Mountain weather

Southwest Highlands

Southwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

Generally high for Tuesday and Wednesday, but low for chance of rain and snow reaching south of the area early Wednesday. High for strong winds on Thursday, but low for timing of rain clearing. High confidence for a change to colder showery conditions Friday and Saturday, but low for details.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

This evening forecast

Southerly severe gales across the summits with heavy rain and extensive low cloud. Rain easing at the start of the night. Freezing level well above the summits.

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.

Mountain weather forecast

Early morning rain clearing to drier brighter conditions. A cold wind chill.

00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
Weather
(at 800m)
Light rain Light rain Heavy rain Light rain Sunny intervals Sunny intervals Cloudy Cloudy
Chance of precipitation
(at 800m)
80% 80% 90% 40% 20% 10% 10% 10%

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
1300m S
45
SW
42
SW
32
W
29
W
23
W
18
W
11
NW
6
900m S
31
SW
31
SW
24
W
21
W
20
W
16
W
9
NW
4
600m S
41
SW
37
SW
26
W
22
W
19
W
15
W
8
W
3
300m S
23
SW
22
SW
14
W
12
W
13
W
11
W
5
SW
2
Glen S
15
SW
18
SW
12
W
13
W
12
W
10
W
5
NW
3
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m 58 55 42 38 32 26 15 7
900m 42 43 34 30 29 24 13 6
600m 53 49 36 31 27 22 12 5
300m 35 36 23 20 21 18 10 4
Glen 32 36 26 26 23 19 11 5

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m
-1°
-2°
-2°
-3°
-3°
900m
-1°
600m
300m
Glen
10°
10°
Freezing Level
1,700m
1,500m
1,300m
1,000m
800m
700m
700m
600m

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1300m
-6°
-6°
-8°
-9°
-10°
-10°
-8°
-7°
900m
-2°
-2°
-4°
-4°
-5°
-4°
-4°
-3°
600m
-1°
-2°
-2°
-1°
-1°
300m
Glen

Additional weather information

Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view

Improving conditions, but note the lowering freezing levels with remaining snow pack likely to become hard and icy.

Weather

Rain and southerly summit gales in the early hours, turning to snow on the higher munro tops around dawn as winds turn westerly and ease slightly. Rain and summit snow turn to scattered showers through the morning with bright spells developing from the north. A dry bright, cold afternoon. Perhaps a few showers from dusk as cloud thickens, most likely over Lochaber, then a dry but cloudy start to the night.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

Nil becoming 40% through the morning. 80% in the afternoon.

Low cloud and visibility

Very poor visibility in rain and extensive cloud above 400-500m early hours and to start the day. Visibility improving from the north from mid-morning as cloud becomes more broken and lifts to around munro level, then above the summits by midday. Occasional cloud down to 700m in the evening, mainly across Lochaber.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

Cloudy through the early hours and to start the day, mainly dry, but a chance of some rain, snow above 700m, across Arran and perhaps southern Argyll and the Trossachs. Then a dry bright day with sunny spells. High cloud increases in the evening with southwest winds increasing.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

70% early morning, becoming 90% or more.

Maximum wind speed expected

North becoming West 5 to 10 mph. Becoming southwest 20 gusting 30 mph late evening.

Temperature

  • At 800m Plus 1 Celsius, rising to 3 Celsius.
  • Glen Plus 4 Celsius, rising to 9 Celsius.
  • Freezing level Around 800m, perhaps rising to 1000m.

Low cloud and visibility

Very good visibility, a chance of some patchy cloud above 400-600m around dawn, mainly over Arran and Argyll. Otherwise summits likely to be cloud free.

Mountain weather information

Thu 21 Mar

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Cloudy with southwesterly severe gales and heavy rain, clearing to blustery showers later in the day. Freezing level 1000m, quickly rising well above the summits. Falling to 1000m again evening.

Fri 22 Mar

Sunrise:
Sunset:

West or northwest gales with frequent showers, falling as snow to increasingly lower levels, and giving a risk of thunder. Showers becoming heavier later in the day. Freezing level 800m falling to 600m.

Sat 23 Mar

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Cold, with strong north or northwest winds. Heavy wintry showers at first, most likely turning dry with winds easing later.

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