Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Monday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Very cold
Significant wintry conditions - below freezing from lower elevations up all day, -7 or -8C highest summits, feeling like -20C or below on high tops due to wind chill. Frostbite and hypothermia risk. Substantial protective clothing is required.
Snowdrifts
Considerable lying snow over the mountains, with substantial drifting in places.
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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
Very cold
Significant wintry conditions - below freezing from lower elevations up all day, -7 or -8C highest summits, feeling like -20C or below on high tops due to wind chill. Frostbite and hypothermia risk. Substantial protective clothing is required.
Snowdrifts
Considerable lying snow over the mountains, with substantial drifting in places.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 5th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold northerlies continue; significant chill factor over mountains, though speeds less than recent days. All terrain frozen; snow cover widely in Highlands, substantial in north, further showers of snow and hail. Showers continue to feed into N/W Wales. Largely dry with sun and broken cloud N England/S Scotland.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cold brisk wind, snow showers mostly northern areas.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 25-30mph, at times gusts 35-40mph in exposure on Cairngorm plateau. Shifting northwesterly afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
Continued severe wind chill over the mountains. Walking often strenuous, frequent buffeting in exposure on tops.
How Wet?
Snow showers north, less south
Snow/hail showers continue to feed in from the north, sometimes more frequent into the northern Cairngorms and Monadhliath. Extensive snow cover and drifts with frequent whiteout conditions on high ground. Fewer showers extending southwards, often drier toward Glen Garry.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive higher areas
Often covering the mountains above 900-1000m, at times 800m in northern Cairngorms, lowest and most persistent east. Higher and more varied bases south of the Cairngorm plateau, breaks above 1000m more often.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% north, to 40% south.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Brief bursts of sun, more frequent south. Visibility very poor or in places appalling if in falling or blowing snow and where also in cloud; but more often very good south/west.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-6C (to -9C above 1200m). Wind chill feeling like -17C to as cold as -22C in exposure on Cairngorm plateau.
Freezing Level
Terrain widely frozen; at dawn near -10C some glens, staying sub-zero all day from glens upward.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 6th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-southwesterly 20-25mph, rising with time, reaching 40mph or higher over the summits. Shifting northerly after dark.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking increasingly strenuous with time and significant wind chill, some variability.
How Wet?
Snow sets in
Bands of showery snow pass east through the morning, setting in as widespread snow for most of the afternoon and into nighttime, heavy for a time.
Cloud on the hills?
Becoming extensive
Variable for several hours, often shrouding the high tops with lowest bases to the west, reaching 600-700m during snow. Some higher breaks in the east for a time. Filling in widely to middle or lower slopes with time as snow sets in.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Lowering to 10% with time
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine unlikely. Moments of very good visibility early, though increasingly appalling as snow sets in with whiteout conditions.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2 or -3C, becoming colder into nighttime. Feeling as cold as -18C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Terrain widely frozen from the glens upward.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 7th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
West-northwesterly 20 to 30mph, speed likely to vary, risk strongest early; a lull may develop, then increasing again after dark.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but be prepared for marked wind chill on exposed high terrain, risk more blustery in places for a time.
How Wet?
Largely dry day, possible snow later
Rare flurries, but much of daytime may stay dry. Later, more likely after dark, possibly more persistent snow encroaching in from the west, little reaching eastern hills.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little, local patches
Patchy cloud may cling around some upper slopes and corries, locally mist around glens and some mid-slopes for a time, but good breaks likely across many hills during the day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Some early brightness through high cloud, best in east, but overcast skies becoming duller. Visibility very good whilst dry.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-5C rising to -3C, or slightly higher after dark. Feeling near -15C if exposed to wind.
Freezing Level
Staying near/below freezing glens upward. Possible slight rise of temperature into night, but much terrain remaining frozen.
Planning Outlook
Freezing conditions widely over the mountains all this week - some changes toward the weekend as Atlantic lows try to circulate further northwards, bringing some variable thawing mainly to England and particularly Wales, whilst Scottish mountains may see brief if any periods of above-freezing conditions even onward into mid-month. Complex weather systems later this week, with potentially a deep low moving across southern Britain by Thursday-early Friday which may bring some snowfalls to Wales and the southern Pennines, accompanied by possibly severe gales. More variable wind speeds for Scotland, trending westerly; some lulls but interspersed with gales. Further accumulating upland snow, mixed with some lowland rain.