December stays on North Pennines
A cottage near North Pennines
A practical base for the hills
Check dates for an indicative priceExact December prices and availability are checked after you choose a week.What is North Pennines mountain weather like in December?
Typical mountain and low-level wind, temperature, rainfall and sunshine for December.
40-year mountain climate
Typical high-ground conditions in December.
Historically, December has been one of the more promising parts of the year for high-ground days. Of 1,240 representative high-ground days, 44% were settled for rain and wind, 33% were mixed, and 23% were poor or severe for rain and wind.
Dry days accounted for 51% of the sample. Across the whole year, the settled-day share is 47%, with around 178 wet days, so a region's strongest month should not be mistaken for its usual climate. As a separate check, the Met Office 1991–2020 average at Carlisle is 43 hours of bright sunshine during December. Cloud and views are deliberately kept out of the settled-day score because they vary sharply between individual summits; check the live forecast nearer the trip. These figures describe representative high ground around 893 metres, so coastal and low-level conditions can be milder.
Settled rain and wind44%Historically dry51%High-ground temperature-0.2°CTypical maximum gust30 mphStronger days around 45 mphMet Office sunshine context43 hrsAverage bright sunshine in December, 1991–2020 · Carlisle
Plan beyond the forecast
Choose an area and week.
Choose the week you are planning to visit and compare the typical mountain weather, then explore the month-by-month picture below.
Typical conditions, not a forecastThis describes representative high ground. A difficult hill day can still be suitable for a lower-level plan.
Week 50 · 12 December
What this week is typically like on North Pennines high ground.
Across 280 comparable historical hill days, 51% were settled for rain and wind and 17% were poor or severe for rain and wind.
Check the live North Pennines forecast →Settled rain and wind51%280 comparable days
Dry and light wind32%Dry, manageable wind19%Mixed32%Poor15%Severe2%
Historically dry61% of daysTypical daily max gust28 mphStronger days around 41 mphTypical high ground-0.6°C24-hour mean near 893 mPoor or severe rain/wind17% of daysViews are checked separately in the live forecast
December context: 44% of days across the month were settled for rain and wind; 23% were poor or severe for rain and wind. Read the full December guide.
Valley and low level for this week
Around Alston.
Representative base · 285 mTypical daily high5.4°CWarmer days 8.7°CHistorically dry61%57% dry with lighter windMaximum wind13 mphStronger days 18 mphTypical overnight low1.5°CCooler nights -1.3°C
Planning a different time of year?Compare North Pennines month by month
Valleys and trip bases
Low-level weather around Alston in December.
Alston, at roughly 285 metres, provides a practical low-level reference for North Pennines. Across 1,240 historical days, the typical daytime high was 5.7°C, with warmer days around 8.7°C.
About 51% of days were dry and 48% combined dry weather with lighter winds. Conditions vary across glens, coasts and villages, so this should be used as regional trip-planning guidance rather than a forecast for every location.
Typical daily high5.7°CWarmer days around 8.7°CTypical overnight low1.6°CCooler nights around -1.5°CHistorically dry51%11% had 10 mm+ rainTypical maximum wind13 mphStronger days around 19 mph
January to December
North Pennines weather by month.
Each month has a detailed guide comparing high-ground hill days with typical conditions at a representative valley or low-level trip base.
January43% settled rain/wind
High ground: 33% mixed · 24% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 50% dry · 5.0°C daily high
February42% settled rain/wind
High ground: 34% mixed · 24% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 51% dry · 5.7°C daily high
March46% settled rain/wind
High ground: 39% mixed · 15% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 55% dry · 7.5°C daily high
April48% settled rain/wind
High ground: 46% mixed · 6% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 55% dry · 9.8°C daily high
May49% settled rain/wind
High ground: 45% mixed · 6% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 53% dry · 12.8°C daily high
June51% settled rain/wind
High ground: 45% mixed · 4% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 54% dry · 15.2°C daily high
July47% settled rain/wind
High ground: 49% mixed · 4% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 49% dry · 16.9°C daily high
August48% settled rain/wind
High ground: 47% mixed · 5% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 51% dry · 16.5°C daily high
September52% settled rain/wind
High ground: 40% mixed · 8% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 57% dry · 14.6°C daily high
October45% settled rain/wind
High ground: 43% mixed · 12% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 52% dry · 11.4°C daily high
November45% settled rain/wind
High ground: 40% mixed · 15% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 52% dry · 7.8°C daily high
December44% settled rain/wind
High ground: 33% mixed · 23% poor or severe for rain/windAlston: 51% dry · 5.7°C daily high
Strongest historical signals
Best weeks of the year for North Pennines mountain weather.
These are the six week bands with the largest historical share of settled rain-and-wind days. Views are not included; use the live forecast nearer the trip.
Based on ERA5 reanalysis from the Copernicus Climate Change Service for 1986–2025, summarised for representative high-ground and valley locations. These are reconstructed historical conditions, not a continuous summit weather-station record. Sunshine uses separate Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.
20 mountain areas
Compare another part of the UK.
The comparison uses the whole year, rather than putting each region's single best month beside another's typical conditions.
Angus GlensScotland · about 184 wet days · 1,047 mm rain · 1,411 sunshine hrs41% settled annually Argyll and Loch LomondScotland · about 213 wet days · 1,933 mm rain · 1,179 sunshine hrs39% settled annually Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)Wales · about 170 wet days · 1,161 mm rain · 1,422 sunshine hrs50% settled annually CairngormsScotland · about 197 wet days · 1,135 mm rain · 1,209 sunshine hrs42% settled annually Clwydian Range and BerwynsWales · about 175 wet days · 1,054 mm rain · 1,573 sunshine hrs48% settled annually DartmoorEngland · about 154 wet days · 942 mm rain · 1,494 sunshine hrs54% settled annually Eryri (Snowdonia)Wales · about 195 wet days · 1,355 mm rain · 1,458 sunshine hrs43% settled annually Lake DistrictEngland · about 194 wet days · 1,447 mm rain · 1,225 sunshine hrs43% settled annually Lewis and HarrisScotland · about 206 wet days · 1,204 mm rain · 1,256 sunshine hrs37% settled annually LochaberScotland · about 218 wet days · 1,931 mm rain · 1,005 sunshine hrs38% settled annually Mid Wales and Cambrian MountainsWales · about 180 wet days · 1,159 mm rain · 1,279 sunshine hrs48% settled annually Monadhliath and Creag MeagaidhScotland · about 202 wet days · 1,307 mm rain · 1,091 sunshine hrs41% settled annually North PenninesEngland · about 178 wet days · 1,037 mm rain · 1,421 sunshine hrs47% settled annually Northumberland and CheviotsEngland · about 152 wet days · 761 mm rain · 1,535 sunshine hrs50% settled annually Northwest HighlandsScotland · about 231 wet days · 1,860 mm rain · 1,044 sunshine hrs33% settled annually Peak DistrictEngland · about 164 wet days · 916 mm rain · 1,383 sunshine hrs49% settled annually Perthshire HighlandsScotland · about 198 wet days · 1,483 mm rain · 1,142 sunshine hrs43% settled annually SkyeScotland · about 230 wet days · 2,031 mm rain · 1,200 sunshine hrs36% settled annually Southern ScotlandScotland · about 203 wet days · 1,368 mm rain · 1,215 sunshine hrs42% settled annually Yorkshire DalesEngland · about 183 wet days · 1,219 mm rain · 1,154 sunshine hrs46% settled annually