Mountain weather
Peak District Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for the cold, wintry conditions giving way to milder but very windy weather. Low for details over the weekend.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Scattered wintry showers dying out, milder with rain later. Gales over the summits.
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 600m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 600m) |
60% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 70% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
W
31
|
W
32
|
W
30
|
SW
32
|
W
34
|
W
35
|
| 300m |
W
20
|
W
20
|
W
18
|
SW
19
|
SW
21
|
SW
21
|
| Valley |
W
12
|
W
13
|
W
12
|
SW
12
|
SW
13
|
W
13
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 40 | 41 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 46 |
| 300m | 31 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 36 |
| Valley | 30 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 33 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
2°
|
2°
|
4°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
2°
|
3°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
500m
|
600m
|
700m
|
1,000m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
-9°
|
-8°
|
-6°
|
-5°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
| 300m |
-4°
|
-4°
|
-1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
| Valley |
-2°
|
-1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
Additional weather information
Weather
Scattered wintry showers mostly dying out this morning, then dry for a time before a band of more general rain moves east across the area early this evening..
Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 600m
60%, occasional or extensive cloud with bases around 600m, becoming 90% by afternoon as cloud lifts, but decreasing 40% by evening as cloud lowers to 400-600m.
Visibility
Moderate at times in rain and showers, otherwise mostly good or very good low down. Poor at times at height.
Meteorologist's view
Winds likely to be 10mph stronger at times across summits and ridges.
Recent rainfall
Location: Cat & Fiddle (Midway between Buxton and Macclesfield)
Altitude: 511m
| Last 24 hours | Last 48 hours | Last 72 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 4.4mm | 4.6mm | 12mm |
Measurement date:
Rainfall data provided by the Environment Agency. The Met Office is not responsible for content provided by third parties and may remove this data without warning.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Mostly cloudy with some light rain or drizzle during daylight hours. Mainly dry early and late in the day. Gales developing across the summits, perhaps storm force gusts by evening.
Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 600m
40% becoming 80%. Extensive, often overcast cloud with bases 600m or less during daylight hours, becoming near or above the summits by early evening.
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwest 30 gust 40mph, increasing 45 gust 55-60mph by early evening.
Temperature
- At 600m Around plus 5 Celsius
- Valley Plus 5 Celsius rising to 10 Celsius
- Freezing level Above the summits.
Visibility
Moderate or poor in rain and drizzle, otherwise mostly good. Often poor or very poor over the tops during daylight hours.
Mountain weather information
Friday 31 January
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Outbreaks of rain clearing away east in the afternoon. Gale force southwesterly winds over the tops. Freezing level above the summits.
Saturday 1 February
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry into the afternoon with some bright or sunny intervals, but occasional showers later in the day. Strong to gale southwesterly winds over the tops, veering northwesterly and moderating in the evening. Freezing level above the summits.
Sunday 2 February
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Outbreaks of rain spreading east, becoming scattered showers by afternoon. Strengthening south becoming southwesterly winds over the tops. Freezing level above the summits.
Updated at:
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Peak District is home to a wide variety of magnificent hills, moors, outcrops and gritstone edges.
The National Park itself covers an area of 555 square miles with a high point on Kinder Scout of 636 metres. Despite its name, the landscape generally lacks sharp peaks, being characterised by rounded hills and gritstone escarpments.
Despite what its name may suggest, the Peak District is similar in geography to the more gentle Yorkshire Dales. Its highest point is Kinder Scout, although Bleaklow Head (610 metres) and Black Hill (582 metres) offer great alternatives while losing little in terms of total elevation. Black Hill is a point of interest with its covering of peat and lack of vegetation giving the peak its name. However, conservation work has since transformed the peak so that large areas of the bare peat are now covered with native shrubs.
While the Peak District may lack sharp elevations, the whole area covers huge upland stretches, meaning that much of the National Park is on land that's more than 300 metres above sea level.