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
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.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
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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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.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
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 18th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold with widespread gales in exposure; powerful gusts and severe wind chill. North and west Scotland often dry and free of cloud; an increasing risk of snow south with time, possibly east as well. English hills largely dry, hill cloud mostly isolated to high Pennines. Cloudier Wales with snow arriving from the south.
Headline for Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Gales, powerful gusts, severe chill factor; dry, some hill cloud
How windy? (On the summits)
Southeasterly 35-45mph. Notable gustiness over highest terrain, may be quite powerful near the Three Peaks and downslopes towards the Vale of Eden.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking arduous with severe wind chill. Stability will be constantly challenged; strongest gusts requiring crouching.
How Wet?
Precipitation unlikely
Cloud on the hills?
Increasingly over high terrain later
The fells mostly clear in the morning, a few odd caps over high summits, then an increasing chance through afternoon of banks lingering on high terrain
Chance of cloud free summits?
90%, lowering to 60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often sunny but weakened by high cloud, occasional hill cloud shrouding the sun as well. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-3C from dawn, many slopes rising a degree. Feeling like -15C in direct wind.
And in the valleys
Widely frozen from dawn, -1 or -2C. Rising to around 0 or +1C, always coolest in the north. Valleys near Three Peaks may rise to 2C.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Thursday 19th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the summits)
East-southeasterly 30-40mph, gusty over high tops but an easing trend with time, low speeds possible, but detail uncertain.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous-to-arduous walking with wind chill and balance challenges in gusts, but effects easing with time.
How Wet?
Precipitation unlikely
Small chance of some patchy snow in the southern Yorkshire Dales in the morning, this risk soon abating for dry fells.
Cloud on the hills?
Little cloud expected
A chance of a few fleeting cloud caps over the high fell tops, the greatest chance in the south, but many fells free of cloud most or all day.
Chance of cloud free summits?
90%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A mix of high cloud and sun early, trending towards sunnier conditions but always some high cloud around. Good visibility, some haze.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-1 or -2C. Feeling like -12C in direct wind.
And in the valleys
-1 or 0C from dawn, lifting a few degrees, chance up to 3C, or perhaps milder western Three Peaks valleys.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Friday 20th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the summits)
South-southwesterly 30-35mph, trending towards higher speeds, gusty 45mph at least, shifting SW'ly.
Effect of the wind on you?
Conditions become challenging with significant wind chill; maintaining stability requires constant effort in exposure.
How Wet?
Rain on and off
Early patchy rain with snow on higher terrain. Rain then comes and goes through the day as more organized bands, brief heavy bursts. May stay damp near high Three Peaks during rain breaks.
Cloud on the hills?
Variable but fairly extensive on high terrain
Cloud likely shrouds fell summits most of the day, filling in more extensively to middle or low slopes during rain, but also with higher breaks during cessation in rain, highest bases in the east.
Chance of cloud free summits?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly cloudy but some bright/sunny breaks will come and go, best east. Variable visibility, good out of cloud and rain but also hazy.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-1 to +1C from dawn, rising to 4 or 5C; always coolest in the N Pennines. Feeling like -5 to -8C in direct wind.
And in the valleys
0 or +1C from dawn, rising to 6C.
Planning Outlook
Much terrain in England and Scotland remains frozen as the weekend approaches. However, freezing level will be less well defined on western slopes as stable downslope flow may warm and thaw frozen ground up to middle elevations, particularly in Wales and England. Friday into the weekend sees a switch to southwesterly winds, bringing milder conditions - lifting above freezing to tops in England and Wales, and generally higher freezing levels in Scotland; periods of thawing to Munro summits will occur but also further snowfall on higher terrain during the day-to-day variability of precipitation and freezing levels. Often cloudy with periods of rain further south, most often affecting western and southern hills where cloud will be lowest and at times drizzly in the south. Often windy with upland gales.