Lake District mountain weather forecast.

The Lakeland fells. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Lake District

Thursday 8 October 2026 · The Lakeland fells

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A good day in the Lake District, though expect burns in severe spate and rain arriving in the late afternoon.

High-ground wind · 800 m15-25 mph westerly Gusts · 800 m20-30 mph Cloud base800-1100 m Feels like · 800 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Less sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated less often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine3.2 h29% of daylight
Early1 h sunshine
Midday1.6 h sunshine
Later0 h 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 · 08:00–12:00GoodSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later.
74/100
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud becomes more persistent later. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period.
85/100

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

01

High-ground wind (800 m)

At around 800 m, expect a westerly wind of 15–25 mph, gusting 20–30 mph. A wind like that will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.

02

Walking impact

A steady wind of 15–25 mph will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.

03

Spate risk

Severe spate risk based on forecast rainfall. Burns and unbridged crossings may become difficult or impassable. Timing and severity can vary between catchments. Check the peak forecast for the separate rain/runoff periods. Turn back if a crossing looks unsafe.

04

Rain and showers

Rain arrives in the late afternoon and becomes heavier later. Expect 2–5 mm in total. Drizzle is possible on some hills.

05

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 40% early, about 90% around midday and about 60% later.

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops mid-morning. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m in the early evening.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 800 m it will be 0 to 4°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

08

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 07:27, Sunset 18:32, about 11.1 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaNot a night to camp on the open hill anywhere in this area: gusts of about 55 mph and heavy rain, around 75 mm. 9/100Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 8 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Not a night to camp on the open hill anywhere in this area. Gusts reach about 55 mph around 900 m and nearer 40 mph around 300 m, strong enough to flatten or tear a tent. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. About 75 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Above about 600 m you'd likely be in cloud for part of the night: damp, and hard to find your way if you need to move. Overnight lows of about 4°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain74.7 mmOpen ground · 600 m27 mph · gusts 48 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waning crescent moon

Illuminated disc
3%
Moonrise
06:00 next morning BST
Moonset
17:36 BST

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

Overnight window: 8 Oct, 17:00 BST to 9 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 54.454, -3.212. Times vary across the area.

300 m19/100 · very poor
Wind / gust
23 mph / 40 mph
Coldest
5.9°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m9/100 · very poor
Wind / gust
27 mph / 48 mph
Coldest
5.7°C
In cloud
93% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m9/100 · very poor
Wind / gust
32 mph / 57 mph
Coldest
3.9°C
In cloud
93% 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 & scramblingBetaWet rock is likely. 14/100Poor · Very 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 very poor (14/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes volcanic rock, sandstone or gritstone and slate or mudstone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust25 mphRain2.4 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits4 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
volcanic rock 50% 4 representative summitsOften grippy when dry, but volcanic rocks vary widely; wet lichen, smooth holds and local seepage can still make them slippery.sandstone or gritstone 25% 2 representative summitsUsually rough and grippy when dry. Damp sandstone and gritstone can feel greasy, and saturated sandstone may be weakened, so let the rock dry fully.slate or mudstone 12% 1 representative summitOften positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.unclassified rock 12% 1 representative summitGrip and drying behaviour are not well resolved here; treat damp rock conservatively and check the surface directly.

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

Updated 8 October 2026 at 05:28 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Lake District.

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.