaining snow is generally to be found on north through east aspects above 850m in gullies and around corrie rims. There were small slumping cornices above these aspects on Helvellyn and Brown Cove Crags however looking west there appeared to be a lot less snow on the Central Fells (Scafell Pike, Great Gable, etc) While many popular routes, including the Swirls path, are now clear of snow the exit slopes to Swirral Edge still sport an unavoidable bank of steep snow above a large drop. The consequences of a slip here would be very serious so crampons and an ice axe are still strongly recommended for this short section. Striding Edge could be climbed solely on rock with some careful route choice. Despite spring like conditions across the National Park the wind chill was still around -5C on Helvellyn so please remember plenty of warm and windproof clothing including hats and gloves to be able to enjoy the fells at your leisure. High pressure is forecast to settle over the Lake District for the next few days potentially giving some very pleasant walking conditions.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Dry with clear spells overnight. Thursday will remain dry and bright with good sunny spells but it may turn cloudier through the afternoon.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
90%.
Maximum wind speed expected
South or Southeast 5 to 10mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 7C rising to 11C during daytime.
- Valley Plus 9C rising to 16C.
- Freezing level Above summits.
Low cloud and visibility
Mainly good visibility with cloud above summits. Some patchy cloud may affect the high tops at times in the afternoon.
Mountain weather information
Fri 20 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
High pressure will continue to bring dry weather with plenty of sunshine and light winds. Mild by day and rather chilly overnight. Freezing level above summits.
Sat 21 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Remaining dry with bright or sunny spells and light winds. Mild by day and rather chilly overnight. Freezing level above summits.
Sun 22 Mar
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Expected to start off dry then a chance of cloud and rain spreading in from the west later with strengthening winds. Freezing level above summits.
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.