Lake District mountain weather forecast.

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

Mountain Weather brief

Lake District

Tuesday 20 October 2026 · The Lakeland fells

Confidence: Medium Why?

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

What matters most

A good day in the Lake District: dry and breezy.

High-ground wind · 800 m15-25 mph southerly Gusts · 800 m20-30 mph Cloud base800-1300 m Feels like · 800 m0 to 4°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

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

Modelled sunshine9.2 h83% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday4 h sunshine
Later1.2 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 10-25 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Some early summit cloud is possible. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours.
70
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00GoodSummit winds around 15-25 mph. Gusts around 25-35 mph are possible on exposed ground. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours.
80

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 southerly 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

Rain and showers

Mostly dry. Rain is possible during the main walking period, but its timing may shift by several hours. The timing may shift by a few hours.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 65% early, about 60% around midday and about 75% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

Cloud on the tops early should lift off them by mid-morning. The cloud base could be as low as 600–800 m around midday. Mist or fog is possible in some valleys early on. Good spells of sunshine are likely.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 800 m it will be 6 to 10°C, feeling like 0 to 4°C in the wind. A windproof and an extra layer for stops will help.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:50, Sunset 18:03, about 10.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a good night for a wild camp: dry, with light winds. 82Good · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Tuesday 20 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a good night for a wild camp. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 20 mph. It should stay dry. Overnight lows of about 6°C at 300 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m11 mph · gusts 19 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
72%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
01:37 next morning BST

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

Overnight window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 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 m82 · promising
Wind / gust
8 mph / 16 mph
Coldest
5.8°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate
600 m82 · promising
Wind / gust
11 mph / 19 mph
Coldest
5.8°C
In cloud
7% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
900 m82 · promising
Wind / gust
12 mph / 22 mph
Coldest
7.7°C
In cloud
7% of modelled night
Condensation
Moderate

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 & scramblingBetaPatchy rain could leave exposed holds damp or slippery. 65Mixed · Fair 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 fair (65/100). Likely to stay mostly dry, but patchy rain remains possible. Exposed rock could become damp or slippery. 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 surfaceDry initially; rain possibleExposed gust28 mphRainPossible · 28%
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.

Does the weather shape your plans?Optional hill-user research. One answer helps; further questions are up to you.Take part

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 Lake District on Tuesday 20 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 15 October 2026 at 15:29 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.