Mountain weather
Northwest Highlands 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.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Summit gales developing into hurricane force winds, storm force to low levels by evening.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
50% | >95% | 80% | 40% | 70% | 80% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
SE
35
|
E
52
|
E
42
|
SE
56
|
S
90
|
SW
101
|
| 900m |
SE
32
|
E
48
|
E
39
|
SE
48
|
S
60
|
SW
72
|
| 600m |
SE
23
|
E
33
|
E
31
|
SE
32
|
S
41
|
SW
51
|
| 300m |
E
5
|
E
5
|
E
6
|
SE
8
|
S
14
|
SW
16
|
| Glen |
E
15
|
E
23
|
E
22
|
SE
19
|
S
23
|
SW
32
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m | 40 | 60 | 50 | 83 | 104 | 125 |
| 900m | 38 | 56 | 47 | 58 | 74 | 89 |
| 600m | 28 | 41 | 40 | 42 | 55 | 68 |
| 300m | 23 | 38 | 35 | 44 | 56 | 66 |
| Glen | 22 | 44 | 38 | 42 | 49 | 63 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
3°
|
2°
|
3°
|
6°
|
3°
|
3°
|
| 900m |
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
6°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| 600m |
6°
|
5°
|
6°
|
9°
|
7°
|
6°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
6°
|
8°
|
10°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| Glen |
9°
|
9°
|
10°
|
13°
|
11°
|
10°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,600m
|
2,100m
|
2,900m
|
2,200m
|
1,600m
|
1,600m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-5°
|
-7°
|
-4°
|
-2°
|
-6°
|
-7°
|
| 900m |
-4°
|
-6°
|
-3°
|
-1°
|
-5°
|
-6°
|
| 600m |
1°
|
-2°
|
1°
|
4°
|
0°
|
-2°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
4°
|
6°
|
9°
|
6°
|
4°
|
| Glen |
6°
|
4°
|
7°
|
10°
|
7°
|
6°
|
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 rain spread in from the west through the evening, this rain heavy at times. Summit gales increasing to hurricane force winds in the afternoon, then strengthening further in the evening with storm force winds down to low levels.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
70% first thing in the north, falling to 30% for most of the day.
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. This lifting to around 800-1000m, and breaking somewhat through the afternoon and evening with the best chance of clearer summits towards sheltered Caithness.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Frequent showers feed in from the west, forming more organised or persistent rain at times. Chance of hail and lightning. Feeling cold at height with widespread gales to low levels and storm force or stronger winds at height.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30%.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwest 60-70mph, gusting over 100mph over the highest summits at first, 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.
Mountain weather information
Thu 11 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with outbreaks of mostly light rain. Becoming more persistent and spreading east through evening. Strong southwest winds. Freezing level around 1400m.
Fri 12 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rain - turning to summit snow - clears east early morning. Then dry spells and a few showers. 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
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