Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
The entire Yorkshire Dales National Park and North Pennines AONB, including the Three Peaks and Cross Fell, plus Howgills, also south to Forest of Bowland.
Friday'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.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
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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.
Frequent or persistent rain
Steady rain fairly persistent, occasionally heavy, rather wet underfoot.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Friday 3rd April 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Apr 26 at
3:45PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold with showery snow in the Highlands, also hail in north. Varied winds, blustery in northern Scotland, moderating for a time central Highlands. In England & Wales, a swathe of gales likely affects the mountains, but still some uncertainty about the northward extent; rain and drizzle, plus low cloud covering many hills.
Headline for Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Varied wind, possible gales. Rain and low cloud mostly west.
How windy? (On the summits)
Southwesterly, speed likely to vary considerably during the day, gales up to dawn may ease to 25mph or less for a time, but threat of increasing again during day rapidly toward 50mph, powerful gusts near high tops and particularly downslope to east of the Pennines.
Effect of the wind on you?
Beware of changing conditions - possibly fairly small effects for a time, but considerable risk of deteriorating to make walking arduous with buffeting gusts and significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Rain on and off, some heavy
Often raining throughout the day western Yorks Dales NP, a mix of patchy rain and drizzle, plus some heavier pulses of rain moving through. Some drier windows toward the northeast Pennines.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, some breaks east
Often covering higher slopes during the morning above 600-700m, or lower around rain in western Yorks Dales. Bases rising and some breaks forming, best across the eastern Dales to northeast Pennines.
Chance of cloud free summits?
30% Three Peaks, to 50% northeast.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Often overcast, but a few brighter windows with glimpses of sun are possible. Mixed visibility, often poor in rain, particularly west, but occasionally good.
How Cold? (at 700m)
5C, tending to drop in north to 3C afternoon, more widely later, 1C from dusk. Feeling as cold as -10C in strongest wind.
And in the valleys
6C at dawn, lifting up to 8 to 10C, coolest in west in rain.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Saturday 4th April 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Apr 26 at
3:45PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Southerly, briefly below 20mph early in day, but rapid increase to 40-50mph afternoon, later 60-70mph+ higher fells.
Effect of the wind on you?
Small early in day, but deteriorating during daytime - walking challenging then later any mobility increasingly difficult.
How Wet?
Rain or drizzle setting in
Likely dry start, for a few hours north & east, but patchy rain developing to become persistent for a time, leaving drizzly conditions at least in west. Then by dusk heavy rain for a time. Into night, hail showers, snow tops above 600m.
Cloud on the hills?
Lowering, particularly west
Patchy cloud around some slopes mainly in west in the morning, many fells clear for a time. Increasingly lowering across the fells as rain develops, filling in lowest for western areas up to Tebay.
Chance of cloud free summits?
60% dropping to 20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Any weak early sun soon giving way to overcast skies. Visibility starts very good, then reducing to be poor.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-1C at first, rising to +4C afternoon, then dropping to again into night to 0C. Feeling like -10C or below as wind strengthens.
And in the valleys
Slight frost some valleys up to dawn, rising to 13C afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Yorkshire Dales & North Pennines
Sunday 5th April 2026
Last updated
Thu 2nd Apr 26 at
3:45PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Westerly 50mph from dawn, possibly stronger up to first light, only gradually easing toward 30-35mph later in day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Frequent buffeting, walking arduous over higher terrain, some gradual improvement. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Showery hail and snow
Generally showery, heavy bursts with hail, and snow to lower-mid elevations early in day, becoming mostly rain or hail below 600m with time. Showers fading toward evening.
Cloud on the hills?
Varying, breaks above tops
Patchy cloud drifting over higher slopes, most often in western Three Peaks around 700m, briefly lower in showers. More often clearing eastwards.
Chance of cloud free summits?
60%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of bright sunshine and very good visibility, but briefly very poor in showers.
How Cold? (at 700m)
-1C rising to +1 or 2C afternoon. Feeling like -10 to -13C in the wind.
And in the valleys
3C at dawn, rising to 7 or 8C afternoon, dropping a couple of degrees in showers.
Planning Outlook
A storm system moves across Britain over the Easter weekend, bringing severe conditions increasingly widely - severe gales over the mountains advancing northwards into Scotland by later Saturday daytime. Rain and hill snow also sweeps northward - a substantial snowfall develops particularly in northern Scotland later Saturday. Colder for all by Sunday with all mountains sub-zero, above 600-700m in Scotland, 800m in England and Wales - hail and snow showers with gales bringing severe chill factor. Milder southerlies develop for Monday, dry for most, but risk of gales especially in the west. A changeable weather regime is expected to continue next week, possibly turning chillier again later in the week.