Mountain weather
Peak District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence for the general synoptic pattern and rain later on Sunday, and also for the trend for the temperature to turn colder towards Christmas with easterly winds drawing in cold air. Lower confidence in cloud details for any particular day.
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.
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
Cloudy with mist and hill fog slowly clearing through the morning/early afternoon, with rain or drizzle moving in later on.
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 600m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 600m) |
60% | 40% | 20% | 50% | 50% | 80% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
E
21
|
E
15
|
E
16
|
E
15
|
E
19
|
E
19
|
| 300m |
E
17
|
E
13
|
E
11
|
E
11
|
E
11
|
E
14
|
| Valley |
E
10
|
E
9
|
E
10
|
E
10
|
E
9
|
E
10
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 27 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 24 |
| 300m | 25 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 22 |
| Valley | 21 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 24 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| 300m |
5°
|
6°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
8°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
6°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,500m
|
1,500m
|
1,400m
|
1,500m
|
1,500m
|
1,700m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
-2°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
| 300m |
1°
|
2°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| Valley |
3°
|
3°
|
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
A murky day with overcast skies and moderate or poor visibility for much of the day. The best of any weather is likely to be in the west. Rain moving in during the afternoon/evening will leave wet conditions underfoot so waterproofs would be advised if going out.
Weather
Spells of light rain or drizzle will affect the Peak District hills overnight and in the early morning, then perhaps a drier spell but staying cloudy. Further spells of rain expected in the evening. The north and western hills will see some shelter and may see the odd brighter spell around lunchtime, hills towards the east will be more exposed and perhaps wetter during the day.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50% in the west and north, 30% in the south and east.
Low cloud and visibility
Broken or overcast cloud with bases 100-200m at first, slowly lifting in many places to 400-500m, with cloud bases increasing and amounts decreasing further north and west. Visibility will be moderate or poor at times in drizzle but will be mainly moderate or good in the north and west of the area.
Recent rainfall
Location: Cat & Fiddle (Midway between Buxton and Macclesfield)
Altitude: 511m
| Last 24 hours | Last 48 hours | Last 72 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1mm | 0.2mm | 10.8mm |
Measurement date:
Rainfall data provided by the Environment Agency. The Met Office is not responsible for content provided by third parties and may remove this data without warning.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Cloudy with rain overnight but dry by dawn, remaining quite cloudy, During the rest of the day it will be mostly dry, perhaps some drizzly patches in the east.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, more low cloud around south and eastern hills.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southeasterly 15 gusts 25mph.
Temperature
- At 600m Plus 5 Celsius.
- Valley Plus 8 Celsius.
- Freezing level Above all summits
Low cloud and visibility
Scattered or broken layers of cloud above 400m for much of the day. Visibility moderate or poor at first but becoming good for most areas.
Mountain weather information
Tue 23 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Turning colder in freshening easterly winds. Quite a cloudy day especially for eastern hills, with some persistent hill fog here, perhaps some brighter spells in the west. Outbreaks of drizzle possible in the east too.
Wed 24 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
A bitterly cold day with fresh easterly winds, some winter sunshine likely for a few hours but doing little for the cold feel, mainly good visibility with cloud above the hill tops.
Thu 25 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Remaining cold and cloudy on Christmas day, likely with easterly winds.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Peak District is home to a wide variety of magnificent hills, moors, outcrops and gritstone edges.