Mountain weather

Snowdonia

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Snowdonia Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High for change to unsettled and colder conditions from midweek.

Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mountain hazards

Mountain weather hazards

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

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.

hazard Heavy persistent rain
Heavy and persistent rain can lead to drenched clothing and footwear with waterproofs often becoming soaked through, especially if accompanied by strong winds. This can lead to significant loss of body heat and an increased likelihood of hypothermia. Terrain may turn increasingly boggy underfoot while streams can flood and become impassable. There may also be a risk of flooding in valleys or glens. If there is snow cover, a heightened avalanche hazard is possible and avalanche reports should be consulted where available.
Mountain hazards explained

Mountain weather forecast

Early mist and fog patches clearing to leave a bright start, but cloudier with some showery rain later in the day.

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

Meteorologist's view

Feeling cold in the wind across the summits.

Weather

Early mist, fog and low cloud will be slow to clear during the morning. It will generally stay cloudy with some outbreaks of rain during the afternoon, which could become heavy at times, especially during the evening period. Winds will be increasing from the southwest, especially across the summits, with gusts up to 35-40mph.

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

10% chance throughout the day, with cloud bases generally down to 300-400m, especially during the morning and evening.

Visibility

Generally poor or locally very poor in fog and rain through much of the day, with nearby hills often obscured.

Ground conditions

Please see - https://www.eryri.llyw.cymru/visiting/walking/ground-conditions

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

A band of cloud and rain, locally heavy, will slowly move southeastwards overnight. The cloud and rain should clear to the east first thing, with drier, brighter and colder conditions following on behind into the afternoon and evening, with perhaps the odd shower. Feeling much colder than of late, especially in the wind across the summits, with the added wind chill.

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

0% chance during the morning, with cloud bases down to 400-500m in rain. Lifting to above the summits from midday.

Maximum wind speed expected

Southwesterly 15-20mph, gusting 25-30mph at first, becoming north to northwesterly at 10-15mph, with occasional gusts up to 20mph.

Temperature

  • At 800m Plus 07 Celsius, becoming Plus 02 Celsius.
  • Valley Plus 12 Celsius, becoming Plus 07 Celsius
  • Freezing level Above the summits.

Visibility

Poor in low cloud and rain first thing, improving to become good for the afternoon, with distant hills clearly visible.

Mountain weather information

Thursday 24 September

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Unsettled, with a mixture of sunshine and blustery showers. The showers merging to give some longer spells of rain at times. Windy, with the low risk of gales, especially on the summits.

Friday 25 September

Sunrise:
Sunset:

A chilly start, but it should be largely dry with sunny spells. A strong northerly wind will make it will rather cold, especially on the summits, with added wind chill.

Saturday 26 September

Sunrise:
Sunset:

A cold and frosty start in places, but generally dry with sunny spells. Perhaps clouding over from the west later in the day. Lighter winds, but still feeling cold.

Updated at:
Mountain weather explained

The Snowdonia mountains are made up of 90 mountain peaks including the tallest mountain in Wales, Snowdon, standing at 1,085 metres.

The region can be divided into four areas with the northernmost area the most popular, including peaks such as Moel Hebog, Mynydd Mawr and the Nantlle Ridge. Many hikers tend to concentrate on Snowdon itself regarding it as a fine mountain. However it can become quite crowded, with the peak welcoming around half a million visitors every year, of which four fifths scale the peak on foot, while the remainder choose to take the train instead.

One of Snowdon’s main attractions is the sheer number and variety of paths that reach the peak. This means that everyone from mountaineering novices to climbing experts should find a way up the mountain that will suit their abilities or provide them with a sufficient test. The easiest is the Llanberis path which, being the longest, has the most shallow ascent. In contrast, the Watkin Path is widely seen as being the most demanding ascent, despite also being considered the prettiest.

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