Mountain Weather
Information Service
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath Forecast

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

Light wind
Sunshine and showers
Cool
Winter kit required

Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.

Click here to download the latest PDF Last Updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM Last Updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM
View our low-graphics version Last Updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM Last Updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM

Viewing Forecast For

Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 30th March 2024
Last updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM

Summary for all mountain areas

Showers, of hail and on higher areas snow, mainly west Wales and also Scottish Highlands where risk thunder. Otherwise the day will improve as southerly winds become fairly light and cloud base rises to clear many higher summits. The air will be very clear indeed.

Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath

Fairly light wind; heavy showers, risk thunder.

How windy? (On the Munros)

Southerly; after dawn 20mph, perhaps 25mph. Will ease to 10 to 15mph by mid afternoon.

Effect of the wind on you?

Becoming small

How Wet?

Heavy showers, mainly afternoon. Chance lightning.

Morning: isolated pockets rain (or snow above 450m) but extensively dry. From about midday: changing to heavier hail showers; in some areas precipitation possibly then frequent. Small risk thunder.

Cloud on the hills?

Mostly clearing, but extensive at first

After dawn: some summits cloud free, but many foggy,. Will markedly improve as cloud base rises. By late morning, cloud base widely above 900m, then intermittently clearing the tops particularly Monadhliath east to N Cairngorms/Lochnagar (lowering again in precipitation).

Chance of cloud free Munros?

Rising to 60% from midday

Sunshine and air clarity?

Patchwork of sunshine and excellent visibility, although visibility abruptly very poor in precipitation, especially snow.

How Cold? (at 900m)

-1 or 0C after dawn before reaching 3 to 5C mid afternoon, warmest Monadhliath/N Cairngorms.

Freezing Level

700 to 900m, rising to above the summits. Frost in many glens at dawn.

Viewing Forecast For

Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 31st March 2024
Last updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM

How windy? (On the Munros)

Southeast or easterly 10 to perhaps locally 15mph.

Effect of the wind on you?

Mostly negligible

How Wet?

Isolated, if any showers

Risk of one or two hail flurries or showers in afternoon.

Cloud on the hills?

All or nearly all clearing

Patches of some higher slopes after dawn will very likely all clear before midday. Higher tops eastern Cairngorms NP may not clear or clear only briefly, before very low cloud envelops areas east of Braemar evening.

Chance of cloud free Munros?

80%

Sunshine and air clarity?

Patchwork of sunshine; later dull easternmost summits. Excellent or superb visibility.

How Cold? (at 900m)

2 rising to 5 to 7C, warmest west of A9.

Freezing Level

1200m, before rising above the summits, although in lowland and upland valleys widely frosty after dawn.

Viewing Forecast For

Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 1st April 2024
Last updated Fri 29th Mar 24 at 12:42PM

How windy? (On the Munros)

Easterly 15 to in some areas (particularly Cairngorm plateau 25 to possibly 35mph. Sudden gusts in places, locally reaching lower slopes.

Effect of the wind on you?

Varied, in some areas small, but considerable buffeting particularly through cols and near and near downslope west of major summits.

How Wet?

Drizzle and light snow

Areas of fine drizzle or above about 800m light snow where in cloud. However, little or no precipitation west from southern summits in Cairngorms NP, and perhaps Monadhliath.

Cloud on the hills?

Very extensive, but breaking toward south

Persistent fog above 400m northern Cairngorms & near/east Braemar. More widely cloud base 600m to 800m, highest cloud base afternoon. But the cloud may break up for periods west from southern areas of Cairngorms NP.

Chance of cloud free Munros?

20%

Sunshine and air clarity?

Widely cloudy or dull, but west from southern areas of Cairngorms NP patches of sun. Visibility excellent, but misty in precipitation.

How Cold? (at 900m)

0 to 2C. Due to wind chill, will feel as cold as minus 10C.

Freezing Level

900m or above; lowest where in cloud.

Planning Outlook

Highland Scotland largely dry over the coming week, although often sub-freezing on higher slopes, and mainly toward the east patches of drizzle or light snow and low cloud. Sunshine intermittently western mountains. Elsewhere, intermittently wet and extensively cloudy. On higher slops, the precipitation often as snow, possibly significant falls mid week. Across the country, into the week, easterly winds sometimes near gale.