Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 2nd February 2026
Last updated
Sun 1st Feb 26 at
4:26PM
Strong and gusty east-southeasterlies, gale-force in places, speeds generally increasing over England & Wales with time. Snow frequent or persistent for eastern Scottish hills, rain lower ground; whiteout over higher areas with blanket cloud. Largely dry west coasts with higher and more broken cloud.
Windy, gusts to gale-force. Snow and whiteout on hills.
Southeasterly 30-40mph, lowest speeds early morning toward south and west of Cairngorms. Generally rising speeds and gusts afternoon, later reaching 50mph around higher tops.
Walking impeded over exposed terrain most of day, in places more arduous with buffeting gusts and significant wind chill; tending to deteriorate later.
Snow south and east Cairngorms
Showery snow affecting the south and east Cairngorm plateau much of the day, merging into more constant falls; rain below 600m, though later snow starting to fall lower. Patchy snow/rain will reach Drumochter at times, more frequent snow here afternoon. Least precipitation Monadhliath, but some flurries reach here also at times.
Fairly extensive south and east
Fog over the Cairngorm plateau most high terrain south and east of high summits, lowering to middle slopes during snow. Bases reaching towards 700m around Drumochter sometimes too. Highest breaks north Monadhliath.
20%
Brief glimpses of sun in the Monadhliath where visibility good when dry. Otherwise cloudy, whiteout conditions at times in fog over snow.
-1C, dropping to -3C by dusk. Feeling like -12 to -15C in the wind.
800m tending to drop during afternoon to 500-600m.
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 3rd February 2026
Last updated
Sun 1st Feb 26 at
4:26PM
Easterly 40 to 55mph, very gusty in places over high Cairngorms and on downslopes west of high terrain.
Challenging walking conditions, more difficult in places, frequent buffeting affecting balance; significant wind chill.
Snow most continuous east
Frequent to persistent snow over the Cairngorms and areas to the south and east, falling to most lower slopes, sleet only lower Deeside. Patchier flurries westward, least toward Monadhliath.
Extensive
Shrouding higher terrain fairly widely, from 600 to 800m in eastern areas, 800 to 1000m west from Cairngorm plateau.
20%
Overcast, dull in east. Hazy lower down, whiteout higher areas in snow and cloud.
-4C. Wind chill feeling like -15 to -20C.
Most terrain frozen from lower slopes upward, around 300-400m.
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 4th February 2026
Last updated
Sun 1st Feb 26 at
4:26PM
Easterly 30 to 50mph, very gusty. May start to ease and turn southeasterly.
Challenging conditions with frequent buffeting gusts, significant wind chill; possibly improving from south.
Snow continuing east
Snow most persistent over the eastern Cairngorms NP, some constant heavier falls possible, sleet only lower slopes toward Deeside. Patchier westwards, very little much of Monadhliath.
Fairly extensive, lowest east
Cloud shrouding the mountains widely, from mid slopes upward in east and southeast Cairngorms NP. Some higher bases toward Strathspey, local break.
10%
Overcast and dull or misty. Whiteout over tops in fog and snow, locally better visibility western areas.
-3C, rising slightly during day. Wind chill feeling like -12 to -17C.
400 to 600m, tending to rise from south. Onward into evening likely to rise variably higher up.
Easterly winds prevail this week, strong to gale force over many hills for sustained periods. Freezing levels will vary, but in the Highlands rarely above 800m away from the west coast, at times sub-zero from 400-500m upward. In England and Wales only occasionally dropping below 600m, and at times just above freezing to high tops. Further snow focused on eastern Scottish mountains, with additional accumulations and drifting; very little further west. Some periods of hill snow for England and Wales during midweek. Cold easterly patterns are expected to continue onward into mid February, though higher pressure to the north may see reduced precipitation amounts, always driest with highest cloud in west.