A drystone wall leading up a hill in the Yorkshire Dales.
Mountain weather

Yorkshire Dales Mountain weather forecast table

Confidence

High for fresher showery weather on Tuesday, but medium for the details from Wednesday onwards due to uncertainly with the position of a front further north.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

This evening forecast

Cloudy with some mainly light rain, turning more showery later.

Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mountain hazards

Mountain weather hazards

Hazards apply at or above 300m, reflecting the more severe conditions which can occur at altitude.

hazard 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.
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 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.
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 weather forecast

Bright with sunny intervals and showers, dying out later.

00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
Weather
(at 600m)
Cloudy Light shower (night) Heavy shower (night) Heavy shower (day) Light shower (day) Heavy shower (day) Light shower (day) Partly cloudy (night)
Chance of precipitation
(at 600m)
20% 30% 40% 30% 30% 30% 30% 20%

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
7
W
12
W
16
W
20
W
23
W
23
W
21
W
16
300m W
4
W
7
W
9
W
13
W
16
W
17
W
13
W
10
Valley W
2
W
3
W
5
W
12
W
15
W
15
W
11
W
7
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 11 18 25 29 34 34 31 25
300m 10 18 21 26 32 33 28 24
Valley 7 9 17 25 30 31 25 20

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
600m
300m
10°
10°
10°
12°
12°
10°
10°
Valley
11°
11°
10°
12°
13°
13°
12°
11°
Freezing Level
1,700m
1,700m
1,700m
1,500m
1,800m
1,700m
1,700m
1,700m

Altitude above mean sea level
00:00 03:00 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00
600m
300m
Valley
10°
10°
10°
10°
10°
10°
10°

Additional weather information

Meteorologist's view

Fresher than of late and feeling chilly over the summits in the showers.

Weather

Some clear intervals and showers overnight. A bright day will follow with sunny intervals and scattered showers, these becoming lighter and more isolated during the evening.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

30%, slowly improving to 60% through the day.

Low cloud and visibility

Broken cloud base 400-600 metres overnight, becoming more scattered with bases lifting 600-800 metres through the day. Visibilities good or very good, but falling moderate or poor at times in the showers.

Recent rainfall

Location: Malham
Altitude: 375m
Last 24 hoursLast 48 hoursLast 72 hours
0mm15.4mm16.2mm
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.

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mountain weather information

Weather

Some clear spells with a few showers overnight, then bright through the day with sunny intervals and just the odd light shower.

Chance of cloud-free hill tops

50%

Maximum wind speed expected

West or southwest 30 gust 40-45 mph

Temperature

  • At 600m Plus 9 Celsius.
  • Valley Plus 6 Celsius rising to 16 Celsius.
  • Freezing level Above summits.

Low cloud and visibility

Scattered to broken cloud base 500-700 metres. Visibilities good or very good, but moderate at times in the showers.

Mountain weather information

Thu 5 Oct

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Some brighter spells, but generally a good deal of cloud with rain at times, perhaps turning heavier later Fresh SW winds over the summits

Fri 6 Oct

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Rather cloudy with some rain or drizzle at times. Strong to gale force SW winds over the summits.

Sat 7 Oct

Sunrise:
Sunset:

Mainly dry with clouds breaking to give some sunshine. Fresh or strong South to SW winds over the summits.

Updated at:

Summit specific forecast

Mountain summit forecast map

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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.