Mountain weather

Northwest Highlands

Northwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High for dry and settled conditions at first with marked temperature inversions. Medium for cloud details. Medium in general developments from Saturday.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

This evening forecast

Mainly clear and frosty. Freezing fog patches. Cloudy near the coast.

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

Mostly sunny and frosty. Marked temperature inversion.

00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
Weather
(at 800m)
Clear night Clear night Cloudy Sunny intervals Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy Cloudy
Chance of precipitation
(at 800m)
00% 00% 00% 00% 00% 00% 00% 00%

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
10
S
11
SW
13
SW
16
SW
17
SW
18
SW
18
S
20
900m SW
8
S
10
SW
13
SW
15
SW
16
SW
17
SW
17
S
19
600m SW
5
S
6
SW
8
SW
9
SW
9
SW
10
S
10
S
11
300m S
1
S
1
S
2
S
2
S
2
S
4
S
3
S
4
Glen N
2
W
2
SW
2
SW
2
SW
3
S
4
S
4
S
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
1000m 12 13 16 19 21 23 23 26
900m 10 12 16 18 20 22 22 25
600m 7 9 11 13 13 16 15 17
300m 6 7 9 11 12 14 14 16
Glen 3 3 6 7 9 10 10 11

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1000m
-1°
-2°
-2°
-2°
-2°
900m
-1°
-1°
-1°
-2°
-2°
600m
300m
Glen
Freezing Level
1,100m
1,100m
1,100m
1,100m
1,000m
800m
700m
700m

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
1000m
-3°
-4°
-5°
-7°
-8°
-8°
-9°
-9°
900m
-2°
-3°
-5°
-6°
-7°
-8°
-8°
-8°
600m
-1°
-2°
-3°
-4°
-4°
-4°
-4°
-4°
300m
-2°
-2°
-1°
-1°
Glen

Additional weather information

Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view

Caution around temperature-feels like temperature with some glens remaining below freezing throughout, but summit temperatures above freezing due to inversion.

Weather

Dry and mostly clear overnight with a frost and some freezing fog in the glens. Staying dry and mostly sunny by day, although cloud could be extensive over Skye, near the west coast and perhaps across Assynt and the north. However, a marked temperature inversion around 700m will keep the higher summits clear. Remaining frosty in most glens with some freezing fog patches, but the summits mostly above freezing due to the inversion. Little change in the evening.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

90%

Low cloud and visibility

Mainly no significant low cloud, but extensive cloud base 300m possible, mainly around the west coast and over Skye, but capped around 700m due to the temperature inversion. Visibility mainly good or very good, but moderate to very poor in cloud, low level mist and freezing fog.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

Cloudier skies expected with some rain, drizzle and hill fog.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

20%

Maximum wind speed expected

West or Southwest 15 to 20mph.

Temperature

  • At 800m Minus 1 Celsius rising to Plus 3 Celsius
  • Glen Minus 1 Celsius rising to Plus 4 Celsius
  • Freezing level Most levels at first rising above the summits during the day.

Low cloud and visibility

Extensive cloud, base 300 to 600m. Visibility moderate to very poor, but often good or very good low down.

Mountain weather information

Sat 14 Dec

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mainly dry and bright or clear start, although the odd shower possible, any showers wintry above 660m. Rain, drizzle and low cloud later. West or southwest winds gradually strengthening, summit gales later. Freeing level around 700m rising above the summits later in the day.

Sun 15 Dec

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Rain, drizzle and low cloud, the rain heavy and persistent at times. Gale or severe gale west or southwest winds at height.

Mon 16 Dec

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Rain, drizzle and low cloud, the rain heavy and persistent at times. Gale or severe gale west or southwest winds at height.

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