Mountain weather
Southwest 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 easterly 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 for much of the day with snow showers arriving 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% | <05% | 30% | 40% | 40% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
E
5
|
E
4
|
E
4
|
E
6
|
SE
8
|
E
7
|
SE
8
|
SE
11
|
| 900m |
E
4
|
SE
5
|
E
4
|
SE
7
|
SE
9
|
SE
6
|
SE
7
|
SE
10
|
| 600m |
E
3
|
NE
5
|
NE
4
|
NE
5
|
E
5
|
E
5
|
E
5
|
E
5
|
| 300m |
NE
3
|
NE
3
|
NE
3
|
N
3
|
NE
3
|
NW
2
|
E
3
|
E
3
|
| Glen |
N
2
|
N
2
|
NE
2
|
N
2
|
N
1
|
NW
2
|
NE
2
|
E
2
|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 14 |
| 900m | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
| 600m | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| 300m | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Glen | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-4°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-5°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
| 900m |
-6°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
| 600m |
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
| 300m |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| Glen |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
| Freezing Level |
100m
|
100m
|
100m
|
100m
|
100m
|
200m
|
200m
|
200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-8°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-9°
|
-10°
|
-10°
|
-11°
|
-12°
|
| 900m |
-9°
|
-10°
|
-9°
|
-10°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-9°
|
-10°
|
| 600m |
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
| 300m |
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
| Glen |
-1°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
A very cold day with snow showers later 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. Mostly dry in the afternoon but a few snow showers moving into the west. Snow showers spreading to most parts in the evening. Mostly light winds, breezy on highest hills. Very cold.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
40%, 20% in the evening.
Low cloud and visibility
Occasional low cloud bases of 700-900m through the day with some bright spells. Summits may become cloud free for a time. Low cloud becoming more widespread in evening with bases dropping to lower slopes. 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, strengthening everywhere in the evening.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20%, rising to 60% in the afternoon.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southerly 25-30 gusting 35-45mph.
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 becoming more isolated in the afternoon 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 southerly 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 Ben Nevis, Glen Coe and the rest of Lochaber, Argyll including the Isles, Loch Lomond, Trossachs and Arran
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service