Yorkshire Dales mountain weather forecast.

The Three Peaks and surrounding fells. Height-aware guidance for wind, cloud, rain and temperature.

Mountain Weather brief

Yorkshire Dales

Thursday 8 October 2026 · The Three Peaks and surrounding fells

Confidence: Medium Why?

Uncertainty over sky cloud cover and sunshine.

What matters most

A good day in the Yorkshire Dales, though expect burns likely to be in spate and rain arriving in the late afternoon.

High-ground wind · 600 m10-20 mph westerly Gusts · 600 m15-25 mph Cloud base900-1400 m Feels like · 600 m-6 to -2°C
Regional median

Sunshine and sky

Cloud becoming more extensive. Cloud cover is likely to increase as sunshine becomes less frequent.

Modelled sunshine5.2 h48% of daylight
Early2 h sunshine
Midday2.4 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 · 08:00–12:00GoodSummit winds around 5-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground. Summit cloud is more persistent early in this period, with better prospects later.
74/100
Afternoon · 12:00–17:00ExcellentSummit winds around 10-20 mph. Gusts around 20-30 mph are possible on exposed ground.
87/100

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 westerly wind of 10–20 mph, gusting 15–25 mph.

02

Walking impact

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

03

Spate risk

High spate risk based on forecast rainfall. Burns and unbridged crossings may become difficult or impassable. Timing and severity can vary between catchments. Check the peak forecast for the separate rain/runoff periods. Turn back if a crossing looks unsafe.

04

Rain and showers

Rain arrives in the late afternoon. Expect 2–5 mm in total.

05

Cloud-free summits

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

06

Cloud and visibility

The tops are likely to drift in and out of cloud, with the best chance of clear tops mid-morning. The cloud base could be as low as 500–800 m early in the morning. Some forecast models are much cloudier overhead. That may limit sunshine without putting the summits in cloud.

07

Temperature and wind chill

At around 600 m it will be 0 to 4°C, feeling like -6 to -2°C in the wind. It turns milder through the day. Take a hat, gloves, a windproof and a spare warm layer. Pack waterproofs too, and keep a warm layer dry in your pack.

08

Freezing level

The freezing level is above the summits.

09

Daylight

Sunrise 07:23, Sunset 18:28, about 11.1 hours daylight.

Overnight · 17:00–08:00Wild campingBetaToo windy for an exposed pitch up around 600 m on some hills (gusts of about 45 mph and heavy rain, around 25 mm). Lower down, a poor night to camp on open ground. 19/100Poor · 600 m View detailsHide details
Regional night beginning Thursday 8 October 2026

Full regional overnight outlook

Too windy for an exposed pitch up around 600 m on some hills. Lower down, a poor night to camp on open ground. Gusts reach about 45 mph on open ground, which makes for a noisy, testing night even in a good tent. Check the forecast for the hill and height you have in mind, and don't assume lower ground will be sheltered. About 26 mm of rain is forecast overnight. Up around 600 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 600 m.

Overnight rain26.1 mmOpen ground · 600 m24 mph · gusts 44 mphMorning pack-upDampness possible

Moon overnight

Waning crescent moon

Illuminated disc
3%
Moonrise
05:57 next morning BST
Moonset
17:33 BST

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

Overnight window: 8 Oct, 17:00 BST to 9 Oct, 08:00 BST. Approximate open-horizon times; hills can hide the Moon. Still take a headtorch.

Representative location: 54.595, -2.341. Times vary across the area.

300 m39/100 · poor
Wind / gust
20 mph / 36 mph
Coldest
5.9°C
In cloud
0% of modelled night
Condensation
High
600 m19/100 · very poor
Wind / gust
24 mph / 44 mph
Coldest
5.6°C
In cloud
89% 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. 15/100Poor · Very 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 very poor (15/100). 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 slate or mudstone, sandstone or gritstone and limestone. Rock can therefore respond differently to moisture between crags and routes.

Rock surfaceWet rock likelyExposed gust23 mphRain3.6 mm
Mapped rock across sampled summits3 broad familiesSummit samples, not a survey of every crag
slate or mudstone 62% 5 representative summitsOften positive when dry, but smooth, polished or slabby sections can become markedly more slippery when damp.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.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.

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 Yorkshire Dales on Thursday 8 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 8 October 2026 at 15:30 UTC. See typical weekly and monthly conditions for Yorkshire Dales.

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.