Lake District mountain weather forecast.

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

Mountain Weather brief

Lake District

Wednesday 21 October 2026 · The Lakeland fells

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

A comparable model-confidence estimate is not available for this forecast.

What matters most

A mixed day in the Lake District, with a blustery wind and drizzle arriving in the early afternoon.

High-ground wind · 800 m20-30 mph southerly Gusts · 800 m30-40 mph Cloud base1000-1400 m Feels like · 800 m-8 to -4°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud becoming more extensive. Cloud cover is likely to increase as sunshine becomes less frequent.

Modelled sunshine5 h45% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday2 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 15-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Some early summit cloud is possible.
72
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedMore rain is expected. Summit winds around 20-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Gusts this strong can make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views around midday and later.
59

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 20–30 mph, gusting 30–40 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 30–40 mph are strong enough to make walking into it hard work, with buffeting on ridges and edges.

03

Rain and showers

Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon. Expect 2–5 mm in total. Visibility may drop briefly in showers in parts of the area.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 80% early, about 50% around midday and about 30% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay mostly clear of cloud. The cloud base could be as low as 600–800 m in the late afternoon.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 800 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -8 to -4°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.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:52, Sunset 18:01, about 10.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind: about 7 mm of rain. 57Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Wednesday 21 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the wind. Gusts reach about 35 mph around 900 m and nearer 25 mph around 300 m, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the south. About 7 mm of rain is forecast overnight. 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. Overnight lows of about 4°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain6.6 mmOpen ground · 600 m12 mph · gusts 28 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
80%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
02:57 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: 21 Oct, 17:00 BST to 22 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 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
10 mph / 23 mph
Coldest
6.6°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m57 · mixed
Wind / gust
12 mph / 28 mph
Coldest
6.6°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m44 · poor
Wind / gust
14 mph / 33 mph
Coldest
4.1°C
In cloud
53% 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 & scramblingBetaSub-zero temperatures and moisture may leave icy patches on exposed rock. Wet rock is likely. Gusts near 35 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 16Poor · 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 (16/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 35 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. 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 gust36 mphRain3.6 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 15 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.