Compare Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) before choosing a start date for the 24-hour National Three Peaks Challenge.
Every summit is shown side by side. The combined grade gives extra weight to the weakest forecast.
A poor day on the tops of Ben Nevis, with the summit in cloud for most of the day and rain for much of the day.
A poor day on the tops of Scafell Pike, with rain for much of the day and the summit in cloud for most of the day.
A good day on Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa: light winds and clear tops for most of the day.
Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.
Daytime blocks across Tue 20 Oct and the following day.
Compare a north-to-south sequence with the reverse. These broad blocks are not arrival times or a route schedule.
Ben Nevis to Yr Wyddfa
Yr Wyddfa to Ben Nevis
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:45 BST to 00:15 BST next morning
Window: 19 Oct, 17:00 BST to 20 Oct, 08:00 BST
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:40 BST to 00:20 BST next morning
Window: 19 Oct, 17:00 BST to 20 Oct, 08:00 BST
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:45 BST to 00:30 BST next morning
Window: 19 Oct, 17:00 BST to 20 Oct, 08:00 BST
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:45 BST to 01:35 BST next morning
Window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 Oct, 08:00 BST
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:40 BST to 01:40 BST next morning
Window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 Oct, 08:00 BST
Waxing gibbous moon
Moon up during darker hours18:45 BST to 01:45 BST next morning
Window: 20 Oct, 17:00 BST to 21 Oct, 08:00 BST
Approximate times in UK local time, for an open horizon. Moon-up periods are rounded to five minutes. Hills and cloud can hide the Moon. Illumination is the sunlit percentage of its disc, not how bright your route will be. Darker hours here begin after civil twilight. This almanac covers only the stated overnight window and does not change the weather grade. Take a headtorch and spare power regardless.
The National Three Peaks Challenge links the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales. Conditions can differ sharply between the three summits, so this page keeps each forecast visible rather than reducing the route to one national weather symbol.
For this challenge, the selected date is treated as the start date. The sequence comparison uses the first summit in the afternoon or evening, the middle summit the following morning and the final summit the following afternoon or evening. It is a broad weather comparison, not a route schedule.
Read National Three Peaks route information