Dartmoor mountain weather forecast.

The high moor and tors. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Dartmoor

Thursday 15 October 2026 · The high moor and tors

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over rain amounts and timing. Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A poor day on the tops in Dartmoor, with a blustery wind.

High-ground wind · 500 m25-35 mph southwesterly Gusts · 500 m35-45 mph Cloud base400-700 m Feels like · 500 m8 to 12°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Sunshine varies by period. Sunshine amounts vary between the morning, midday and later periods.

Modelled sunshine5 h45% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday4 h sunshine
LaterLess than 1 hour sunshine

These are direct modelled sunshine hours during daylight, not the probability of sunshine. Cloud cover and summit cloud are assessed separately in the forecast above. The regional median prevents one unusually bright or dull summit cell defining the whole area.

Overnight forecast: 17:00–08:00 (UK local time), in Wild camping below.

Morning · 08:00–12:00PoorSummit winds around 15-35 mph. Gusts around 35-45 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.
37
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedSummit winds around 10-30 mph. Gusts around 35-45 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.
61

Conservative regional grades across representative summits, so one sheltered hill does not overstate the wider area.

01

High-ground wind (500 m)

At around 500 m, expect a south-westerly wind of 25–35 mph, gusting 35–45 mph. Gusts like that are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 35–45 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Rain and showers

Dry through the daylight hours, but rain arrives after dark. Rain remains possible, as forecast models disagree on whether and when it may arrive.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay clear of cloud all day. The air should be clear too, so expect far-reaching views from the tops.

06

Temperature and wind chill

Around 13°C at 500 m, feeling like 10°C in the wind.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:37, Sunset 18:24, about 10.8 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the rain: around 8 mm of rain. 49Poor · 300 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 15 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the rain. Gusts reach about 30 mph on open ground, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the southwest. About 8 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Overnight lows of about 7°C at 300 m.

Overnight rain8.2 mmOpen ground · 300 m17 mph · gusts 29 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
26%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
20:17 BST

Cloud and terrain vary across the area. Illumination describes the sunlit part of the Moon, not brightness at your pitch.

Overnight window: 15 Oct, 17:00 BST to 16 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 50.685, -4.011. Times vary across the area.

300 m49 · mixed
Wind / gust
17 mph / 29 mph
Coldest
7.0°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High

Open-hillside guidance across representative hills. Local shelter, ridges, tent design and the exact pitch can change conditions substantially. Read about sleeping-bag comfort ratings, pitching in strong winds or using the wild-camping forecast.

Daytime · exposed rockClimbing & scramblingBetaRock may be damp or still drying. Gusts near 40 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 34Poor · Poor View detailsHide details
Regional rock conditions · sampled mountain terrain

Regional climbing & scrambling outlook

A broad guide to dampness and exposed rock across the area, not a forecast for every crag. Lower, sheltered crags and individual rock types may behave differently.

Conditions for exposed scrambling across the area look poor (34/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. Gusts may reach about 40 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceDamp or dryingExposed gust39 mphRainPossible · 72%
Mapped rock across sampled summits1 broad familySummit samples, not a survey of every crag
granite, gneiss or gabbro 100% 5 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.

Representative summit-point samples across the region; individual crags and routes may differ.

Generic exposed hands-on-rock terrain across representative summits; mapped summit-point geology is a broad regional sample, not a named-route survey. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. How to use the climbing and scrambling 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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Help the Mountain Decisions Project understand how forecasts influence hill days, including when plans stay the same. Findings will be shared publicly as summaries, not individual responses.

This is about Dartmoor on Thursday 15 October 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

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Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.

Updated 14 October 2026 at 15:27 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Dartmoor.

More context for your hill day

Check the approach as well as the tops

Compare midge conditions by day and height, or look for a possible cloud inversion. For Snowdon and Tryfan, camera-derived cloud-base observations add a view of conditions already seen on the slopes.