North Pennines mountain weather forecast.

Fri 20 Nov on the hillsA fine day in the North Pennines: dry, with light winds. See wind, cloud base and timings

Mountain Weather brief

North Pennines

Friday 20 November 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 fine day in the North Pennines: dry, with light winds.

High-ground wind · 700 m5-15 mph westerly Gusts · 700 m10-20 mph Feels like · 700 m-10 to -6°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

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

Modelled sunshine7.9 h88% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday4 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 5-15 mph. Gusts around 10-20 mph are possible on exposed ground. Some early summit cloud is possible.
95
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 5-15 mph. Gusts around 5-15 mph are possible on exposed ground.
95

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 westerly wind of 5–15 mph, gusting 10–20 mph.

02

Walking impact

Little effect on walking, although exposed tops may still feel chilly.

03

Ground conditions

The ground is likely to be wet after recent rain.

04

Rain and showers

It should stay dry.

05

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 60% early and about 60% around midday.

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops should stay mostly clear of cloud. Good spells of sunshine are likely. The air should be clear, so expect far-reaching views whenever the tops come out of the cloud.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 700 m it will be -4 to 0°C, feeling like -10 to -6°C in the wind. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer.

08

Freezing level

The freezing level is around 700–1000 m, so it will be below freezing on the tops.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 07:48, Sunset 16:00, about 8.2 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: dry, with light winds. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Friday 20 November 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 cold night, down to about 0°C around 300 m.

Overnight rain0.0 mmOpen ground · 600 m9 mph · gusts 18 mphMorning pack-upNo wet signal

Moon overnight

Waxing gibbous moon

Illuminated disc
83%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
03:34 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: 54.703, -2.487. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
8 mph / 15 mph
Coldest
0.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
9 mph / 18 mph
Coldest
0.6°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. Rock may be damp or still drying. 31Poor · 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 (31/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. 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 surfaceDry overhead; seepage uncertainExposed gust14 mphRain0.0 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 Friday 20 November 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 November 2026 at 16:37 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.