Mountain weather
South Grampian and Southeast Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence for wintry showers and for conditions to remain cold through Friday and Saturday. Likely to see a change to milder conditions on Sunday with a mix of rain and snow but confidence in detail and timings here remains low.
This evening forecast
Dry and cloudy this evening. Moderate southeasterly winds. Mist and freezing fog possible. Very 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
Dry start, snow showers later. Very 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) |
<05% | <05% | <05% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100m |
SE
9
|
E
8
|
NE
10
|
E
12
|
E
13
|
E
13
|
SE
17
|
SE
18
|
| 900m |
SE
6
|
E
5
|
NE
6
|
E
8
|
E
7
|
E
7
|
SE
11
|
SE
13
|
| 600m |
S
2
|
SW
2
|
S
2
|
E
3
|
N
3
|
E
3
|
SE
6
|
SE
8
|
| 300m |
SW
2
|
W
1
|
W
3
|
W
2
|
W
2
|
NE
2
|
NE
3
|
E
4
|
| Glen |
SW
2
|
W
3
|
W
2
|
W
2
|
SW
2
|
E
2
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100m | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 24 |
| 900m | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 18 |
| 600m | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 15 |
| 300m | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Glen | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100m |
-4°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
| 900m |
-4°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
| 600m |
-4°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
| 300m |
-6°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| Glen |
-4°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-2°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
0°
|
| Freezing Level |
0m
|
0m
|
0m
|
100m
|
200m
|
300m
|
300m
|
300m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100m |
-10°
|
-10°
|
-10°
|
-11°
|
-10°
|
-11°
|
-13°
|
-13°
|
| 900m |
-7°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-7°
|
-9°
|
-10°
|
| 600m |
-6°
|
-7°
|
-7°
|
-6°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-5°
|
-6°
|
| 300m |
-8°
|
-7°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
| Glen |
-7°
|
-5°
|
-6°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
A very cold day with snow showers so warm and waterproof clothing needed. Ice and deep snow under foot will make for hazardous walking conditions. Poor visibility with snow and low cloud making for tricky navigation and whiteout conditions causing disorientation.
Weather
A dry and cloudy morning with a few bright spells. Snow showers spreading westwards through the afternoon. Moderate winds, breezy on highest hills. Very cold.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20%.
Low cloud and visibility
Low cloud bases of 700-900m through the day with these becoming more widespread in snow showers with bases falling to lower slopes at times. Summits in the morning may briefly become cloud free. Visibility good outside of cloud but very poor in cloud and snow.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Cloudy with a few snow showers clearing in the early hours. Then dry for the rest of the day with some long sunny and clear spells developing. Turning cloudier again through the evening. Fresh southerly winds may be strong on high ground.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20%, rising to 60% in the afternoon.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southerly 20-25mph gusting 30-35mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Minus 5 Celsius.
- Glen 0 Celsius rising to plus 2 Celsius.
- Freezing level Ground frozen at all heights.
Low cloud and visibility
Low cloud with base 600-800m in the morning. Low cloud breaking up in places as clear spells develop before turning cloudier again in the evening. Visibility very poor in morning with low cloud and snow but good outside of cloud in the afternoon.
Mountain weather information
Sun 11 Jan
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Band of rain and snow spreads eastwards as conditions turn milder. Strong to gale force southeasterly winds. Freezing level rising above summits.
Mon 12 Jan
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Outbreaks of rain and snow, milder than previous days. Strong to gale force southwesterly winds. Freezing level 800-1000m.
Tue 13 Jan
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Further outbreaks of rain and snow. Strong to gale force winds easing through the day. 800-1000m
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Including South and East Cairngorms National Park, Aberdeenshire and Angus Hills, Ben Vrackie, Ben Lawers, Loch Tay and Ochils
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service