Lewis and Harris mountain weather forecast.

Fri 20 Nov on the hillsA mixed day in Lewis and Harris, with sleet or snow on the tops and cloud coming and going on the summits. See wind, cloud base and timings

Mountain Weather brief

Lewis and Harris

Friday 20 November 2026 · The Harris hills and Clisham

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

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

What matters most

A mixed day in Lewis and Harris, with sleet or snow on the tops and cloud coming and going on the summits.

High-ground wind · 700 m20-30 mph southerly Gusts · 700 m25-35 mph Cloud base700-1000 m Feels like · 700 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

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

Modelled sunshine3.7 h46% of daylight
Early0.8 h sunshine
Midday1.9 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 · 08:00–12:00MixedSummit winds around 15-25 mph. Gusts around 25-35 mph are possible on exposed ground. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views early on.
64
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00GoodSummit winds around 20-30 mph. Gusts around 30-40 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more likely to break later.
70

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

01

High-ground wind (700 m)

At around 700 m, expect a southerly wind of 20–30 mph, gusting 25–35 mph. Gusts like that will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.

02

Walking impact

Gusts of 25–35 mph will be noticeable on ridges and open tops, and you will chill quickly when you stop.

03

Rain and showers

Sleet at first, clearing by midday. Expect up to 2 mm in total, measured as melted water, so any snow would lie deeper. On some hills, sleet is possible on the tops. Small temperature changes could shift the mix towards rain or snow. Sleet or snow is possible on some higher tops in the morning, with small temperature changes affecting the mix. The air freezing level is roughly 800 to 1000 m above sea level. Snow can fall below this, but its lower limit is uncertain.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 40% early, about 45% around midday and about 55% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops later in the day.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 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.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is close to summit height.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 08:23, Sunset 16:01, about 7.6 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a poor night to camp on open ground: gusts of about 40 mph. 39Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Friday 20 November 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a poor night to camp on open ground. Gusts reach about 40 mph on open ground, which makes for a noisy, testing night even in a good tent. Look for shelter from the south. It should stay dry. A cold night, down to about 3°C around 600 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m21 mph · gusts 38 mphMorning pack-upNo wet signal

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
83%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
03:59 next morning GMT

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

Overnight window: 20 Nov, 17:00 GMT to 21 Nov, 08:00 GMT. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 57.964, -6.813. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
18 mph / 32 mph
Coldest
3.1°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m39 · poor
Wind / gust
21 mph / 38 mph
Coldest
2.7°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low

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 & scramblingBetaSnow is likely to be lying on some high ground. Scrambling may require winter mountaineering skills and equipment. Wet rock is likely. Gusts near 35 mph may affect balance on exposed rock. 13Poor · 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 (13/100). 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 granite, gneiss or gabbro. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust36 mphRain0.4 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits1 broad familySummit samples, not a survey of every crag
granite, gneiss or gabbro 100% 1 representative summitGenerally 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.

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 Lewis and Harris on Friday 20 November 2026. It asks about intentions, not whether you actually went out. No name or account is needed.

Open the questions to take part.

About the research and your privacy · Already been out? Share that experience instead

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

Updated 14 November 2026 at 16:37 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Lewis and Harris.

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.