Mountain weather
Snowdonia Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High becoming Medium from Saturday, regarding timing and extent of rain.
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.
Thunderstorms
Lightning is a significant mountain hazard which can result in serious injury or death. Mountain terrain often leaves one highly exposed to lightning strikes. Hail may give unpleasant conditions with torrential rain and localised flash flooding also possible, mainly in Summer months.
Mountain weather forecast
Bright, windy and chilly, with occasional showers.
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
30% | 40% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
NW
41
|
N
29
|
NW
22
|
NW
22
|
NW
27
|
NW
32
|
| 600m |
NW
26
|
N
18
|
N
17
|
NW
19
|
W
15
|
NW
20
|
| 300m |
NW
17
|
N
13
|
NW
13
|
NW
15
|
NW
9
|
NW
13
|
| Valley |
NW
18
|
N
14
|
NW
13
|
NW
15
|
NW
10
|
NW
14
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m | 48 | 36 | 29 | 28 | 33 | 40 |
| 600m | 33 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 28 |
| 300m | 30 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 26 |
| Valley | 30 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 20 | 27 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
1°
|
2°
|
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| 600m |
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
7°
|
8°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
| Valley |
7°
|
8°
|
10°
|
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
900m
|
900m
|
1,000m
|
1,100m
|
1,100m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 900m |
-8°
|
-5°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
| 600m |
-3°
|
0°
|
1°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| 300m |
1°
|
4°
|
5°
|
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| Valley |
3°
|
5°
|
7°
|
5°
|
6°
|
5°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Feeling cold at height in the strong winds but visibility often excellent with great views.
Weather
Sunny spells and scattered showers, wintry over the summits. Showers easing later in the day to leave a largely dry evening.
Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 800m
90%, but cloud lowering onto the summits in and around showers.
Visibility
Mostly very good or excellent, but moderate or poor in showers. Occasional or extensive cloud mainly above the summits, but lowering onto the summits in and around showers.
Ground conditions
No recent ground conditions report available.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Bright but rather cloudy with a scattering of showers. Feeling chilly over the summits.
Chance of cloud-free mountain/hill tops at 800m
60%
Maximum wind speed expected
West or Northwest 20-25mph gusting 35-40mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 3 to 5 Celsius
- Valley Plus 4 Celsius rising to 12 Celsius
- Freezing level Above the summits.
Visibility
Mostly very good or excellent, but moderate or poor in and around showers and in summit cloud. Occasional or extensive cloud, base around 900m, lowering to 600m in and around showers.
Mountain weather information
Saturday 23 October
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Rather cloudy but mainly dry, perhaps some patchy light rain and drizzle at times. However, rain becoming heavy and persistent in the evening. Strengthening southerly winds, summit gales developing.
Sunday 24 October
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Overnight rain, clearing in the morning. Then bright with occasional showers, the showers possibly heavy with a risk of thunderstorms. Strong to gale force southwest winds at height.
Monday 25 October
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Bright spells and scattered heavy, perhaps thundery showers. Fresh to strong westerly winds at height.
Updated at:
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
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.