Mountain weather
Northwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High confidence for rain late Wednesday into Thursday then mostly dry until Saturday. Low confidence for detail Sunday when showers possible.
This evening forecast
Overcast with outbreaks of rain becoming heavy at times. Eastern ranges, around Ben Wyvis and the Great Glen area, will stay mostly dry with some clear spells. Gale to severe gale force summit winds.
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.
Strong Sunlight
Harmful UV levels from sunlight increase with altitude giving a greater risk of sunburn and eye damage, even on some overcast days. On breezy days, the cooling effect of wind on exposed skin may disguise any feeling of sunburn until it is too late. If there is snow cover, glare increases the effect of UV rays especially on the eyes. It is advisable to wear sun block, protective clothing such as a long-sleeved top and hat and have good quality eye protection.
Mountain weather forecast
Outbreaks of rain in west clear as sunny spells increase later. Strong summit winds ease steadily through the day.
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
80% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 40% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
SW
34
|
SW
28
|
SW
24
|
SW
23
|
SW
23
|
SW
19
|
SW
16
|
S
18
|
| 900m |
SW
32
|
SW
26
|
SW
23
|
SW
22
|
SW
22
|
SW
18
|
SW
16
|
S
16
|
| 600m |
SW
20
|
SW
16
|
SW
15
|
SW
15
|
SW
16
|
SW
14
|
SW
11
|
S
9
|
| 300m |
SW
6
|
SW
4
|
SW
5
|
SW
7
|
SW
9
|
SW
7
|
SW
5
|
S
2
|
| Glen |
SW
6
|
S
4
|
S
7
|
S
8
|
SW
8
|
SW
9
|
SW
7
|
S
2
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m | 42 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
| 900m | 40 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 20 |
| 600m | 28 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 13 |
| 300m | 24 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 10 |
| Glen | 18 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 8 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
5°
|
| 900m |
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| 600m |
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
8°
|
| 300m |
9°
|
9°
|
9°
|
10°
|
11°
|
12°
|
11°
|
10°
|
| Glen |
11°
|
11°
|
11°
|
12°
|
13°
|
14°
|
13°
|
12°
|
| Freezing Level |
2,600m
|
2,600m
|
2,500m
|
2,600m
|
2,500m
|
2,600m
|
2,200m
|
2,100m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000m |
-2°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
0°
|
| 900m |
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
1°
|
| 600m |
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
| 300m |
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
10°
|
10°
|
9°
|
| Glen |
10°
|
11°
|
10°
|
10°
|
12°
|
12°
|
12°
|
12°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Most summits will remain in cloud through the morning with brighter conditions expected towards Ben Wyvis. Low cloud and rain will reduce visibility, particularly in the west and during the morning.
Weather
Outbreaks of rain in the west, heavy at times over Torridon, Skye and Knoydart, continue overnight when eastern parts remain dry. The rain over western ranges will ease from mid-morning becoming patchy and confined to northern parts of Sutherland and Caithness by mid-afternoon. Dry conditions with increasing sunny spells in the east spread west from the afternoon.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
20% or lower in the west during the morning, otherwise 40%
Low cloud and visibility
Cloud will be extensive 300-500m over western parts of the region during the morning, otherwise broken. The visibility will be poor or very poor in cloud and rain.
Mountain weather information
Weather
A dry day with hazy sunshine and a thin, high layer of cloud.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
95%
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwest 15-20mph gust 30mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 11 Celsius.
- Glen plus 10 Celsius rising to plus 19 Celsius.
- Freezing level Above the summits.
Low cloud and visibility
Cloud will be extensive but thin and mostly well above the summits. The visibility will be good.
Mountain weather information
Sat 11 May
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Dry and warm with sunny periods. Light southerly summit winds.
Sun 12 May
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Warm with sunny spells and a few showers. Moderate southerly summit winds
Mon 13 May
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with bright spells and scattered showers. Moderate southeast summit winds
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Separated from the Grampians by the Great Glen the weather forecast area includes Wester Ross, Assynt, Sutherland, Knoydart, Torridon, Glen Affric and the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye.
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service