North Pennines mountain weather forecast.

Cross Fell and the North Pennine moors. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

North Pennines

Wednesday 21 October 2026 · Cross Fell and the North Pennine moors

Confidence: Unavailable Why?

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

What matters most

A good day in the North Pennines, though expect drizzle arriving in the early afternoon.

High-ground wind · 700 m15-25 mph southerly Gusts · 700 m20-30 mph Cloud base600-1100 m Feels like · 700 m-10 to -6°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Sunshine through the day. The time blocks show where the model places the brighter spells.

Modelled sunshine2.5 h26% of daylight
Early0.9 h sunshine
Midday1 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 · 08:00–12:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-25 mph. Gusts around 25-35 mph are possible on exposed ground.
88
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00MixedMore rain is expected. Summit winds around 15-25 mph. Gusts around 25-35 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud becomes more persistent later. Rain is forecast on some hills during this period.
59

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 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

Drizzle sets in during the early afternoon. Expect 2–5 mm in total. On some hills, cloud may make navigation difficult, with very poor visibility in wetter spells.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 90% early, about 75% around midday and about 40% later.

05

Cloud and visibility

The tops start clear, but the cloud comes down onto them in the early afternoon.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -10 to -6°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 above the summits.

08

Daylight

Sunrise 07:49, Sunset 17:58, about 10.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the rain: about 6 mm of rain. 59Mixed · 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 rain. Gusts reach about 30 mph on open ground, so peg out well and use the guylines. Look for shelter from the south. About 6 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Overnight lows of about 6°C at 300 m.

Overnight rain6.1 mmOpen ground · 600 m16 mph · gusts 29 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
80%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
02:53 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: 54.703, -2.487. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
13 mph / 24 mph
Coldest
6.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
16 mph / 29 mph
Coldest
6.5°C
In cloud
0% 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. 21Poor · 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 poor (21/100). Rain is likely to leave rock wet. Polished slabs, vegetation and drainage lines may be notably worse. Gusts may reach about 30 mph on exposed ground, making crosswinds an important route consideration. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes sandstone or gritstone, slate or mudstone and limestone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust28 mphRain3.0 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits4 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
sandstone or gritstone 38% 3 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 38% 3 representative summitsOften positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.limestone 12% 1 representative summitUsually positive where it is rough and dry, but polished limestone can become very slippery when wet and seepage may linger.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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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 North Pennines on Wednesday 21 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 05:28 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for North Pennines.

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.