Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Today's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Heavy rain
Near-constant heavy rain, sometimes torrential over the mountains, very wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Very murky conditions, the mountains shrouded in fog, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Mild
Air temperature above freezing to highest summits. May feel pleasantly warm on lower ground, but take appropriate layers. Feeling chilly if exposed to wind.
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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Heavy rain
Near-constant heavy rain, sometimes torrential over the mountains, very wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Very murky conditions, the mountains shrouded in fog, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Mild
Air temperature above freezing to highest summits. May feel pleasantly warm on lower ground, but take appropriate layers. Feeling chilly if exposed to wind.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 22nd May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Low pressure drifting in from the east will bring scattered thundery bursts of rain, developing into increasingly widespread rain, sustained heavy rain setting in for eastern Scotland and Pennines. Cloud filling in across most hills and winds generally strengthening.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Rain developing, locally thundery; low cloud, wind increasing.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Morning: direction varied, widely less than 10mph. Afternoon onwards: Northerly, gradually strengthening to 30mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Negligible morning, by evening, impeding ease of walking on some higher areas.
How Wet?
Increasingly wet: Small risk thunder.
Morning: Patches of rain here and there, but overall extensively dry. Afternoon onwards: Generally deteriorating as rain, in some areas heavy & possibly thundery, becomes increasingly widespread.
Cloud on the hills?
Increasingly extensive
Considerable variation both through the day and sometimes between adjacent summits. Generally deteriorating as cloud fills in following onset of rain, quite widely cloud forming on lower slopes. However, even in morning, patches of fog from some lower slopes up.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A little sun, mainly morning; overall increasingly dull. Excellent visibility but deteriorating markedly as rain develops.
How Cold? (at 900m)
8C, but feeling closer to freezing on tops as wind strengthens.
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 23rd May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 30 to 45mph, speeds tending to lessen with time.
Effect of the wind on you?
Significant wind chill and difficult walking where exposed on higher areas.
How Wet?
Rain much of the day
A broad swathe of rain may persist most or all day, although with time a tendency for the rain to ease. The Cairngorms and Deeside are likely to be the wettest. Very wet underfoot.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive low cloud
Cloud blanketing the mountains very widely from dawn, in many areas forming on lower slopes. As rain eases, so cloud base will tend to rise slowly, best chance for breaks in the Drumochter area.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Cloudy or dull. Poor visibility widely in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
Around 5C. Wind chill feeling like -5C, colder at times on highest summits.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 24th May 2024
Last updated
Tue 21st May 24 at
4:05PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Variable 10-15mph or less.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small
How Wet?
Local rain or showers
Patchy rain drifting around slowly from dawn into the morning. Local showery bursts forming into the afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Often covering tops
Varied banks of cloud covering the hills in the morning, bases tending to rise during the day, some breaks to upper slopes, but returning as ragged patches around showers.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Sunshine and air clarity?
Glimpses of sun occasionally. Visibility good away from rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4 to 6C
Freezing Level
Above the summits
Planning Outlook
A slow-moving area of low pressure will leave areas of rain and showers later this week, plus varied banks of low cloud across the mountains, feeling cool. Improving at least temporarily into the weekend as pressure rises for a time, becoming warmer, but southerly winds will strengthen ahead of lowering pressure over the Atlantic, likely to move in by early next week to bring changeable conditions, rain at times, most frequent western Scotland.