Mountain weather
Yorkshire Dales Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for mild, breezy and rather cloudy conditions through the coming days with outbreaks of rain. Lower confidence for the chance to cooler, clearer and drier conditions Sunday.
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.
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.
Mountain weather forecast
Cloudy with outbreaks of rain. Westerly winds easing a little
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 600m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 600m) |
20% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 20% | 20% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
W
31
|
W
29
|
W
27
|
W
27
|
W
26
|
W
25
|
| 300m |
W
17
|
W
16
|
W
17
|
W
17
|
W
17
|
W
16
|
| Valley |
W
13
|
W
10
|
W
15
|
W
14
|
W
12
|
W
10
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m | 40 | 38 | 36 | 37 | 36 | 34 |
| 300m | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 33 |
| Valley | 31 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
4°
|
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
| Valley |
6°
|
6°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
7°
|
| Freezing Level |
900m
|
1,000m
|
1,000m
|
1,100m
|
1,200m
|
1,200m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600m |
-5°
|
-4°
|
-4°
|
-3°
|
-3°
|
-2°
|
| 300m |
0°
|
0°
|
1°
|
1°
|
1°
|
2°
|
| Valley |
2°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
4°
|
4°
|
Additional weather information
Meteorologist's view
Isolated gusts of 40-50mph possible over ridges and summits, especially through the morning. Poor conditions expected at times, with rain or drizzle turning persistent in the west.
Weather
Cloudy for much of the day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, heavy and persistent at times across some western hills. Drier across eastern hills, but still a few outbreaks of rain.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30% in the west 60% in the east.
Low cloud and visibility
Occasional cloud obscuring some hills above 500m. Otherwise visibility will be good when dry, but falling to several kilometres in rain and drizzle.
Recent rainfall
Location: Malham
Altitude: 375m
| Last 24 hours | Last 48 hours | Last 72 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 8.6mm | 9.6mm | 12mm |
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
A mostly cloudy day with occasional, mainly light rain and drizzle. Best of any brighter spells likely across more eastern hills.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
30%
Maximum wind speed expected
Westerly 20-25mph gusting 45mph.
Temperature
- At 600m Plus 3 Celsius rising to Plus 6 Celsius
- Valley Plus 6 Celsius rising to Plus 9 Celsius
- Freezing level Above the summits
Low cloud and visibility
Periods of cloud obscuring hills above 500m, especially in the west with the odd patch down to 400m. Otherwise good visibility falling to several kilometres in rain and drizzle.
Mountain weather information
Fri 3 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mostly cloudy with light rain and drizzle. Best of any brighter spells in the east. Fresh westerly winds. Freezing level above the summits.
Sat 4 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Cloudy with rain and drizzle, becoming more persistent for a time in the evening. Occasionally fresh westerly winds. Freezing level above summits.
Sun 5 Feb
Sunrise:
Sunset:
A dry and bright day with long sunny spells. Mainly light winds. Freezing level falling to 600m for a time.
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.