Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Monday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
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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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
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
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Monday 29th December 2025
Last updated
Sun 28th Dec 25 at
2:58PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Chilly northeasterly winds with extensive cloud with patchy precipitation locally. Best breaks and sun western hills of England and Wales, and western Scotland. As a cold front edges south, cloud may break up more widely later for the Highlands with colder conditions developing on the hills.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cloud banks and a little patchy light rain/snow. Clearer breaks in southwest.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northeast 15 to 25mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mostly small, but considerable wind chill where exposed to the wind.
How Wet?
A little patchy precipitation from cloud
A little patchy light rain or snow grains from the banks of low cloud, most likely as weak cold front edges through late morning and lunchtime period.
Cloud on the hills?
Cloud banks, tops initially clear above.
Cloud banks from 500-1000m, highest tops may be clear for a time, before banks lift onto all higher terrain above 700m. Best breaks and patchier cloud in west.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly dull with sun breaking through at times, especially in the southwest, and perhaps initially sunny highest tops. Visibility mostly very good, away from any precipitation.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0C lowering to -2C
Freezing Level
Morning frost in glens/corries and little change in temperature with height, but turning colder on tops as freezing level stabilises around 700m by afternoon.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Tuesday 30th December 2025
Last updated
Sun 28th Dec 25 at
2:58PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northerly 15 to 25mph
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly blustery at times with considerable wind chill.
How Wet?
Mostly dry
Cloud on the hills?
Patches of banks, may be persistent in north.
Banks of low cloud increasingly on upper slopes from 700m across the northern Cairngorms. Clearer in the south.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% north, 70% south.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Broken cloud and sun, may be mostly cloudy in the north. Visibility very good, away from any snow flurries.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-3C
Freezing Level
Terrain frozen from lower slopes upwards, with frost into the glens in morning.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 31st December 2025
Last updated
Sun 28th Dec 25 at
2:58PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly 20 to 30mph, increasingly through day to 30 to 40mph, risk 45mph north Cairngorms later.
Effect of the wind on you?
Be prepared for increasingly fairly arduous conditions through the day with significant buffeting and wind chill.
How Wet?
Mostly dry
Mostly dry, but a few patches of light rain and snow may move in from the west later. Snow falling above 500 to 800m.
Cloud on the hills?
Lowering onto hills from west.
May well start mostly clear the mountains, but increasingly low cloud will move in from the west to cover upper slopes or tops. Eastern mountains may stay clear.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
40% in west, 70% in east.
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patches of sun, increasingly confined to east and cloud builds in. Visibility mostly very good, but poorer in any precipiatation.
How Cold? (at 900m)
Around or just below zero. Feeling more like-10C in the strongest winds.
Freezing Level
Freezing at all levels at first, before freezing level rises through day to 700-900m.
Planning Outlook
Up until end of the year, high pressure still dominates. Significant change from New Year's Day as a cold front introduces, a much colder and strong northerly giving severe wind chill with temperatures well below average for the first week to the New Year with frequent and heavy snow showers moving into northern areas and running down coastal extremities with significant accumulations. Elsewhere, lots of dry and sunny weather, although occasional organised bands of snow will feed south at times in the Arctic airflow. All terrain becoming frozen, with scope for very low valley temperatures over snow cover when northerly flow eases.