Mountain weather
Northwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for rain and snow on Saturday, most persistent in west, dying out on Sunday morning, followed a mainly dry few days with some sunshine.
This evening forecast
Cloudy this evening with outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow above 700m extending northwards. Fresh easterly winds and feeling bitterly cold.
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
Rain with sleet and snow on the tops, most persistent in west. Feeling bitterly 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) |
80% | 80% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 30% | 30% |
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 |
E
32
|
E
31
|
E
32
|
E
32
|
E
29
|
E
24
|
E
24
|
E
23
|
| 900m |
E
30
|
E
29
|
E
30
|
E
31
|
E
29
|
E
24
|
E
24
|
E
23
|
| 600m |
E
21
|
E
20
|
E
20
|
E
22
|
E
21
|
E
17
|
E
17
|
E
16
|
| 300m |
E
9
|
E
9
|
E
9
|
E
10
|
E
11
|
E
9
|
E
8
|
E
7
|
| Glen |
E
17
|
E
15
|
E
17
|
E
17
|
E
18
|
E
15
|
E
14
|
E
12
|
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 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 40 | 38 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
| 900m | 38 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 38 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
| 600m | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| 300m | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 19 |
| Glen | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 21 |
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°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
| 900m |
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
2°
|
| 300m |
5°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| Glen |
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
800m
|
800m
|
800m
|
900m
|
1,000m
|
1,000m
|
1,000m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-9°
|
-10°
|
-10°
|
-9°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
| 900m |
-8°
|
-8°
|
-9°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-6°
|
-7°
|
-7°
|
| 600m |
-4°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
| 300m |
2°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| Glen |
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
4°
|
5°
|
4°
|
4°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Feeling bitterly cold, especially over higher ridges and summits due to combination of fresh winds and temperatures close to freezing.
Weather
Cloudy with outbreaks of rain falling as sleet or snow above about 700m. Precipitation will be most persistent over western areas, over the mountains of Knoydart, Skye and Torridon. More northern and eastern hills will become mostly dry.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30% improving 60% in afternoon, best in east.
Low cloud and visibility
Poor visibility in rain, snow and also in clouds which will be fairly extensive above 700 to 800m. Good visibility beneath the clouds in east and over north Highlands.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Rather cloudy morning with still some rain, especially mountains near to West Coast with snow on the tops, gradually dying out. Otherwise mostly dry with some bright spells developing in the afternoon.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
40% improving 70% in afternoon.
Maximum wind speed expected
Light southeasterly breeze, average speeds of 10 to 15mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 4 Celsius.
- Glen 4 Celsius rising to 11 Celsius.
- Freezing level 1200m.
Low cloud and visibility
Poor visibility in west of area during morning in rain and snow, otherwise good visibility with extensive cloud cover above about 700 to 800m, lifting and breaking up in afternoon.
Mountain weather information
Mon 21 Apr
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry with some sunshine. Fresh southeasterly winds.
Tue 22 Apr
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mostly dry with sunny spells and just a few light showers. Light easterly winds.
Wed 23 Apr
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Staying mainly dry with sunny spells. A few showers breaking out in the afternoon. Freshening southeasterly winds on the tops.
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