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
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.
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.
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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.
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.
Viewing Forecast For
Brecon Beacons
Wednesday 18th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold with widespread gales in exposure; powerful gusts and severe wind chill. North and west Scotland often dry and free of cloud; an increasing risk of snow south with time, possibly east as well. English hills largely dry, hill cloud mostly isolated to high Pennines. Cloudier Wales with snow arriving from the south.
Headline for Brecon Beacons
Gales, powerful gusts; snow arrives with time
How windy? (On the summits)
Southeasterly 40-50mph; constant powerful gusts over high terrain, approaching 60mph or higher. Starting to ease after dark and shift easterly.
Effect of the wind on you?
Widely challenging conditions with severe wind chill; powerful gusts require crouching with constant effort to maintain stability.
How Wet?
Some patchy snow, more with time
Some patchy snow but often dry for several hours into the day. Snow becomes more common on eastern hills, and with time, an increasing risk on south and western slopes as well; falling as rain below 300m, higher west.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly high terrain, deteriorating
Cloud banks often covering the high tops, occasional breaks for clear hills in the west, but gradually becoming more extensive across high terrain, bases lowering to middle slopes around central and east hills with time.
Chance of cloud free summits?
60%, lowering to 30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Weak sun in the morning shining through breaks in cloud, trending more widely overcast with time. Very good visibility but some early haze.
How Cold? (at 750m)
Starting near -3C, lifting with time, most areas reaching -1C, but locally warmer west to 0 or +1C. Southern slopes may reach these temperatures too. Feeling like -20C in exposure.
Freezing Level
300-400m, rising to the west, likely above the Cambrians, and possible rising more widely, but staying near the summits in the east.
Viewing Forecast For
Brecon Beacons
Thursday 19th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the summits)
N-NE'ly 15-25mph, trending NW'ly with time, strengthening to 25-35mph into evening.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small effects for several hours, possibly well into the day, the wind making walking strenuous into nighttime.
How Wet?
Some morning snow
Snow affecting central and eastern hills from before dawn, soon starting to ease and break into odd patches, likely dry by afternoon.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive early, likely improving
Fairly extensive over high terrain early in the day, bases to the middle slopes near and east of Brecon. An improving trend is likely, though variably returning to high tops, greatest risk in the east.
Chance of cloud free summits?
60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A cloudy start, sun breaking out with time, best in the west. Improving visibility, some haze around.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-2 or -1C, some local variability and may rise a degree.
Freezing Level
Around 400-600m, likely lifting to the high summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Brecon Beacons
Friday 20th February 2026
Last updated
Tue 17th Feb 26 at
3:59PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Southwesterly 40-55mph, likely quite gusty.
Effect of the wind on you?
Challenging conditions all day with significant wind chill; maintaining stability requires constant effort in exposure.
How Wet?
Patchy rain/drizzle, sometimes more
Patchy rain/drizzle affecting high terrain much of the day, also with a risk of a few more organized bands of rain sweeping west-to-east.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive
Cloud shrouds high terrain and slopes to the west and south down to the middle slopes most of all day. Cloud at times well broken and higher bases towards mid-Wales/Black Mountains, but extensive here too during rain.
Chance of cloud free summits?
40%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly cloudy but some bright/sunny breaks will come and go, best east. Variable visibility, good out of cloud and rain, but some haze too.
How Cold? (at 750m)
Around 1C from dawn, some local variability, rising to 6C. Feeling like -7 to -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Poorly defined from dawn: highest terrain likely frozen, some lower slopes as well, soon rising above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Much terrain in England and Scotland remains frozen as the weekend approaches. However, freezing level will be less well defined on western slopes as stable downslope flow may warm and thaw frozen ground up to middle elevations, particularly in Wales and England. Friday into the weekend sees a switch to southwesterly winds, bringing milder conditions - lifting above freezing to tops in England and Wales, and generally higher freezing levels in Scotland; periods of thawing to Munro summits will occur but also further snowfall on higher terrain during the day-to-day variability of precipitation and freezing levels. Often cloudy with periods of rain further south, most often affecting western and southern hills where cloud will be lowest and at times drizzly in the south. Often windy with upland gales.