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

Tuesday 20 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 mixed day in Mid Wales and the Cambrian Mountains, with cloud coming and going on the summits.

High-ground wind · 700 m10-20 mph southeasterly Gusts · 700 m15-25 mph Cloud base600-1100 m Feels like · 700 m0 to 4°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

More sunshine later. Sunshine is indicated more often later in the day.

Modelled sunshine5 h45% of daylight
Early0 h sunshine
Midday2 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 · 08:00–12:00MixedSummit winds around 5-20 mph. Gusts around 15-25 mph are possible on exposed ground. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views early on.
64
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 10-20 mph are possible on exposed ground. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period. Cloud may restrict summit views around midday and later.
64

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 south-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

Drizzle at first, clearing by early afternoon.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 30% early, about 35% around midday and about 25% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

Expect many summits to be in cloud for most of the day. The cloud base could be as low as 600–700 m in the late afternoon. In cloud you'll be finding your way without landmarks, so carry navigation you trust and know how to use, with a backup such as a spare battery or a map and compass. Any sunshine is more likely on lower ground than on the summits.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 m it will be 6 to 10°C, feeling like 0 to 4°C in the wind. Take a warm layer and a hat for the top. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

07

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:48, Sunset 18:09, about 10.3 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a reasonable night to camp, with a well-chosen pitch: gusts of about 30 mph. 64Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Tuesday 20 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Across these hills, a reasonable night to camp, with a well-chosen pitch. Gusts reach about 30 mph on open ground, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the southeast. Some light 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 6°C at 900 m.

Overnight rain2.2 mmOpen ground · 600 m13 mph · gusts 25 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
72%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
01:44 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: 52.787, -3.688. Times vary across the area.

300 m64 · mixed
Wind / gust
11 mph / 21 mph
Coldest
6.8°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m64 · mixed
Wind / gust
13 mph / 25 mph
Coldest
6.8°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
900 m54 · mixed
Wind / gust
16 mph / 29 mph
Coldest
5.6°C
In cloud
100% 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. 49Poor · Mixed 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 mixed (49/100). 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, granite, gneiss or gabbro and sandstone or gritstone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust20 mphRain1.1 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 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 14 October 2026 at 15:27 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.