Mountain weather
Southwest Highlands Mountain weather forecast table
Confidence
High for changeable weather pattern for the next few days with some showers interspersed with drier, brighter weather. Windy at times too.
This evening forecast
Any showers at first dying out this evening leaving long clear periods. Turning chilly in the glens. Winds becoming light.
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.
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.
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 light rain in the morning. Becoming drier, brighter during afternoon. Windy and feeling cold on the tops.
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather (at 800m) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chance of precipitation (at 800m) |
<05% | 10% | 20% | 60% | 60% | 20% | 10% | <05% |
Wind direction and speed (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
SE
8
|
SE
18
|
SE
35
|
SE
44
|
S
36
|
SW
38
|
SW
44
|
SW
44
|
| 900m |
SE
7
|
SE
13
|
SE
27
|
SE
30
|
S
24
|
SW
27
|
SW
31
|
SW
31
|
| 600m |
SE
6
|
SE
11
|
SE
18
|
SE
38
|
S
33
|
SW
32
|
SW
38
|
SW
37
|
| 300m |
SE
6
|
SE
8
|
E
15
|
SE
25
|
S
18
|
SW
20
|
SW
20
|
SW
20
|
| Glen |
S
4
|
E
3
|
E
10
|
SE
17
|
S
12
|
SW
15
|
SW
14
|
SW
14
|
Wind gust (mph)
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m | 9 | 22 | 43 | 56 | 45 | 48 | 56 | 57 |
| 900m | 8 | 17 | 35 | 41 | 32 | 36 | 42 | 43 |
| 600m | 7 | 14 | 23 | 49 | 41 | 41 | 49 | 48 |
| 300m | 8 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| Glen | 7 | 7 | 21 | 33 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
3°
|
5°
|
5°
|
4°
|
4°
|
| 900m |
5°
|
5°
|
5°
|
6°
|
8°
|
8°
|
7°
|
6°
|
| 600m |
8°
|
8°
|
9°
|
11°
|
10°
|
11°
|
10°
|
9°
|
| 300m |
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
11°
|
12°
|
13°
|
12°
|
12°
|
| Glen |
11°
|
10°
|
12°
|
13°
|
15°
|
16°
|
14°
|
13°
|
| Freezing Level |
1,600m
|
1,600m
|
2,300m
|
2,800m
|
2,200m
|
2,000m
|
1,900m
|
1,900m
|
Altitude above mean sea level
| Time | 00:00 | 03:00 | 06:00 | 09:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1300m |
0°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
-5°
|
-1°
|
-2°
|
-3°
|
-4°
|
| 900m |
3°
|
1°
|
-1°
|
0°
|
3°
|
4°
|
2°
|
1°
|
| 600m |
7°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
6°
|
6°
|
5°
|
4°
|
| 300m |
9°
|
8°
|
7°
|
7°
|
10°
|
10°
|
9°
|
8°
|
| Glen |
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
10°
|
13°
|
13°
|
12°
|
11°
|
Additional weather information
Met Office Aberdeen meteorologist's view
Note winds strengthening to gale force during afternoon. Combination of strong winds and single figure temperatures on higher ridges/summits will make it feel bitterly cold.
Weather
Cloudy morning with outbreaks of mostly light rain moving northwards across all ranges. Drier, brighter weather will follow from the south during the afternoon with a few showers over Glencoe and Lochaber.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
40% in the morning, improving 80% during afternoon.
Low cloud and visibility
Generally good visibility but poorer visibility in rain with extensive cloud cover above about 700 to 800m. Clouds lifting and breaking up in the afternoon.
Mountain weather information
Weather
Dry, bright start to the day. Clouds building later in morning with some afternoon showers.
Chance of cloud-free hill tops
70%
Maximum wind speed expected
Southwest winds, strong on the tops, average speeds 20 to 30mph with gusts 40mph.
Temperature
- At 800m 9 Celsius.
- Glen 8 Celsius rising to 18 Celsius.
- Freezing level Above the summits.
Low cloud and visibility
Mostly good visibility with occasional cloud cover above about 700 to 800m. Brief interruptions to poorer visibility and more extensive cloud cover as showers pass by.
Mountain weather information
Fri 19 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Sunny spells and blustery showers, most frequent in west of area. Strong west winds, gales on tops. Winds easing later in the day.
Sat 20 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Some sunshine and scattered showers. Fresh northerly winds and feeling cold on the tops.
Sun 21 Sep
Sunrise:
Sunset:
Mainly dry with sunny spells and lighter winds. Feeling cold.
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
For snow and avalanche hazard forecasts please visit Scottish Avalanche Information Service