Mountain weather
North Grampian Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence in unsettled conditions. Moderate confidence for exact details on Tuesday and Wednesday, falling low for Thursday and Friday.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
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.
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
Rain, heavy in morning. Very strong winds - storm force later.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
80% | >95% | 70% | 70% | 60% | 70% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
SE
37
|
SE
63
|
SE
49
|
S
68
|
S
72
|
SW
72
|
| 900m |
SE
41
|
SE
67
|
SE
57
|
S
66
|
S
68
|
SW
71
|
| 600m |
SE
17
|
SE
42
|
SE
37
|
S
42
|
S
45
|
SW
48
|
| 300m |
NE
5
|
NE
6
|
N
5
|
S
15
|
S
25
|
SW
29
|
| Glen |
SE
3
|
E
2
|
S
2
|
S
5
|
S
8
|
SW
9
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m | 48 | 80 | 62 | 88 | 95 | 95 |
| 900m | 49 | 78 | 67 | 80 | 84 | 88 |
| 600m | 25 | 52 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 64 |
| 300m | 6 | 13 | 8 | 38 | 55 | 62 |
| Glen | 11 | 17 | 15 | 31 | 41 | 47 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
0°
|
1°
|
2°
|
4°
|
1°
|
0°
|
| 900m |
6°
|
6°
|
8°
|
8°
|
4°
|
3°
|
| 600m |
7°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
7°
|
6°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
7°
|
9°
|
11°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| Glen |
6°
|
8°
|
10°
|
12°
|
10°
|
9°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,700m
|
2,000m
|
2,800m
|
2,300m
|
1,600m
|
1,400m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-8°
|
-9°
|
-6°
|
-5°
|
-10°
|
-11°
|
| 900m |
-1°
|
-2°
|
1°
|
0°
|
-5°
|
-6°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
4°
|
4°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
5°
|
8°
|
8°
|
4°
|
3°
|
| Glen |
5°
|
7°
|
9°
|
10°
|
7°
|
5°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Storm force to hurricane force summit winds will make any mobility very difficult or impossible, with a high chance of serious injury.
Weather
Rain pushes north through the morning with some heavy bursts at times. Drier for a time in mid-afternoon before cloud and further outbreaks of rain spreads in from the west through the evening. East to southeast winds strengthen in the morning, veering south, then southwest, with gales at all levels and storm force winds developing at height.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
70% first thing, falling to 30% for most of the day, best chances in northeast.
Low cloud and visibility
Largely clear summits and good visibilities in early morning, with only patches of cloud around lower slopes and glens. More widespread cloud down to 600-800m spreads north through the morning with visibilities falling poor in hill fog or rain. Best chance of clearer summits towards the sheltered northeast.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Frequent showers feed in from the west, forming more organised or persistent rain at times. Chance of hail and lightning. Staying driest towards the sheltered northeast. Feeling cold at height with widespread gales and occasional storm force gusts.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30% west, 60% northeast.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwest veering westerly, 50-60mph, gusting 70-80mph
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 1C to plus 4C.
- Glen Plus 6C to plus 9C.
- Freezing level 1100m rising to 1500m later.
Low cloud and visibility
Quite extensive areas of cloud down to 800-1000m and visibilities falling moderate or poor in frequent showers or longer spells of rain. Best of the breaks in the sheltered northeast.
Mountain weather information
Thu 11 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mostly dry with variable cloud, brightest in northeast. Rain spreads east late evening. Strong southwest winds. Freezing level around 1400m.
Fri 12 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain - turning to summit snow - clears east early morning. Then mainly dry, a few showers west. Fresh to strong south to southwest winds. Freezing level around 1000m.
Sat 13 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain or showers and strong south to southwest winds. Freezing level above summits.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Includes the northern and western Cairngorms National Park, Monadhliath, Ben Alder, Creag Meagaidh, Loch Ericht and Loch Rannoch.
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service