Mountain weather

Snowdonia

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Snowdonia Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High for rather cloudy with showers and later patchy rain Wednesday and early Thursday, also for cold, generally settled fare later Thursday and thereafter mainly dry and gradually turning milder.

This evening forecast

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mainly dry with clear spells this evening. Freezing level near highest summits. Winds relatively light.

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.
hazard 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 hazards explained

Mountain weather forecast

Rather cloudy with some scattered showers and later patchy rain and summit snow.

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

Weather

Rather cloudy with a few light showers increasing from mid-morning. These will merge into longer spells of patchy light rain during the later evening, this mostly focused across northern hills, and also falling as wet snow across highest summits .

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

70% at first with the quite extensive cloud cover generally above this level, becoming late evening 20% in north and 40% in south as bases thicken and lower from the north to typically 600-800m.

Ground conditions

No recent ground conditions report available.

Visibility

Good lowering moderate or poor in showers and more generally in the later rain, particularly in the north.

Meteorologist's view

The limited afternoon sunny spells may be strong, also some chance of significant wind chill effect across higher summits.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

A rather cloudy morning with showery rain. Turning drier and brighter from afternoon.

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

Initially 10% in west and 30% in east with bases typically 450-600m, becoming from afternoon 75% as the cloud breaks and lifts from the north.

Maximum wind speed expected

West mean 30-35mph, with gusts reaching 50mph across most exposed ridges and summits, easing gradually from late afternoon.

Temperature

  • At 800m Plus 2C lowering minus 3C later
  • Valley Plus 3C rising 9C during the afternoon
  • Freezing level Lowering 450m later

Visibility

Moderate or poor becoming mainly good from the afternoon.

Mountain weather information

Friday 3 April

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Dry, bright start, turning rather cloudy later with a few isolated light showers, wintry above around 600m. Winds quite light.

Saturday 4 April

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mostly dry with quite a lot of higher cloud around. Freezing level lifting above all summits as winds turn to the south.

Sunday 5 April

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Cloud lowering from the west to bring periods of rain later. Freshening southerly winds.

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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