Ben Nevis1,345 m
20Poor
A poor day on the tops of Ben Nevis, with sleet or snow up high and the summit in cloud for most of the day.
Wind18 mph NGusts 24 mph
Rain12.0 mm
Summit views14%
Three Peaks Challenge weather forecast
Compare Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) before choosing a start date for the 24-hour National Three Peaks Challenge.
3 summitsUsually attempted within 24 hours
Forecast comparison
Every summit is shown side by side. The combined grade gives extra weight to the weakest forecast.
SummitGradeForecast summaryWindRainSummit viewsDetails
Scafell Pike978 m
44Poor
A poor day on the tops of Scafell Pike, with sleet or snow up high and cloud coming and going on the summit.
Wind28 mph WGusts 38 mph
Rain6.3 mm
Summit views32%
Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa1,085 mLimiting summit
6Poor
A poor day on the tops of Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa, with burns likely to be in spate and sleet or snow up high.
Wind32 mph NWGusts 43 mph
Rain15.6 mm
Summit views42%
Weather data: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Adapted by Mountain Weather.
24-hour challenge planning
Daytime blocks across Wed 21 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.
Overnight walking conditions are not included yetAM covers 07:00 to 13:00; PM covers 13:00 to 22:00. We do not recommend a direction from these daytime grades alone.
North to south
Ben Nevis to Yr Wyddfa
- Start summit, afternoon or eveningWed 21 Oct · PMBen Nevis16
- Middle summit, following morningThu 22 Oct · AMScafell Pike82
- Final summit, following afternoon or eveningThu 22 Oct · PMSnowdon - Yr Wyddfa72
South to north
Yr Wyddfa to Ben Nevis
- Start summit, afternoon or eveningWed 21 Oct · PMSnowdon - Yr Wyddfa15
- Middle summit, following morningThu 22 Oct · AMScafell Pike82
- Final summit, following afternoon or eveningThu 22 Oct · PMBen Nevis65
Moon for your challenge
Night before your chosen day: Tuesday 20 October 2026
Ben Nevis
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 72%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 01:36 next morning BST
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
Scafell Pike
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 72%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 01:37 next morning BST
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
Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 72%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 01:45 next morning BST
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
Night beginning Wednesday 21 October 2026
Ben Nevis
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 80%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 03:00 next morning BST
Moon up during darker hours18:40 BST to 03:00 BST next morning
Window: 21 Oct, 17:00 BST to 22 Oct, 08:00 BST
Scafell Pike
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 80%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 02:57 next morning BST
Moon up during darker hours18:40 BST to 02:55 BST next morning
Window: 21 Oct, 17:00 BST to 22 Oct, 08:00 BST
Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa
Waxing gibbous moon
- Illuminated disc
- 80%
- Moonrise
- Outside this window
- Moonset
- 03:03 next morning BST
Moon up during darker hours18:45 BST to 03:05 BST next morning
Window: 21 Oct, 17:00 BST to 22 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.
Planning the National Three Peaks
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