Mountain weather
Northwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence in generally unsettled weather, but low confidence in developments from Tuesday onwards. Please note we are aware of an issue affecting forecast wind speeds and gusts for higher-elevation sites (typically above 500m) displayed on the Met Office website and app. The winds shown here in our Mountain Area Forecasts are not affected by this. Our teams are actively working to correct the issue and updates will be deployed as soon as possible.
This evening forecast
Cloudy but dry for many west coast ranges, a few showers over Skye and ranges towards Caithness and eastern Sutherland, these wintry above 800-900m. Southeast winds 30-40mph at times. Feeling cold at height.
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
Cloudy, but mainly dry. A few showers. Cold.
| 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) |
30% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 20% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
SE
26
|
SE
25
|
SE
21
|
SE
17
|
SE
14
|
SE
11
|
SE
11
|
SE
10
|
| 900m |
SE
24
|
SE
23
|
SE
20
|
SE
16
|
SE
13
|
SE
11
|
SE
11
|
SE
10
|
| 600m |
SE
16
|
SE
14
|
SE
13
|
SE
11
|
SE
9
|
SE
7
|
SE
7
|
SE
7
|
| 300m |
E
3
|
E
2
|
E
3
|
E
4
|
SE
4
|
SE
3
|
SE
3
|
E
3
|
| Glen |
E
11
|
E
10
|
E
9
|
E
8
|
SE
5
|
SE
4
|
E
4
|
E
4
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m | 33 | 32 | 28 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| 900m | 31 | 30 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| 600m | 24 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| 300m | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Glen | 20 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
| 900m |
-1°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
| 300m |
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
5°
|
5°
|
3°
|
2°
|
| Glen |
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
8°
|
8°
|
6°
|
5°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-9°
|
-9°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
| 900m |
-8°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-7°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
| 600m |
-4°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
| 300m |
1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
1°
|
3°
|
4°
|
2°
|
1°
|
| Glen |
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Windy conditions in the morning will make for fairly arduous walking on exposed terrain with buffeting of clothing, note the easing winds through the day. Balance may be affected at times. Feeling cold at height so suitable clothing is advised. Still lying snow around at height so keep up to date with the latest avalanche forecast from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS).
Weather
Cloudy but mainly dry through the day, particularly for western coastal ranges where there may be some limited periods of brightness. A few showers around, mainly for Caithness, eastern Sutherland, and southern ranges, these wintry above around 900m. Feeling cold at height.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, best chances in west
Low cloud and visibility
Areas of cloud down to 500-700m especially around Caithness and eastern Sutherland with visibilities falling moderate or poor in hill fog or showers. Cloud more broken around western coastal ranges allowing some temporary clear spells.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Similar conditions to Sunday with often cloudy conditions with a few showers for Caithness, eastern Sutherland, and southern ranges, wintry above 800-900m at first, falling to 600m later. Some drier, brighter interludes around western coastal ranges. Strengthening southeast winds.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, best chances in the near west coast
Maximum wind speed expected
East to southeast increasing to 45-55mph through the day.
Temperature
- At 800m Minus 1C to plus 2C.
- Glen Plus 1C rising to plus 6C.
- Freezing level 900m falling to 500-600m
Low cloud and visibility
Areas of cloud down to 500-700m especially around Caithness and eastern Sutherland with visibilities falling moderate or poor in hill fog or showers. Cloud more broken around western coastal ranges allowing some temporary clear spells.
Mountain weather information
Tue 3 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Keeping a strong to gale southeast flow. Cloudy but mainly dry, a few snow showers in northeast. Freezing level falling to 200m or so.
Wed 4 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Showers or longer spells of snow, mainly in east. Freezing level 400-600m or so. Strong to gale easterly winds.
Thu 5 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Further showers or longer spells of rain or summit snow. Freezing level rising to around 800-1000m. Strong to gale easterly winds.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Separated from the Grampians by the Great Glen the weather forecast area includes Wester Ross, Assynt, Sutherland, Knoydart, Torridon, Glen Affric and the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye.
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service