Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Sunday'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.
Clear over snow cover
Excellent or superb visibility, but be aware that paths over the mountains may be obscured by lying snow.
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.
Click an icon for more information or click here for a key to all icons.
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.
Clear over snow cover
Excellent or superb visibility, but be aware that paths over the mountains may be obscured by lying snow.
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
Sunday 15th February 2026
Last updated
Sat 14th Feb 26 at
12:12PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Overnight snow (considerable western Scotland north to Skye) will have cleared, leaving snow (rain lower slopes) showers in Scotland (driest toward east), whilst further south rain and snow on and off. Most mountain terrain will be frozen although thawing lower slopes.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Terrain largely frozen. Frequent snow. Wind near gale morning.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwest to westerly, mostly 35mph morning. Will ease toward 25 through daylight day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Expect significant wind chill and widely arduous walking on higher areas.
How Wet?
Occasional hail and snow showers
Overnight snow clearing at dawn. In afternoon, a few hail and snow showers - most frequent west of A9.
Cloud on the hills?
Almost persistently covering higher mountains; varied cloud base.
Sometimes breaking to near or above 1000m at least fleetingly - most often Deeside. But overall, extensive cloud above 750m, and sometimes forming below 600m near. precipitation.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bursts of bright sunshine soon; most sun eastern Cairngorms NP. Sometimes excellent visibility, but abruptly appalling in snow.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3 rising to -1C. Will feel as close to minus 14C where exposed to the wind in morning.
Freezing Level
Nearly all terrain frozen, albeit freezing level rising from 300m or lower at dawn erratically toward 600 to 800m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 16th February 2026
Last updated
Sat 14th Feb 26 at
12:12PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly; there may well be a lull to below 20mph for a few hours before strengthening to 25 or 30mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Considerable wind chill and walking impeded by the wind, perhaps arduous at times.
How Wet?
Frequent snow showers
Confidence low: Snow and hail showers, sometimes one after another, giving whiteout and risk of the precipitation almost constant for a few hours. It may be extensively dry east from Ben Alder to and east of Drumochter.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive; highest cloud base toward south
Cloud base varying, sometimes quickly, between 450m near precipitation and otherwise 700 to 900m. Toward Ben Alder to and east of Drumochter, cloud rarely below 600m and breaks toward 1000m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Occasional sunshine mainly Ben Alder to and east of Drumochter. Very varied visibility; intermittently appalling or near zero in snow, but otherwise excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-4C. Will feel around minus 15C directly in the wind.
Freezing Level
700m, dropping toward 450m. Some valleys frozen after a frost.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 17th February 2026
Last updated
Sat 14th Feb 26 at
12:12PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly high confidence in dropping to less than 15mph in a lull, but for a few hours from dawn 25, possibly 35mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Becoming negligible
How Wet?
Snow showers or flurries dying out
Snow and hail showers Sutherland and near the coast elsewhere will through morning become isolated.
Cloud on the hills?
Becoming confined to higher areas and increasingly clearing
By afternoon patches above 750 to 900m, but increasingly only fragments, mostly confined above 1150m.. Earlier in day cloud extensive Cairngorms and Deeside but patchy elsewhere.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70% by afternoon
Sunshine and air clarity?
Bright sunshine increasingly. Superb visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-5C
Freezing Level
300m but most terrain frozen: partial thawing lowest particularly sunlit slopes.
Planning Outlook
Persistently cold most mountain areas, particularly across Scotland next week. Further snow from time to time. England and particularly Wales will have intermittently higher freezing levels resulting in freeze-thaw cycles.