Mountain weather

Southwest Highlands

Southwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High confidence in often unsettled weather, but low confidence in details from Monday onwards.

Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mountain hazards

Mountain weather hazards

Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.

hazard 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.
hazard 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.

hazard Blizzards
Blizzards and whiteouts present challenging and serious conditions due to a combination of falling or blowing snow, strong winds and cold temperatures. They can be highly disorientating, often resulting in near-zero visibility with limited or no visual references and no distinction between ground and sky. Cliff edges and cornices may not be apparent, even close up. These conditions require very good navigational skills.

Mountain weather forecast

Cloudy. Rain, summit snow in morning. Drier around midday. More rain later. Cold.

Time 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
Weather
(at 800m)
Fog Fog Fog Fog Fog Fog
Chance of precipitation
(at 800m)
60% 70% 50% 40% 60% 60%

Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
Time 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m E
21
E
24
E
26
E
22
E
22
E
28
900m E
21
E
21
E
17
E
15
SE
19
E
17
600m NE
20
NE
19
NE
17
E
14
NE
12
NE
13
300m N
8
N
9
NE
10
N
7
N
6
NE
8
Glen NE
6
NE
7
NE
9
NE
8
NE
4
NE
5
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
Time 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m 25 29 32 27 28 33
900m 33 32 27 24 27 26
600m 24 23 22 20 16 18
300m 11 11 14 11 9 11
Glen 18 19 17 16 12 14

Altitude above mean sea level
Time 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m
-4°
-3°
-4°
-3°
-2°
-2°
900m
-2°
-2°
-1°
600m
300m
Glen
Freezing Level
500m
600m
700m
900m
1,000m
1,100m

Altitude above mean sea level
Time 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m
-12°
-12°
-12°
-11°
-10°
-10°
900m
-10°
-9°
-7°
-6°
-6°
-6°
600m
-6°
-5°
-4°
-3°
-2°
-2°
300m
-1°
-1°
Glen

Additional weather information

Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view

Feeling bitterly cold at height so suitable clothing is advised.

Weather

Cloudy throughout the morning with outbreaks of rain and summit snow, the freezing level rising from 500m at first to around 700m by midday, and 1000m by mid-afternoon. Staying driest in the more sheltered northwest, but a chance of rain anywhere across the region.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

20% or less, only reasonable chance in the northwest

Low cloud and visibility

For most of the area cloud will be widespread down to 600m or so with lower patches especially in the Trossachs and visibilities poor in hill fog, snow and then rain. Cloud a bit more broken at around 600-800m over the more sheltered northwest with occasional windows of clear summits and good visibilities.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

Cloudy with showery outbreaks of rain spreading north throughout the day, heavy at times, with snow on the Munro tops.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

30%

Maximum wind speed expected

Southeast veering southerly, gusting up to 30-40mph

Temperature

  • At 800m 0C to plus 2C.
  • Glen Plus 3C rising to plus 8C.
  • Freezing level Around 1200m.

Low cloud and visibility

Quite extensive cloud down to 400-600m and visibilities falling poor in hill fog, and outbreaks of heavy rain. Some temporary breaks between showers allowing clearer spells to develop at times.

Mountain weather information

Mon 9 Feb

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Dry spells and a few showers. Freezing level around 1000m. Light to moderate southeast winds.

Tue 10 Feb

Sunrise:
Sunset:

A gale force southeasterly flow will bring persistent rain and hill snow, some heavy. Snow level 900m falling 600m.

Wed 11 Feb

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Strong to gale easterly winds bringing outbreaks of snow, with rain below 500m, the snow level dropping to 300m later. Blizzards developing.

Updated at:

Summit specific forecast

Mountain summit forecast map

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For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service