Mountain weather
Northwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for most aspects throughout the forecast period with the main uncertainty cloud amounts, especially in the outlook period.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Low cloud in the northwest. Dry with sunny spells elsewhere. Light winds.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
<05% | 10% | 10% | <05% | <05% | <05% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
NW
5
|
SW
4
|
S
6
|
SW
5
|
SW
4
|
E
8
|
| 900m |
NW
6
|
SW
4
|
S
6
|
SW
4
|
SW
3
|
E
8
|
| 600m |
W
4
|
S
4
|
S
6
|
SW
4
|
S
3
|
E
4
|
| 300m |
NW
2
|
NW
1
|
SW
2
|
SW
3
|
SW
2
|
E
3
|
| Glen |
N
2
|
N
1
|
N
1
|
N
2
|
NE
2
|
E
2
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| 900m | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 600m | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 300m | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
| Glen | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| 900m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
| 600m |
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
4°
|
3°
|
3°
|
| Glen |
6°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,800m
|
1,700m
|
1,600m
|
1,400m
|
1,300m
|
1,300m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-1°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
| 900m |
0°
|
1°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-3°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
0°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
3°
|
4°
|
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| Glen |
5°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
3°
|
3°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Best conditions in the south of the area. Cloud may clear the hills of Skye in the afternoon.
Weather
Dry with many hills seeing good sunny then clear spells. However, low cloud is likely to be persistent across the hills of Sutherland, and perhaps Skye.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20% in the northwest, 70% elsewhere
Low cloud and visibility
Frequent or persistent cloud down to 400m, occasionally lower slopes, across Sutherland giving very poor visibility. Elsewhere, some patchy cloud above 800m, but generally good visibility.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Dry with some patchy cloud and lengthy clear spells through the early hours. Christmas day then dry with lengthy spells of sunshine, perhaps some patchy fog in the glens in the morning and late evening. Dry with clear spells overnight.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
80%
Maximum wind speed expected
East or southeast 10-15 mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 2 Celsius, but note munro tops may be plus 5 Celsius.
- Glen Minus 1 Celsius rising to plus 4 Celsius.
- Freezing level Initially 1200m, but dropping to 500-600m, although summits may remain above freezing.
Low cloud and visibility
Generally very good or excellent visibility with hills mainly cloud free. Some patchy cloud may affect lower slopes at times.
Mountain weather information
Fri 26 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry and largely sunny. Some patchy fog or low cloud is possible in the glens. Mainly light winds. Freezing level around 800m, although the summits above freezing.
Sat 27 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Patchy cloud spreading south, mainly affecting eastern hills, good sunny spells near the west coast. Fresh east or northeast winds. Freezing level around 1000-1200m, dropping to 600m in the evening.
Sun 28 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry with patchy low cloud, most persistent in the east, although the summits likely to be above the cloud. Light winds. Freezing level around 600m.
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