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West Highland: latest pressure

Tuesday, 7 February 2012: dawn to dusk

Printable view Forecast issued: 0244 on Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Overview for Tuesday

All climbing areas across Scotland will stay dry. Cold and bright over eastern ranges but turning cloudier over West Highlands with strengthening winds across the tops.

Hazards	Risk	Explanation
Blizzards	No Risk
Heavy snow	No Risk
Storm force winds	No Risk
Gales	High	Gales developing over Lochaber and Northwest Highlands.
Severe chill effect	High	Due to the strengthening winds.
Persistent and extensive hill fog	No Risk
Thunderstorms	No Risk
Heavy persistent rain	No Risk
Strong Sunlight	Medium	Glare from the snowfields.

key to hazards and forecast content

Weather summary and probability of precipitation for Tuesday
Dawn to 0900	0900 to 1200	1200 to 1500	1500 to dusk
Sunny intervals	Sunny intervals	Sunny intervals	Sunny intervals
0%	0%	0%	0%

Detailed mountain weather forecast: West Highlands

Tuesday
Wednesday
Outlook
Useful Links

Tuesday

Weather

All parts of the West Highland area will have a dry day. It will be a cold and frosty start with some patches of freezing fog in the glens. A few patches could well linger all day. Otherwise bright with some sunshine but it will become cloudy over hills near the West Coast such as Skye, Torridon and Knoydart. The ground will be mostly frozen resulting in firm underfoot conditions. There will be a strengthening wind over higher ridges and summits making it feel much colder.

Visibility

Some patches of very poor visibility at low levels otherwise mostly good with many of the snow covered hills in the near distance clearly visible but a haze will obscure the more distant hills.

Hill fog

Apart from some fog patches at low levels slowly dispersing, there will be occasional fog above about 700M, becoming more extensive over hills near the West Coast in the afternoon.

Maximum winds above 600m

Southerly winds with average speeds of 15mph at first, increasing 30mph by the afternoon and 40 across the Northwest Highlands. This will result in considerable buffeting and severe wind-chill.

Temperature

Glens	Minus 3 Celsius rising briefly to plus 4 Celsius.
900 m	Plus 1 Celsius over the Northwest Highlands but minus 2 Celsius across the Trossachs.
Freezing level	1000M over the Northwest Highlands but 700m over the Trossachs.

Wednesday

Weather

It will be a dry morning in most places. Light sleet and snow will edge into the Northwest Highlands during the morning with rain below about 600M. There will be light sleet and snow to lower levels as it edges eastwards to many places during the afternoon. It will be a very windy day with storm force southerly winds over higher ridges and summits. And certainly a much colder day with severe wind chill. Very treacherous on higher ridges and summits due to the extreme buffeting of the wind and the icy conditions underfoot.

Visibility

Generally good however the very strong winds will whip up the lying snow and cause some very poor visibility over higher parts leading to navigational difficulties. The visibility will become poor as the rain and sleet edges in during the morning, and very poor as it turns to snow away from West Coast.

Hill fog

Occasional fog above about 600M becoming extensive above 400 to 500M in the Northwest during the morning and elsewhere during afternoon.

Maximum winds above 600m

Southerly winds with average speeds of 50 to 60mph and gusts 80mph. This will mean a risk of being blown over.

Temperature

Glens	Minus 2 Celsius rising to plus 4 Celsius.
900 m	Plus 1 Celsius in the Northwest but minus 2 Celsius over the Trossachs.
Freezing level	1100M over the Northwest but 800M across the Trossachs.

Outlook

Thursday

A cloudier day with the chance of a few light snow flurries over the tops, dying out during the day. Staying cold although winds will be much lighter.

Friday

Mainly dry and bright. Odd very light snow flurry possible on the tops. Freezing level about 500M with strengthening winds making it feel bitterly cold.