Mountain weather
Southwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for Sunday. High for dry and settled weather from Tuesday onwards.
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.
Gales
Gale force winds (gusts over 50mph) make walking difficult and strenuous with a potential to be blown over by gusts. There is often a marked increase in winds through cols or on exposed ridges and summits. Distances can take longer to cover and compass bearings become harder to follow accurately.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Cloudy and windy with rain, drier later
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
70% | 70% | 70% | 40% | 20% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
S
42
|
SW
35
|
S
31
|
SW
38
|
SW
41
|
SW
37
|
| 900m |
S
26
|
SW
23
|
SW
22
|
SW
26
|
SW
26
|
SW
26
|
| 600m |
S
39
|
SW
29
|
SW
25
|
SW
33
|
SW
31
|
SW
31
|
| 300m |
S
20
|
SW
14
|
SW
13
|
SW
14
|
SW
14
|
SW
12
|
| Glen |
SW
13
|
SW
12
|
SW
12
|
SW
10
|
SW
9
|
SW
10
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m | 50 | 43 | 40 | 48 | 51 | 47 |
| 900m | 35 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 34 | 35 |
| 600m | 46 | 37 | 32 | 41 | 39 | 39 |
| 300m | 28 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
| Glen | 26 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
4°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| 900m |
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
| 600m |
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
| 300m |
10°
|
10°
|
11°
|
12°
|
12°
|
11°
|
| Glen |
11°
|
11°
|
12°
|
12°
|
12°
|
12°
|
| Freezing Level |
2,100m
|
2,100m
|
2,200m
|
2,200m
|
2,300m
|
2,300m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-4°
|
-2°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| 900m |
0°
|
1°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
7°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
9°
|
| Glen |
8°
|
9°
|
10°
|
11°
|
11°
|
10°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Higher summit gales will lead to slow progress, drenching conditions and a risk of being blown over
Weather
The morning will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain, although turning somewhat drier for a time around mid-morning. The afternoon will see further rain for a time before drier weather spreads north later in the afternoon and evening.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20%, best chance across Mull and southern Lochaber for a time later in the morning
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in persistent low cloud down to 500 to 800 metres throughout the day. Chance some short lived breaks in the north of the area in the morning.
Mountain weather information
Weather
The morning will be cloudy with some patchy rain. The afternoon will be dry and cloudy, but cloud lifting off the summits from the south during the afternoon and evening.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30%, best chance south of Glasgow in the afternoon
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwesterly 35 mph gusts 50 mph on the higher summits
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 9 Celsius
- Glen Plus 9 rising to 16 Celsius
- Freezing level Above the summits
Low cloud and visibility
Poor in widespread low cloud down to 500 to 800 metres, this likely to clear in the south of the region in the afternoon
Mountain weather information
Tue 29 Apr
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry with variable amounts of cloud.
Wed 30 Apr
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry and settled with some warm sunshine.
Thu 1 May
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Remaining dry and settled.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
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