Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Saturday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Heavy snow and hail showers, isolated lightning
Showery precipitation, often heavy, may merge to become constant for periods. A mix of snow and hail often falling to lower slopes. Risk of very localised thunder and lightning.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 11th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Windy with significant chill factor. Gales develop and strengthen with time England & Wales. At first, a band of persistent snowfall across the hills, rain lower slopes, soon moving away eastwards, leaving clearer conditions and scattered showers, but becoming locally heavy with hail and chance of thunder.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Gales ease, but increase again later. Snow and hail showers.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly 50mph at dawn, easing in morning to 30-35mph, briefly less for a time in middle of day. Then strengthening again during afternoon, 40-50mph by later in daytime, 60mph up to dusk.
Effect of the wind on you?
Strenuous walking with significant wind chill on high terrain, briefly improving, later becoming more arduous over the mountains, deteriorating through sunset.
How Wet?
Early snow; then hail and snow showers later
Snow at dawn, rain below 500m, tending to soon break up and clear eastwards. A scattering of hail and snow showers then form into afternoon, locally heavy later with chance of isolated thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Early cloud breaks into banks on high tops
Fairly extensive over the high Cairngorms at dawn, lowest bases to the south, around 700-800m. Beginning to break from the west into passing banks around showers, base lifting to largely above 1000-1100m, clear periods likely in middle of day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%, rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A cloudy dawn, bursts of sun soon breaking from the west, best north. Soon very good visibility early in day, though suddenly poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to 0 or +1C afternoon. Feeling like -10 to -12C in direct wind, colder by evening.
Freezing Level
Variable, around 600-700m in morning, tending to rise toward 900-1000m afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 12th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly, 45 to 60mph, stronger gusts high Cairngorms and in showers. Tending to lessen gradually afternoon-evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Difficult walking conditions, powerful squally gusts could knock you over on exposed terrain. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Increasingly heavy showers, hail, snow
Showers most common toward south and west Cairngorms in morning, but increasingly widespread with time; heavy bursts with hail, snow at times falling toward 600m, risk of isolated thunder.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying over higher tops
Cloud often above 900m, for periods confined to only patches on highest tops with good breaks. Around showers, lowering over higher slopes more widely, patches toward 700m briefly.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Intermittent bright sunshine, sunniest toward north and east in the morning. Visibility changing suddenly from very good to briefly appalling in snow/hail and cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or -1C rising to +1 or 2C. Wind chill feeling like -15C, risk nearer -20C highest summits early in day.
Freezing Level
800-900m from dawn, rising to 1000-1100m, then lowering again from dusk; briefly dropping also in showers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 13th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 10th Apr 26 at
4:30PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southerly, later southeasterly, 20 to 25mph, nearer 30mph higher Cairngorms and more eastern tops for a time.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but more noticeably blustery on some exposed tops, giving considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Hail showers forming widely afternoon
Much of the morning dry, then a scattering of brief showers forming, becoming more widespread with time during afternoon, briefly heavy with hail, also snow may fall to 600m. Risk isolated thunder & lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Often above hills, varied in showers
Patches of cloud forming around some upper slopes in the morning, lifting above many tops. Then occasional banks forming over hills during and after showers.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine most widely in morning, then cloud building, leaving brief bursts of sun. Visibility excellent, but briefly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C rising to +2C. Wind chill feeling like -6C to near -10C at first on tops.
Freezing Level
800m at first, also frost in sheltered glens; rising to 1100-1200m into middle of day and afternoon.
Planning Outlook
Chilly and showery conditions to start the new week, hail and a risk of isolated thunder into Monday afternoon, but less windy than the weekend. Drier for much of Tuesday, but rain and strengthening south-southwesterly winds likely return from the west later. Milder into mid-late next week, but Scottish high tops above 1200m close to freezing at times. Showers or more persistent rain mostly in the west, accompanied by strong winds Wednesday-Thursday. Higher pressure builds toward next weekend, bringing drier conditions overall; some chilly nights but fairly mild spring days.