Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains mountain weather forecast.

Cadair Idris, Pumlumon and the central Welsh hills. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains

Saturday 17 October 2026 · Cadair Idris, Pumlumon and the central Welsh hills

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

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

What matters most

A fine day in Mid Wales and the Cambrian Mountains: dry, with light winds and clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 700 m10-20 mph northeasterly Gusts · 700 m15-25 mph Cloud base1300-1600 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 sunshine10 h91% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday4 h sunshine
Later2 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 · 08:00–12:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground.
93
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 10-20 mph are possible on exposed ground.
99

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 north-easterly wind of 10–20 mph, gusting 15–25 mph.

02

Walking impact

Noticeable on exposed ground, but unlikely to impede most walking.

03

Rain and showers

It should stay dry.

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

At around 700 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:42, Sunset 18:16, about 10.6 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: a frost, down to -2°C. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Saturday 17 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold. Light winds on open ground, gusting no more than about 20 mph. It should stay dry. A frost up around 900 m, down to about -2°C.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m10 mph · gusts 16 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
44%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
21:59 BST

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

Overnight window: 17 Oct, 17:00 BST to 18 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 52.787, -3.688. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
8 mph / 12 mph
Coldest
4.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
10 mph / 16 mph
Coldest
4.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
900 m39 · poor
Wind / gust
14 mph / 20 mph
Coldest
-2.2°C
In cloud
0% 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 & scramblingBetaRock may be damp or still drying. 78Good · Good 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 good (78/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes volcanic rock, granite, gneiss or gabbro and sandstone or gritstone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceDry overhead; seepage uncertainExposed gust23 mphRain0.0 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits3 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.granite, gneiss or gabbro 25% 2 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain 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.

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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This is about Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains on Saturday 17 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 12 October 2026 at 15:29 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Mid Wales and Cambrian Mountains.

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.