Mountain weather

North Grampian

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North Grampian Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High for unsettled conditions through the next few days but some uncertainty in rainfall details, especially from Friday.

Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mountain hazards

Mountain weather hazards

Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.

hazard 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.

hazard Storm force winds
Storm force winds (gusts over 70mph) make walking very strenuous with any mobility virtually impossible over exposed ground. Where these conditions occur there is a high risk of being blown over and even standing may be impossible at times with a risk of being blown off one’s feet. Basic tasks such as using a map, eating, putting on extra clothing or communication become extremely difficult away from any shelter.
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 hazards explained

Mountain weather forecast

Very windy with bright spells and a few showers.

Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level

Altitude above mean sea level

Altitude above mean sea level

Additional weather information

Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view

Strong to gale force southwesterly will make for difficult walking conditions. Gusts of 60 to 70mph over the Cairngorm plateau. Feeling cold on the tops despite the mild temperatures.

Weather

Rain will clear south overnight. A mostly dry and bright morning with hazy sunny spells. Turning rather cloudy with a few showers moving in from the west in the afternoon, perhaps briefly heavy. Clear spells in the evening with showers dying out.

Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 800m

20% overnight, becoming 60-80% by dawn.

Visibility

Mainly good but some patchy cloud above about 900m, down to 700m at times in the west, especially in the afternoon.

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Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

Bright or clear intervals and showers, possibly heavy and merging to a longer spell of rain for a time in the southeast. Remaining mild.

Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 800m

60%.

Maximum wind speed expected

South or southwest 15 to 20mph, gusts 30mph.

Temperature

  • At 800m 5C rising to 7C.
  • Glen Plus 8C rising to 12 or 13C.
  • Freezing level Above summits.

Visibility

Occasional cloud cover above 700 or 800m, mainly in the west. Mainly good below the cloud with temporary reductions in showers.

Mountain weather information

Friday 29 October

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Sunset:

Unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain, possibly heavy and thundery. Mainly light winds, perhaps strong later. Remaining mild with freezing level above summits.

Saturday 30 October

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Sunset:

A mixture of bright spells and showers, some heavy with wet snow on the Munro tops. Freezing level just above the highest summits. Fresh southwesterly winds.

Sunday 31 October

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Likely to remain unsettled with further showers, wintry on the highest summits.

Updated at:
Mountain weather explained

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

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