Southern Uplands
The Galloway hills eastward to the Lammermuir hills. The Cheviots (including higher hills within the adjacent Northumberland NP).
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.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Terrain widely frozen
All ground frozen from lower elevations upward, with hard frost or snow cover. Beware of icy surfaces on lower and higher terrain. Appropriate footwear needed, crampons may be necessary.
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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.
Patchy cloud and winter sun
Mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, patchy cloud occasionally covering some mountain slopes.
Cold
Air temperature below 0C all day on higher mountains. Significant chill factor if exposed to strong winds. Suitable protective clothing required.
Terrain widely frozen
All ground frozen from lower elevations upward, with hard frost or snow cover. Beware of icy surfaces on lower and higher terrain. Appropriate footwear needed, crampons may be necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Monday 5th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Cold northerlies continue; significant chill factor over mountains, though speeds less than recent days. All terrain frozen; snow cover widely in Highlands, substantial in north, further showers of snow and hail. Showers continue to feed into N/W Wales. Largely dry with sun and broken cloud N England/S Scotland.
Headline for Southern Uplands
Cold brisk wind. Largely dry with sun, coastal snow showers.
How windy? (On the summits)
Northerly 20-25mph, to 30mph higher areas around dawn. Shifting northwesterly and easing a little afternoon. Then increasing into night to 35mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Continued significant wind chill over the hills. Blustery on exposed terrain, in places affecting ease of walking early morning.
How Wet?
Most places dry
A few snow showers may clip the hills of Ayrshire and the Cheviots, but often dry , no precipitation expected further inland.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little
Cloud caps will graze the high eastern Borders and Cheviot hills, mostly morning. Rare patches on the higher tops of Galloway and upper Ayrshire slopes and scattered across the high Borders, but most hills stay clear of cloud.
Chance of cloud free summits?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny central and western areas, more cloud toward the east mainly morning. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-5C from dawn, up to -3C afternoon. Wind chill feeling like -18C in exposure on high tops.
Freezing Level
Terrain widely frozen; at dawn around -8C inland valleys; staying at or below freezing all day from the valleys upwards.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Tuesday 6th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the summits)
West-southwesterly 20-25mph, gradually rising with time, reaching 40mph or higher over summits by dusk.
Effect of the wind on you?
Walking becoming strenuous with time though variable; significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Patchy snow
Patches of snow will drift east, though many hills will see extended dry periods, particularly east. Late in the day, snow will set in more widely for several hours.
Cloud on the hills?
Covering summits, gradually more extensive
Cloud shrouds the summits most of the day, a few summits may be clear just at and before dawn. Bases lower to the middle slopes during snow showers, gradually becoming more extensive from the west with time.
Chance of cloud free summits?
30% lowering to 10%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few bright/sunny bursts here and there, becoming overcast afternoon. Variable visibility, very poor during snow but becoming good during dry periods.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-3C, lifting to around -1C though variable, highest temperatures in the west. Feeling like -15C in the wind.
Freezing Level
Terrain frozen from overnight, lifting to 200-400m, highest level west; sheltered valleys may stay frozen.
Viewing Forecast For
Southern Uplands
Wednesday 7th January 2026
Last updated
Sun 4th Jan 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the summits)
Northwesterly 15 to 30mph, speed likely to vary, a possible lull, turning west later southwesterly, increasing again.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small, but be prepared for marked wind chill on exposed high terrain, risk more blustery in places at times.
How Wet?
Risk of rain / hill snow moving in west
Local showers mostly near west coast, possibly developing with time from west into more persistent hill snow, rain to mid or later some upper slopes. Eastern areas more likely dry much of daytime.
Cloud on the hills?
Mostly little, patches may thicken west
Patchy cloud mostly over western tops, some lower mist around valleys and mid-slopes inland for a time, otherwise many hills clear. If precipitation develops, more extensive cloud lowering over hills in west.
Chance of cloud free summits?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Some early brightness through high cloud, best in east, but overcast skies becoming duller. Visibility very good whilst dry.
How Cold? (at 750m)
-2C rising to 0C, or slightly higher after dark. Feeling around -10C if exposed to stronger wind.
Freezing Level
Frost into most valleys in morning, rising to 400 to 600m, possibly 800m in Galloway later in day, more widely after dark.
Planning Outlook
Freezing conditions widely over the mountains all this week - some changes toward the weekend as Atlantic lows try to circulate further northwards, bringing some variable thawing mainly to England and particularly Wales, whilst Scottish mountains may see brief if any periods of above-freezing conditions even onward into mid-month. Complex weather systems later this week, with potentially a deep low moving across southern Britain by Thursday-early Friday which may bring some snowfalls to Wales and the southern Pennines, accompanied by possibly severe gales. More variable wind speeds for Scotland, trending westerly; some lulls but interspersed with gales. Further accumulating upland snow, mixed with some lowland rain.