Northumberland and Cheviots mountain weather forecast.

The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Northumberland and Cheviots

Friday 16 October 2026 · The Cheviots and Northumberland's higher hills

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A fine day in Northumberland and the Cheviots: dry and breezy, with clear tops for most of the day.

High-ground wind · 600 m15-25 mph northwesterly Gusts · 600 m20-30 mph Cloud base1100-1500 m Feels like · 600 m-2 to 2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud breaking up. Brighter spells should become more frequent as cloud breaks.

Modelled sunshine6.7 h60% of daylight
EarlyLess than 1 hour sunshine
Midday2.6 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 10-25 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Some early summit cloud is possible.
91
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 15-25 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more likely to break later.
97

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

01

High-ground wind (600 m)

At around 600 m, expect a north-westerly 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

It should stay dry.

04

Cloud-free summits

Clear-summit estimate: about 70% early, about 90% around midday and about 90% later.

05

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 as long as the tops stay clear.

06

Temperature and wind chill

At around 600 m it will be 2 to 6°C, feeling like -2 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 07:39, Sunset 18:07, about 10.4 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaAcross these hills, a mixed night to camp, mainly because of the cold: gusts of about 20 mph. 59Mixed · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Friday 16 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. A little rain is forecast overnight. A cold night, down to about 2°C around 300 m.

Overnight rain0.3 mmOpen ground · 600 m15 mph · gusts 22 mphMorning pack-upNo wet signal

Moon overnight

Waxing crescent moon

Illuminated disc
34%
Moonrise
Outside this window
Moonset
20:22 BST

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

Overnight window: 16 Oct, 17:00 BST to 17 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 55.478, -2.145. Times vary across the area.

300 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
12 mph / 19 mph
Coldest
2.5°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
Low
600 m59 · mixed
Wind / gust
15 mph / 22 mph
Coldest
2.5°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 & scramblingBetaRock may be damp or still drying. 80Good · 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 (80/100). Some rock may remain damp or incompletely dried, especially in shade and seepage lines. Mapped summit-point geology across the representative hills includes granite, gneiss or gabbro and volcanic rock. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceDamp or dryingExposed gust24 mphRain0.0 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits2 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
granite, gneiss or gabbro 60% 3 representative summitsGenerally grippy when dry and often still positive when damp, but wet slabs, lichen, polish and drainage lines can remain slippery.volcanic rock 40% 2 representative summitsOften grippy when dry, but volcanic rocks vary widely; wet lichen, smooth holds and local seepage can still make them 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.

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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 Northumberland and Cheviots on Friday 16 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 Northumberland and Cheviots.

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.