The day on the hill
A good day on Càrn an Fhreiceadain, though expect cloud coming and going on the summit.
Wind
On the summit expect light winds of up to 15 mph, mainly south-easterly, with gusts of 10–20 mph at the windiest.
Cloud and visibility
The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of a clear summit around midday. The cloud base could be as low as 600–900 m mid-afternoon. Mist or fog is possible in the valleys early on, clearing by about 10am.
Rain and ground
It should stay dry.
Warmth and kit
On the tops it will be around -2 to 2°C, feeling like -8 to -4°C in the wind. The freezing level is above the summits. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.
Daylight
A short day, with only about 9 hours of daylight. Sunset is around 4:25pm, so allow time to get off the hill before dark, and carry a head torch.
Forecast confidence
Cloud height is hard to pin down, so the summit could be in or out of cloud at short notice. Things could still change through the day, so keep an eye on the sky.
Sunshine context Model-grid estimate, not summit sunshine
The surrounding model grid indicates 3.2 h of sunshine. This is not a forecast of time in sunshine on the summit. Use the cloud and views outlook above for the conditions on this mountain.
Cloud may obscure this summit even while the surrounding model grid indicates sunshine. The low cloud-free summit estimate is a reason to be cautious about expecting views.
- Early
- 0 h
- Midday
- 3 h
- Later
- 0 h
Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.
Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaA mixed night to camp, mainly because of damp air: dry, with light winds. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Full overnight outlook
A mixed night to camp, mainly because of damp air. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 20 mph. It should stay dry. Up around 900 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. The air is damp at every height we checked (300-900 m), so expect heavy condensation. Leave the vents open. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 900 m. A warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag rated to about 0°C comfort, and a warm mat, should do. Allow more if you sleep cold.
Moon overnight
Waning crescent moon
- Illuminated disc
- 11%
- Moonrise
- 04:14 next morning GMT
- Moonset
- Outside this window
Extensive cloud may limit moonlight. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.
Overnight window: 5 Nov, 17:00 GMT to 6 Nov, 08:00 GMT. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.
Elevation reference (open ground)
- Wind / gust
- 9 mph / 14 mph
- Typical / low
- 3.8°C / 3.5°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 11 mph / 16 mph
- Typical / low
- 3.8°C / 3.5°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 0% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
- Wind / gust
- 13 mph / 19 mph
- Typical / low
- 2.3°C / 2.1°C · much of the night
- In cloud
- 100% of modelled night
- Condensation
- High
Warmth planning: As a broad starting point, consider a warm 3-season or 3–4 season bag with an ISO/EN comfort rating at or below about 0°C. Allow more margin if you sleep cold or expect fatigue, and use an adequate insulated mat. Dampness is possible, so keep the sleep system dry and ensure its insulation remains effective if damp.
Open-hillside reference. A sheltered pitch may be calmer; cols and ridges may be much windier. Tent design and the exact pitch still matter. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.
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Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaFair conditions for exposed scrambling. Mixed60 View detailsHide details
Full climbing & scrambling outlook
Fair conditions for exposed scrambling. The rock should be mostly dry, though drainage lines and shaded holds may still be damp. Cloud on the tops may make route-finding and retreat harder. The rock around the summit is mostly micaceous psammite, a hard, sandy rock flecked with mica. It grips well when dry and can be slippery when wet where the mica shows. It is generally solid and blocky. These are general notes for each rock type, taken from geological maps around the summit, so the rock on your line may differ.
Micaceous psammite is a hard, sandy rock flecked with mica. It grips well when dry and can be slippery when wet where the mica shows. It is generally solid and blocky. These are general notes for each rock type, from geological map samples at and around the summit. The rock on your line can differ, and lichen, vegetation and seepage all change how it feels underfoot.
Generic exposed scrambling terrain; BGS summit-area bedrock samples are included where available, but route grade, exact rock, polish, drainage and escape options remain unresolved. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling forecast.
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Overnight · Aurora, stars & meteorsAfter darkBetaMostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. View forecastClose forecast
After dark: aurora and stargazing
Night beginning 2026-11-05. All times are UK local time.
A noticeable aurora display is unlikely; any glow may be faint or camera-only
Too quiet for a likely sighting from here. Activity peaks around Kp 2.7 (on a 0 to 9 scale). It would take about Kp 3.7 for a camera to pick up a glow low in the north, though that is not a hard line. NOAA has a G1 storm watch out for this date, though the timing of the strongest activity can shift.
Activity can change at short notice. Check again on the night.
Stargazing
Poor sky conditions during the best available spell: 5 Nov, 19:00 GMT to 20:00 GMT.
Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars.
Moon-free dark sky: 5 Nov, 18:35 GMT to 6 Nov, 04:25 GMT.
Sky conditions through the night
| Time | Viewing conditions |
|---|---|
| 5 Nov, 18:35 GMT to 19:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. |
| 5 Nov, 19:00 GMT to 20:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 5 Nov, 20:00 GMT to 21:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 5 Nov, 21:00 GMT to 22:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 5 Nov, 22:00 GMT to 23:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 5 Nov, 23:00 GMT to 6 Nov, 00:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 00:00 GMT to 01:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 01:00 GMT to 02:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 02:00 GMT to 03:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 03:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 04:00 GMT to 05:00 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
| 6 Nov, 05:00 GMT to 05:25 GMT | Poor sky conditions Mostly cloudy, so little chance of seeing the stars. Hazy, which dims the fainter stars. |
Moon, darkness and meteor showers
Crescent moon, about 10% illuminated.
Moonrise around 6 Nov, 04:25 GMT.
Full darkness: 5 Nov, 18:35 GMT to 6 Nov, 05:25 GMT.
Moon times assume an open horizon. Hills can hide the Moon sooner. Moon-free does not mean cloud-free.
Southern Taurids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
Orionids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
Northern Taurids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
Leonids are active on this night. Activity may be much lower away from the peak.
- Southern Taurids: peak around 10 October 2026.
- Orionids: peak around 21 October 2026.
- Northern Taurids: peak around 12 November 2026.
- Leonids: peak around 18 November 2026.
- Geminids: peak around 14 December 2026.
- Ursids: peak around 22 December 2026.
Dates from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Activity dates do not guarantee visible meteors. Look across a broad, dark sky, not only north.
Darkness of the surroundings
Estimated darkness rank 351 of 980 assessed peaks (1 is darkest), based on surrounding artificial light in 2021. This is not a measurement of tonight’s sky.
2021 artificial-light baseline, not measured sky brightness or a Bortle class. Changes to lighting, blue-rich LEDs, terrain screening, atmospheric scattering and cloud-reflected light are not resolved. Similar ranks are not meaningfully distinct. Darkness is not a recommendation to climb a summit at night.
VIIRS nighttime lights: Earth Observation Group, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines. Reprocessed by OpenGeoHub/OpenLandMap. Cropped and ranked by Mountain Weather.
Sky-weather grades exclude light pollution, terrain and thin haze. They are not mountain safety ratings. Check the mountain and camping forecast separately. Accessible lower viewpoints may be a better choice than summits.
Explore the dedicated aurora forecast, meteor shower forecast or dark-sky and astrophotography forecast.
Recommended kit for this dayWeather-aware packing prompts, plus your core hillwalking kitView kit
For a day hillwalk, not a complete route-specific checklist. Carry navigation and backup you can use, warm and waterproof layers, suitable footwear, food and water, a headtorch, emergency shelter, first aid and a way to call for help. Snow, ice, technical terrain and overnight trips need additional equipment and skills.
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