Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Wednesday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Fine, partly cloudy, snow cover on tops
Mostly dry with partly cloudy skies; patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes; tops remain capped with snow.
Chilly
Air temperature near or just above freezing on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Winter kit required on higher mountains
Snow cover over higher mountain terrain. Safe progress around some tops and ridges will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Fine, partly cloudy, snow cover on tops
Mostly dry with partly cloudy skies; patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes; tops remain capped with snow.
Chilly
Air temperature near or just above freezing on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Winter kit required on higher mountains
Snow cover over higher mountain terrain. Safe progress around some tops and ridges will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 4th December 2024
Last updated
Tue 3rd Dec 24 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Southerly winds strengthening, rapidly becoming gales, later stormy. Dry for most places during daylight, varied banks of fog on hills, plus some valleys at first. Patchy rain possible near west coasts, but later afternoon rain setting in quickly, widespread into early evening, some snow on higher Scottish tops.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Increasingly windy, severe gales later. Rain/snow evening.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 15-20mph in morning, but starting to strengthen. Southerly gales arriving quickly in the afternoon, 40mph to later 60mph from dusk, reaching 80mph+ higher mountains during the early evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Negligible early morning. Walking becoming challenging into afternoon, but rapidly difficult later; wind chill significant. Severe conditions soon into evening, powerful gusts to some lower slopes.
How Wet?
Dry until dusk, snow then rain into evening.
A fresh covering of snow over the mountains to some lower elevations from overnight. A dry day, then further snow turning to rain arrives from southwest into the early evening, heavy rain southern Cairngorms later evening.
Cloud on the hills?
Fog patches, patchy cloud
Fog patches in the morning on some upper and lower slopes, and in corries, tending to thin and clear. Banks of cloud drifting upslope in places, mainly south-facing hills as wind increases in afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine weakening as high cloud thickens. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C, locally rising to +2C in north. Southern slopes staying cooler, likely remain at or below freezing until evening. Feeling much colder as wind increases, later wind chill feeling near to -15C.
Freezing Level
Near or just below freezing at most elevations; windward slopes stay near freezing, rising a little downslope to north. Into night, briefly rising above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 5th December 2024
Last updated
Tue 3rd Dec 24 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southwesterly soon accelerating to 40-50mph. Details uncertain - risk may increase further later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking strenuous with balance affected. Risk of more difficult conditions. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain moving in for a few hours
A period of rain in the afternoon moving west to east. Clusters of heavy showers continue later in the day, turning back to snow on high tops by dusk.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive higher areas
Covering higher terrain most of the day, lowest cloud bases toward Ben Alder and Drumochter. Some breaks to upper slopes northern Cairngorms and Monadhliath.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast but with bright patches in the morning deteriorating into thicker clouds. Poor visibility as rain passes, but possibility of brighter and clearer conditions later.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4C in the morning, dropping to 1C later. Wind chill down to -10C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits in the morning, gradually lowering to 1000m by late afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 6th December 2024
Last updated
Tue 3rd Dec 24 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerlies 25-30mph, up to 40mph across mountain tops. May ease in the afternoon. Details uncertain.
Effect of the wind on you?
Starting to affect steady walking, balance affected or difficult on gusty ridges.
How Wet?
Largely dry
No precipitation expected most areas, chance of a brief shower of snow on mountains west of the A9.
Cloud on the hills?
Patches on some tops
Fog lying in some glens in the morning, lingering longer in cold areas. Many mountains often clear, particularly toward Deeside, but a few patches of cloud drifting over higher slopes from the west.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional sunshine and good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1 to 0C in most places. Sun spells may cause local warming of a few degrees. Wind chill feeling near -10C in exposure.
Freezing Level
800m, but some pockets of frost some lower slopes in the morning.
Planning Outlook
Rapidly changing weather conditions over the rest of the week as a sequence of fronts and centres of low pressure move in from the Atlantic. Uncertainties of timing and the extent of precipitation. Generally windy, periods of severe gales over the mountains. Brief thawing and rain to higher tops on Wednesday night, otherwise Scottish mountains below freezing. Risk of a storm system late Friday into early Saturday, particularly England & Wales, but upland snow may extend into southern Scotland. Temperature and freezing level dropping further over the weekend as winds switch northerly again, with snow & hail showers. Quieter weather then likely into next week with frost, fog and some tops above an inversion.