Brecon Beacons
Includes all higher summits in the southern half of Wales: the Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons National Park, southern Cambrian Mountains and highest Preseli hills.
Wednesday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
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
Brecon Beacons
Wednesday 7th January 2026
Last updated
Tue 6th Jan 26 at
4:20PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Gale-force NW'ly winds England, Wales and S Scotland, slowly lessen from west. Areas of snow falling over N & E Scotland tends to ease and become patchy. A few showers or flurries elsewhere, but largely dry SW Highlands. Much terrain remains frozen, substantial snow depths much of Highlands.
Headline for Brecon Beacons
Windy, near-gales at first. Showers in west fade.
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 35-40mph with stronger gusts around dawn, lessening gradually during day, 25mph into afternoon, shifting westerly. Lower speeds into evening, then an increase into night to around 25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Be prepared for considerable wind chill on exposed high terrain all day; challenging conditions early in day, slowly improving, but remaining blustery into afternoon.
How Wet?
Showers or flurries in west fade
Coastal showers, flurries on hills locally in west, fading into middle of day and afternoon. Largely dry east. Into night, some sleet or rain moving in from west.
Cloud on the hills?
Patches locally, clearer east/south
Patchy cloud over higher tops, mostly western areas, but possibly good breaks to many tops across Brecon Beacons and east Wales during the daytime.
Chance of cloud free summits?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mix of cloud and sun, some high cloud moving in from west later. Visibility mostly very good.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-1C, tending to rise mainly after dark. Feeling like -13C if exposed to stronger wind in morning, still near -10C afternoon.
Freezing Level
Slight frost inland valleys at first. Otherwise 500-600m, or slightly higher west Wales, but icy surfaces likely.
Viewing Forecast For
Brecon Beacons
Thursday 8th January 2026
Last updated
Tue 6th Jan 26 at
4:20PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Direction and speed varying, a lull for a few hours, then increasing easterly 30-40mph, risk northerly 50-60mph into night.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, then becoming increasingly blustery, risk more challenging afternoon, deteriorating further into evening-night.
How Wet?
Patchy snow, setting in heavier
Occasional snow flurries on tops, sleet or rain to mid-slopes. Increasingly persistent hill snow to lowering elevations, setting in heavier afternoon-evening, rain lower southern areas.
Cloud on the hills?
Varied cloud and fog
Patchy cloud around some higher tops, possible fog some valleys also. Cloud banks developing and lowering more widely over hills as snow sets in.
Chance of cloud free summits?
40% dropping below 10% later
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast, thickening layers of high cloud. Hazy, visibility increasingly poor.
How Cold? (at 750m)
0 or -1C.
Freezing Level
700 to 800m, partly frozen terrain lower down. Toward evening very varied, may drop to 200-400m, especially mid-Wales.
Viewing Forecast For
Brecon Beacons
Friday 9th January 2026
Last updated
Tue 6th Jan 26 at
4:20PM
How windy? (On the summits)
North to northwesterly 25 to 40mph, risk over 50mph up to dawn at least.
Effect of the wind on you?
Considerable wind chill and affecting ease of walking on exposed terrain; risk more challenging early in day.
How Wet?
Snow fading, showers west
Scope for considerable fresh lying snow from valleys upward inland following overnight falls, which may continue as light snow into the morning, turning to sleet or rain lower slopes, showers mostly in west.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, rising with breaks
Shrouding most higher areas in the morning, banks of cloud mid-slopes up in places. Tending to lift to upper slopes, some breaks forming, best south/east.
Chance of cloud free summits?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, rare if any sun due to a veil of high cloud. Difficult navigation if in fog over snow cover, visibility likely improves with time away from showers.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-1 or -2C. Feeling near/below -10C if exposed to stronger winds.
Freezing Level
500 to 600m, but terrain partly frozen into many valleys inland in the morning, where snow cover may persist.
Planning Outlook
Terrain remaining widely frozen into the weekend, extensive deep snow cover for Highlands, less nearer the central belt. An additional substantial snowfall for Wales & Peak District on Thursday night, accompanied by gales. A fairly benign end to the week for Scotland, showers near some west coasts. By late Saturday into Sunday, southerly winds strengthen to gales - as a frontal system approaches, snow then freezing rain is likely, before at least a temporary rise of freezing level - some thawing develops on lower terrain, most pronounced in Wales toward higher slopes. Chilly patterns next week with some further hill snow, many mountains often sub-zero, but overall less cold.