Mountain weather
Southwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for a cold, windy few days in the hills. Also high confidence for showery conditions with a band of more persistent rain crossing all ranges on Sunday.
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.
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 weather forecast
Bright spells. Blustery showers. Windy and feeling bitterly cold on the tops.
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
40% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 40% | 40% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
SW
40
|
SW
34
|
SW
26
|
SW
30
|
W
26
|
W
26
|
| 900m |
SW
25
|
SW
22
|
W
20
|
SW
21
|
W
20
|
W
18
|
| 600m |
SW
32
|
SW
27
|
SW
24
|
SW
24
|
SW
19
|
SW
19
|
| 300m |
SW
14
|
SW
14
|
SW
13
|
SW
15
|
W
10
|
W
7
|
| Glen |
SW
11
|
SW
11
|
SW
11
|
SW
11
|
W
7
|
SW
5
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m | 48 | 42 | 35 | 39 | 33 | 33 |
| 900m | 33 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 26 |
| 600m | 39 | 35 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 25 |
| 300m | 23 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 12 |
| Glen | 25 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 13 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
| 900m |
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
2°
|
2°
|
| 600m |
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
8°
|
8°
|
8°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
| Glen |
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
-8°
|
-8°
|
-7°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
-8°
|
| 900m |
-3°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
| 600m |
0°
|
0°
|
0°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
0°
|
| 300m |
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| Glen |
7°
|
8°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Very difficult walking conditions over higher ridges and summits due to combination of gales, showers, wintry on highest tops, and temperatures close to freezing.
Weather
A mixture of clear then sunny periods and blustery showers. The showers will be heavy at times with small risk of thunder and some sleet mixed in over the highest peaks.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
50%.
Low cloud and visibility
Good visibility away from showers with occasional cloud, bases around 600 to 700m. Clouds will be extensive at times as showers come along with brief reductions to poor visibility.
Mountain weather information
Weather
A drier and brighter day with fewer and lighter showers. Staying cold and windy on the tops.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
60%.
Maximum wind speed expected
Westerly winds with average speeds of 20 to 30mph on the tops with gusts 40mph.
Temperature
- At 800m Plus 3 Celsius rising to Plus 5 Celsius.
- Glen Plus 6 Celsius rising to 12 Celsius.
- Freezing level 1200m lifting to 1500m.
Low cloud and visibility
Good visibility for much of the day with patches of cloud about 700m, again more extensive for a short time as showers pass by.
Mountain weather information
Sun 9 Oct
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with a band of rain moving eastwards during the day, heavy in the afternoon. Drier, clearer conditions following later in the day. Windy with southerly gales, becoming westerly and easing later.
Mon 10 Oct
Sunrise:
Sunset:
A return to drier, brighter weather with a few showers. A windy day with gale or severe gale force westerly winds on the tops, and feeling bitterly cold.
Tue 11 Oct
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Sunny spells and just a few showers. Southwest winds easing on the tops.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
Loading map…
Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
Including Ben Nevis, Glen Coe and the rest of Lochaber, Argyll including the Isles, Loch Lomond, Trossachs and Arran
The Southwest Highlands weather forecast area is an extensive area of mountains, moorland, islands and sea lochs. The area has a high density of steep and rugged Munros (Scottish mountains over 3000 feet) including the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis (1,344 metres), attracting an estimated 100,000 ascents a year. The 700 metre cliffs of the north face are among the highest in the UK, providing classic scrambles and rock climbs of all difficulties for climbers and mountaineers. Glen Coe is also an iconic area for rock climbing and scrambling and includes the Aonach Eagach, an exposed and narrow ridge which stands 900m above the floor of the glen below.
The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National park was the first of the two national parks in Scotland and includes Ben Lomond which is the most southerly Munro. Running past the foot of Ben Lomond is The West Highland Way which is Scotland's first long distance walking route. It stretches for 96 miles from Milngavie on the edge of Glasgow to Fort William.
The Isle of Arran is in the far south of the area, often referred to as Scotland in miniature, it includes Goat Fell with its fine panoramic views and the Glen Rosa horseshoe with sections of rock scrambling.
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service