Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
The entire Yorkshire Dales National Park and North Pennines AONB, including the Three Peaks and Cross Fell, plus Howgills, also south to Forest of Bowland.
Wednesday'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.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
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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.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Wednesday 31st December 2025
Last updated
Tue 30th Dec 25 at
4:28PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Much terrain frozen, frost into valleys and glens in the morning, all day out of sunlight, but temperature and freezing level tending to lift toward 800m from west. Showery rain and hill snow moving into W-NW Scotland. Wind strengthening, becoming gales over tops in Scotland during day, then N England after dark.
Headline for Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Strengthening wind. Cloud moving in, largely dry day.
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly backing westerly 15 to 25mph, increasing to 25 to 35mph through the day, 40mph onto tops into evening and night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Be prepared for increasingly blustery conditions with considerable wind chill and buffeting.
How Wet?
Precipitation unlikely until late
Most likely all daylight dry. After dark, some showers or snow flurries on higher slopes, more persistent toward and beyond midnight.
Cloud on the hills?
Clear start, low cloud later from west
Fells starting clear, but increasingly low cloud will move in from the west to cover upper slopes or tops towards and into the afternoon, mostly above 700-800m. Eastern Dales hills stay clear.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%, lowering to 50% by dusk.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bright start with sun through high cloud, but cloud building from west. Visibility mostly very good or excellent.
How Cold? (at 700m)
Around -1C. Feeling closer to -8C in the strongest winds afternoon.
And in the valleys
Widely sub-zero at dawn, hard frost in valleys; lifting to 2 or 3C during afternoon, 4C by evening.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Thursday 1st January 2026
Last updated
Tue 30th Dec 25 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 30 to 40mph, strongest higher North Pennines.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking, frequent buffeting in exposure higher up. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Risk early showers
Possible showers early morning, snow flurries above 500m. Likely to fade to be often dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Soon little if any
Patches grazing higher slopes, mostly early in day, then largely above tops.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of sunshine. Visibility very good.
How Cold? (at 700m)
0 or -1C. Wind chill feeling like -10 to -13C.
And in the valleys
4 or 5C, little change from night into day, but then dropping to freezing onward into evening.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Friday 2nd January 2026
Last updated
Tue 30th Dec 25 at
4:28PM
How windy? (On the summits)
North-northwesterly 25 to 35mph, at times 40mph higher North Pennines.
Effect of the wind on you?
Significant wind chill over the fells. Strenuous walking in exposure on higher terrain.
How Wet?
Precipitation unlikely
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little
Patches clipping high tops occasionally, mainly in north, but mostly clear fells.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-4C. Wind chill feeling like -15C on tops.
And in the valleys
Near or just below 0C from dawn, rising to max 2C, then rapidly dropping below freezing into evening-night.
Planning Outlook
Significantly cold wintry conditions into the start of January. Air temperature well below freezing on high terrain, plus low minima into many glens and valleys with sustained hard frost. Strong northerly winds later this week giving severe wind chill. Frequent and heavy snow showers moving into northern areas and running down coastal extremities with significant accumulations. Elsewhere, lots of dry and sunny weather, although occasional organised bands of snow will feed south at times in the Arctic airflow. Staying cold into next week with scope for snowfalls more widely.