Mountain weather
Lake District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for Friday. High for an often dry southeasterly flow to continue into next week, but low daily detail of any precipitation.
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.
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.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Cold and windy with snow in the morning, drier in the afternoon
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
80% | 80% | 40% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
SE
52
|
SE
47
|
SE
36
|
E
26
|
E
29
|
E
35
|
| 600m |
SE
35
|
SE
31
|
SE
29
|
E
21
|
E
19
|
E
21
|
| 300m |
E
7
|
SE
10
|
SE
9
|
E
7
|
E
7
|
E
7
|
| Valley |
E
8
|
E
8
|
SE
10
|
E
6
|
E
7
|
E
6
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 60 | 54 | 42 | 32 | 35 | 41 |
| 600m | 48 | 42 | 42 | 31 | 29 | 30 |
| 300m | 34 | 35 | 30 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
| Valley | 34 | 30 | 29 | 18 | 21 | 21 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-3°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
| 600m |
-2°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
| 300m |
1°
|
1°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
| Valley |
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
6°
|
5°
|
5°
|
| Freezing Level |
300m
|
400m
|
600m
|
1,000m
|
900m
|
1,000m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-14°
|
-13°
|
-10°
|
-8°
|
-9°
|
-9°
|
| 600m |
-11°
|
-9°
|
-8°
|
-6°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
| 300m |
-2°
|
-3°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
| Valley |
-1°
|
0°
|
1°
|
4°
|
3°
|
3°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Be prepared for winter conditions during the morning with summit gales, drifting snow and severe wind chill. Low cloud will make for navigational difficulties.
Weather
Overcast with spells of snow in the morning, briefly heavy, though rain on low ground. Drier weather will extend north through the afternoon to leave the rest of the day generally dry but still with a good deal of cloud.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, best chance across the west of the area
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in snow, and extensive cloud down to 600 to 800 metres across Southern and Eastern Fells. Some breaks in the cloud across or to the lee of the Western and Northern Fells, especially in the afternoon.
Ground conditions
No recent ground conditions report available.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Apart from an isolated shower across the Eastern Fells it will be dry. Still a good deal of cloud but some breaks across Western Fells.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
70%, best chance across the west of the area
Maximum wind speed expected
Easterly 20 mph on the higher summits at first, winds easing by afternoon
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 2 Celsius
- Valley Plus 2 rising to 7 Celsius
- Freezing level 1100 metres
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in areas of cloud down to 700 metres across the east of the area at times, but only small amounts of cloud across the west.
Mountain weather information
Sun 1 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry and partly cloudy. Light winds. Freezing level 1000 metres.
Mon 2 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry and partly cloudy. Strong to gale southeasterly summit winds. Freezing level 800 metres.
Tue 3 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain and summit snow will spread north during the afternoon and evening. Strong to gale southeasterly summit winds. Freezing level 800 to 1000 metres.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
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.