Areas north from Knoydart in the west, and the Great Glen towards the east (NB. Does not include Mull and areas west of Loch Linnhe, these are found in the West Highlands forecast.)
The Northwest Highlands
Tuesday 9th March 2021
Last updated
Monday 8th March 2021 at
3:36 PM
A weak front moves away northeast, with early areas of rain tending to break up and clear. Low cloud may persist around western mountains of Britain. Southerly winds strengthening later ahead of heavy rain setting in by evening into night, soonest in western Scotland.
Early showers. Wind increasing, later severe gales.
Southerly, 20 to 30mph; marked increase later in the afternoon and into the evening to 35 to 50mph; strongest west coast. Reaching 70-80mph from dusk into night.
Will impede walking at times across higher slopes; and increasingly later in the day becoming arduous. Deteriorating further from sunset.
Showers fading; heavy rain into evening.
Scattered showers, although for a time in the morning frequent, and falling as snow above 900-1000m. Then largely dry for a few hours middle of day. Toward dusk, heavy rain (briefly summit snow) setting in onward into night, arriving soonest Skye and nearby west coast by late afternoon.
Extensive higher slopes in the west.
Cloud will cover higher slopes in the west above 800-1000m fairly extensively through the day, in showers shafts down to 600m, most persistent on/near Skye. Further east, cloud only occasionally covering tops.
20% far west, to 40% east & north.
Occasional shafts of sun, mostly in the east. Visibility good or very good at times, but poor in rain.
0 or 1C. By late afternoon, wind chill close to -15C on western summits.
900-1100m.
The Northwest Highlands
Wednesday 10th March 2021
Last updated
Monday 8th March 2021 at
3:36 PM
Southwesterly 35 to 45mph from dawn, easing to 25mph for a few hours before increasing to 35 to 50mph by evening.
Walking at times arduous through the day, but a lull likely for a few hours, then widely difficult conditions later in day.
Frequent snow showers; snow/rain later.
Snow and hail showers; these frequent for a time in the west. These will give way to persistent rain and above 600m snow later in the day. All turning to rain into night, prolonged heavy falls in west.
Extensive higher slopes in the west.
Cloud will shroud higher slopes across western areas extensively through the day. However, cloud mainly confined above 900m across eastern areas.
40%
Mostly cloudy, rare shafts of sun in the east. Visibility often poor due to rain/snow, but at times good in the east.
-1 or -2C; then rising above freezing from dusk.
600-800m, then lifting above summits into evening, but will lower again through night.
The Northwest Highlands
Thursday 11th March 2021
Last updated
Monday 8th March 2021 at
3:36 PM
Westerly 45 to 60mph, may reach 70mph for periods.
Difficult conditions across the mountains through the day, sudden powerful squalls around showers. Severe wind chill.
Frequent hail or snow
Clusters of showers coming in from the west, may merge to constant precipitation for periods, particularly early in the day. Hail, and snow at times below 500m. Chance isolated thunder.
Varied, but often covering tops
Cloud bases changing quickly between showers: often extensive above 800m, but shafts of cloud sometimes below 500m, particularly in west. Fleeting breaks to higher summits mostly inland and east.
30%
Brief bursts of sun away from showers. General slight haze, sometimes very good visibility, but suddenly reduced by showers.
-3C
600 to 800m, varied in and out of precipitation; lowering up to dusk.
Very unsettled through the middle of this week as a series of low pressure systems move to the north of Britain. Persistent gale force winds across the mountains, stormy at times. Heavy rain will make western areas very wet underfoot. Temperatures falling below freezing on higher mountains, particularly by Thursday, resulting in some fresh snow accumulations on tops. Heavy showers will also contain hail and a risk of thunder. Scottish mountains likely to stay sub-zero into the weekend, with some freeze and thaw cycles elsewhere. Into next week, indications favour an improvement from the south as high pressure rebuilds.