West Highlands
Western Highlands accessible from, and south of, Glenfinnan (Road to the Isles) and Glen Spean (includes Creag Meagaidh). This area includes Ben Nevis and the mountains around Glencoe. In the east, from Ben Alder south to Loch Lomond and Trossachs NP. Also Arran and Mull.
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.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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.
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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.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
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
West Highlands
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 West Highlands
Gales with powerful gusts; risk snow south with time
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southeasterly 40-45mph from dawn, strengthening, sustained speeds of 55mph near southern coastal areas with powerful gusts over high tops and downslope approaching 60mph+.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous-to-challenging conditions all day, including on lower terrain due to chaotic, buffeting gusts, the strongest of which require crouching for stability. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Chance of afternoon snow/rain from the south
The morning starts dry. Patchy snow arrives to the southern islands with time, patches drift north to Mull and east into the Trossachs and perhaps odd spots to Glencoe. A risk of setting in more widely in this area with patches reaching towards Ben Nevis.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little, may increase in the south.
Thin ribbons of cloud above 800m on hills nearest the central highlands, variable layers with summits often clear. With time, banks of cloud increasingly affecting high terrain along central and southern coast, some slipping into the Trossachs and Glencoe. Clearest Lochaber.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%, lowering to 70% in the south
Sunshine and air clarity?
Weak sun through high cloud to start the day, the sun increasingly shrouded as high cloud thickens. Excellent visibility, deteriorating where snow arrives.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-4C, locally -5C inland from Glencoe north to Creag Meagaidh. Rising by a degree widely. Feeling like -20C or colder in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Most terrain frozen from dawn, low sun-exposed slopes thawing, up to 400m in places, higher coastal Lochaber; refreezing overnight.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Thursday 19th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly 30-40mph, strong gusts; trending southerly and approaching 55mph or higher along coastal slopes.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking arduous with severe wind chill; buffeting in exposure making it challenging to stay on your feet.
How Wet?
Patchy coastal precipitation
Patchy snow affecting west coastal slopes at times, rain below 300-400m; occasional patches will spread further inland, an increasing risk later in the day.
Cloud on the hills?
Fleeting caps on some summits
The hills largely free of cloud well into the day except for some caps on high tops from Arran to Mull, and possibly some caps on highest Trossachs. Cloud fills in more widely on high terrain from the west evening into nighttime.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
90%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often sunny but weakened by high cloud, which may thicken with time. Excellent visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3 or -2C, locally variable and only little change with added height. Feeling like -15 to -18C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
300m but frosts in glens as well, lifting though spatially variable, 400-600m, likely highest coastal Lochaber.
Viewing Forecast For
West Highlands
Friday 20th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
South-southwesterly 20-30mph, later trending SW'ly and rising, notably south, to 45mph at least and gusty.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking becoming arduous with significant wind chill and stability challenges; a deteriorating trend is possible.
How Wet?
Precipitation most of the day
Persistent snow from before dawn, rain to low slopes at first but rising. An easing tendency, some drizzle with flurries on high terrain, drier moments low slopes, but also returning.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive
Cloud shrouds the mountains from middle slopes upward most of the day, often reaching the low slopes regularly during rain. Some variability during cessations in rain, a chance of fleeting higher breaks.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Likely cloudy, a few bright breaks possible here and there. Visibility often poor, but excellent during breaks in cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0 or -1C, rising, reaching +2C. Feeling like -13 to -15C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
500-600m, though variable, some low slope frosts at dawn; rising with time to the high slopes.
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.