Mountain weather
Yorkshire Dales Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for occasionally unsettled, lowering confidence in the detail of worst of the weather.
This evening forecast
Rain, heavy at first. Severe gale northwest summit winds easing gale late evening. Freezing level above summits.
Mountain weather hazards
Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.
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.
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.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Rain for much of the day. Summit winds easing by mid-morning.
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 600m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 600m) |
80% | 40% | 20% | 30% | 80% | 80% | 60% | 80% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
W
28
|
W
27
|
W
19
|
SW
12
|
S
11
|
S
14
|
SW
15
|
S
14
|
| 300m |
W
19
|
W
18
|
W
11
|
SW
6
|
SE
8
|
S
7
|
SW
10
|
S
8
|
| Valley |
W
16
|
W
16
|
W
8
|
S
4
|
SE
7
|
S
8
|
W
5
|
S
9
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 40 | 39 | 28 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 21 |
| 300m | 39 | 37 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 20 |
| Valley | 35 | 34 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 22 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
4°
|
4°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
3°
|
| 300m |
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
8°
|
7°
|
6°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,300m
|
1,300m
|
1,200m
|
1,000m
|
1,000m
|
1,400m
|
1,200m
|
1,300m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
-2°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-2°
|
-1°
|
-1°
|
| 300m |
2°
|
1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
2°
|
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
| Valley |
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Difficult conditions for much of the day with hill fog quite extensive from late morning, coupled with severe wind chill at height.
Weather
Best chance of seeing limited drier and brighter conditions early morning on another wise cloudy day of rain which turns heavy at times, particularly for the afternoon, also perhaps wintry across highest peaks.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
60% early morning, otherwise 10-20%
Low cloud and visibility
Good, becoming moderate or poor in rain, very poor within cloud with bases generally extensive from 500m from mid-morning.
Recent rainfall
Location: Malham
Altitude: 375m
| Last 24 hours | Last 48 hours | Last 72 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 16.6mm | 35mm | 46.2mm |
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
Brighter spells and only a few light showers by day, but chance of some rain for a time early morning also moving into the evening, with some heavier outbreaks developing into the night.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
85% by day
Maximum wind speed expected
Variable 15mph or less
Temperature
- At 600m Plus 3 Celsius
- Valley Zero Celsius increasing 9 Celsius for the afternoon
- Freezing level Above summits
Low cloud and visibility
Generally good, becoming moderate or poor in rain or showers, very poor within cloud infrequently lowering to 600m.
Mountain weather information
Tue 12 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Showers or longer periods of rain and summit snow, heavy at times. Fresh northeast summit winds developing later. Freezing level 800-1000m.
Wed 13 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry with bright spells, but chance of rain early and late in the day. Fresh northerly summit winds easing. Freezing level 600-700m.
Thu 14 Dec
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Early rain clearing to sunshine and showers. Fresh west to southwest summit winds.
Updated at:
Summit specific forecast
Mountain summit forecast map
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Key
Mountain summits
Other points of interest
Cluster of multiple stations
The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers an area of 683 square miles and is a collection of rivers, valleys and hills.
The National Park lies within the county boundaries of historic Yorkshire with much of the landscape consisting of limestone country; lush green valleys known locally as 'dales' crested with white limestone cliffs known as 'scars'. Hidden beneath these hills and peaks is an underground world of caves and potholes with stalactites and stalagmites, cathedral sized chambers, underground rivers and waterfalls.
A gentler outlook awaits visitors in the Yorkshire Dales, compared to the much more imposing ranges of the Lake District. The tallest of the gentle rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales is Whernside, which reaches 736 metres. Known as the 'King of the Dales', Whernside may not be the tallest of mountains on offer in the UK, but still rewards those who make the journey with views that stretch for miles.
Walkers shouldn't be under the illusion that the Yorkshire Dales doesn't offer challenges for ardent mountain walkers. Instead, a 'Three Peaks Challenge', which takes in Whernside, Ingelborough and Pen-y-Ghent, sees walkers cover over 23 miles and almost 1,600 metres of ascent. The record for completing all three currently stands at around two and a half hours.