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
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.
Heavy snow
Continuous or almost constant heavy snowfall, large flakes falling to low elevations. Beware of near-zero visibility from falling or blowing snow, risk of blizzard conditions.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
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.
Heavy snow
Continuous or almost constant heavy snowfall, large flakes falling to low elevations. Beware of near-zero visibility from falling or blowing snow, risk of blizzard conditions.
Whiteout
Fog and lying snow over the mountains, possibly with falling or blowing snow, very disorientating. Map and compass essential, beware of unseen hazards.
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
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 4th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 3rd Apr 26 at
4:23PM
Summary for all mountain areas
A fine start for much of Highlands, a lull in wind, but snow moving in from south, setting in widely afternoon; snow to low elevations, then abruptly rain to tops in southern Highlands later. Rapidly strengthening gales for England & Wales, becoming stormy, extending across Scotland afternoon into evening.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Snow into afternoon, cloud lowers; rapidly gales, severe later.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 25-35mph at first, easing briefly below 20mph up to noon. Then south-southeasterly, rapid increase afternoon to 50mph, by dusk 60-70mph. Varying in evening, but suddenly west-northwesterly 70-90mph+ into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery start, lessening for a time, but then deteriorating, later any mobility increasingly difficult, soonest in south. Significant wind chill. Damaging gusts to lower slopes onward into night.
How Wet?
Snow developing, setting in heavy later
Dry likely all morning. During afternoon, snow developing from south, quickly becoming persistent, setting in widely heavy with whiteout, continuing into evening, but in south a quick switch to rain up to higher slopes for a time. Then further snow widely into night.
Cloud on the hills?
Little for many hours, lowering afternoon
Patchy cloud around some slopes, but the mountains remain substantially clear onward into afternoon. Later as snow develops, cloud lowering over the hills, soonest in south, forming to some lower slopes.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80% in morning, dropping to 10% during afternoon.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Weak sun through high cloud giving way to more overcast skies into afternoon. Visibility very good, then reducing, to be later very poor, or appalling in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C, rising later to +1C or briefly higher, then dropping again into night. Feeling like -15C in early wind, then even colder later.
Freezing Level
Frost in many glens from dawn, 600-700m mid-morning. Later varying in snow 300-600m. By evening abrupt brief rise to high tops. Rapid drop into night to 400-600m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 5th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 3rd Apr 26 at
4:23PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Stormy conditions overnight lessen, but still near 70mph up to dawn, then westerly 40 to 55mph, squally gusts.
Effect of the wind on you?
Frequent buffeting, walking challenging on higher exposed terrain. Possibly still severe at first. Severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Snow then showery hail; risk lightning
Risk of constant snow to lower elevations up to dawn. Then showery, clusters of heavy bursts with hail and snow, frequent near/west of the A9, some rain on lowest slopes. Isolated thunder & lightning.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying on high tops
Cloud banks frequently moving across upper slopes, mostly above 900-1000m, briefly lower in precipitation. At times clearing higher up, most often in east.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of bright sunshine and very good visibility, but briefly suddenly appalling in cloud and snow or hail.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2 to -4C, rising slightly afternoon. (Around -6C on Ben Macdui summit). Feeling like -15 to -18C in the wind.
Freezing Level
400 to 600m in morning, rising to 700-800m afternoon, but lowering briefly again around showers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 6th April 2026
Last updated
Fri 3rd Apr 26 at
4:23PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwest turning southerly, 20 to 35mph, tending to strengthen during day, stronger gusts may develop higher Cairngorms.
Effect of the wind on you?
Increasingly affecting ease of walking on higher exposed terrain; notably gusty downslope around northern corries.
How Wet?
Rare if any light rain
Substantially or completely dry. Chance of odd spots from thickening high cloud, mostly southwest areas.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little
Patchy cloud occasionally drifting over some slopes, mostly southern areas, but most mountains often free of low cloud.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sunshine and a veil of high cloud, which may cover the sky more with time in west. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-1C from dawn, rising to +2C or locally +4C toward north afternoon. Feeling like -7 to -10C directly in wind.
Freezing Level
Frost in glens in morning, much mountain terrain frozen all day, but air temperature rising above freezing to tops by late in day.
Planning Outlook
Winter mountain conditions for Easter Sunday - all mountain tops sub-zero all day, above 600-700m in Scotland, 800m in England and Wales - hail and snow showers with gales bringing severe chill factor. Milder southerlies develop during Monday, dry and many hills clear with hazy sun, but gusty wind, risk of gales mainly west coastal mountains of Scotland. Quite warm by Tuesday, but strong to gale force south-southeasterly winds; dry for many, rain encroaching into western Scotland, thawing of recent snow. Scotland likely remains changeable, often windy later in the week, rain at times, varying temperatures, at times below freezing on higher Munros. Often drier and lighter winds for England and Wales.