Mountain weather
North Grampian Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for Sunday. High for changeable weather early next week. Low for a change to settled conditions on Thursday.
This evening forecast
Cloudy and cold with scattered showers, wintry at height. Cloud down to 800 metres, mainly across the north of the region.
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.
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
Cold and cloudy, some wintry showers in the morning
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
30% | 30% | 20% | 30% | 20% | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
N
26
|
N
26
|
N
27
|
NW
27
|
NW
27
|
NW
26
|
NW
24
|
NW
24
|
| 900m |
N
18
|
N
17
|
NW
16
|
NW
19
|
NW
20
|
NW
20
|
NW
18
|
NW
17
|
| 600m |
N
10
|
N
10
|
NW
9
|
NW
14
|
NW
14
|
NW
14
|
NW
13
|
NW
11
|
| 300m |
N
7
|
N
7
|
NW
5
|
NW
10
|
NW
11
|
NW
11
|
NW
10
|
NW
8
|
| Glen |
N
3
|
NW
4
|
NW
3
|
NW
7
|
NW
7
|
NW
7
|
NW
6
|
NW
4
|
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 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 33 | 32 |
| 900m | 24 | 24 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 24 |
| 600m | 15 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
| 300m | 16 | 15 | 12 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 16 |
| Glen | 14 | 16 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 15 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-3°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-2°
|
| 900m |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
2°
|
3°
|
4°
|
3°
|
2°
|
| 600m |
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
4°
|
6°
|
6°
|
6°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
5°
|
4°
|
5°
|
8°
|
9°
|
9°
|
8°
|
6°
|
| Glen |
5°
|
4°
|
4°
|
9°
|
11°
|
11°
|
10°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
800m
|
800m
|
1,100m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,100m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-11°
|
-12°
|
-12°
|
-10°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-8°
|
-9°
|
| 900m |
-6°
|
-6°
|
-6°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
| 600m |
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
0°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
0°
|
| 300m |
2°
|
2°
|
3°
|
5°
|
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
4°
|
| Glen |
3°
|
2°
|
3°
|
6°
|
9°
|
8°
|
7°
|
5°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Note low temperatures and strong winds at height leading to significant wind chill.
Weather
Cloudy for much of the day, some sunshine at first. A few light showers possible in the morning, these wintry on the summits. The afternoon will and early evening will be largely dry before wintry showers return late evening.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
60%, best chance in the afternoon
Low cloud and visibility
Patchy cloud down to 750 metres at times, this most extensive in the morning and again in the evening. Otherwise visibility will be very good with good air clarity.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Cold and cloudy with scattered showers, these slow moving by afternoon. Showers will be wintry on the summits, although sleet and snow increasingly confined to the very highest tops by early afternoon.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%, no particular area favoured at the moment for lengthy cloud breaks
Maximum wind speed expected
Variable in direction through the day at 15 mph
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 3 Celsius
- Glen Plus 3 rising 13 Celsius
- Freezing level 1000 metres at first, rising to 1500 metres by afternoon
Low cloud and visibility
Areas of cloud down to 750 metres throughout the day
Mountain weather information
Tue 31 May
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Another cloudy and cold day with scattered showers. Light winds.
Wed 1 Jun
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Little change, often cloudy with scattered showers. Light winds.
Thu 2 Jun
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Becoming dry and settled, but low confidence in this aspect of the forecast.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Includes the northern and western Cairngorms National Park, Monadhliath, Ben Alder, Creag Meagaidh, Loch Ericht and Loch Rannoch.
The North Grampian mountain weather forecast area includes much of the Cairngorms National Park which boasts five of the UK's six highest mountains and includes the largest areas of land in the UK above 2000 and 3000 feet. The Cairngorm Plateau is well-known for its extreme and very changeable weather (the strongest gust ever recorded in the UK was 173mph on Cairngorm Summit on 20th March 1986). Despite the challenging conditions, there is a diverse range of wildlife in the area including golden eagles, snow bunting and ptarmigan.
Creag Meagaidh, to the north of Glen Spean, is where the east Highlands meet the west Highlands and is often exposed to bad weather from either direction. It is a popular area for ice climbing thanks to its vast plateau which includes five Munros (Scottish mountains over 3000 feet).
Ben Alder lies just to the west of Loch Ericht and is one of the remotest of the Munros. Approaches are long from all directions with options including a long walk or cycle from Dalwhinnie to the northeast or by taking a train to the very remote Corrour Station and walking in from the southwest.
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service