Laggan
Creag Meagaidh Weather
Mountain forecast and current conditions · summit 1128m
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 06:28
- Sunset
- 20:06
- Civil dawn
- 05:48
- Civil dusk
- 20:46
NOAA Solar Calculator · 5 September 2026
About the weather here
Creag Meagaidh (1,128m) is the broad mountain north of Loch Laggan, the centre of a national nature reserve and one of Scotland's great winter climbing venues. The walk in from the Aberarder car park on the A86 follows Coire Ardair to a lochan beneath the cliffs, then climbs steeply through the notch known as The Window to the summit plateau. The plateau is huge, gently domed and featureless, and it is where the weather does its damage.
What to expect
Creag Meagaidh sits in the central Highlands, between the wet west and the drier Cairngorms, and gets a share of both. Coire Ardair is sheltered and can be still while the plateau above it is in a gale; The Window funnels wind savagely. The plateau holds cloud, and the summit cairn is some way from the top of The Window across ground with no features to steer by. Snow lies on the plateau and in the corrie longer than on most Highland hills.
Wind exposure
Extreme on the plateau and in The Window. The corrie walk-in is sheltered; the climb through The Window is a wind funnel; the plateau above has no lee for kilometres. Gusts on the plateau edge above the Coire Ardair cliffs are a serious hazard because the cliffs are the one thing you cannot see in cloud.
Winter conditions
Creag Meagaidh in winter is the reason its avalanche forecast exists: the headwall of Coire Ardair and the slopes below The Window are classic avalanche terrain, and the plateau rim above the cliffs carries large cornices. The avalanche forecast linked on this page is written for exactly this ground — read it before every winter visit. Plateau navigation in whiteout is the other hazard; take a bearing from The Window to the summit and back, and do not wander towards the corrie edge.
Avalanche forecast: Creag Meagaidh is in the SAIS Creag Meagaidh forecast area — the link is in the official forecasts below.
Official forecasts
Always check an official mountain forecast before setting out. Current conditions displayed above are from the Open-Meteo API and are indicative only.
Hills in this area
| Hill | Height |
|---|---|
| Stob Poite Coire Ardair | 1053m |
| Beinn a' Chaorainn | 1049m |
| Beinn Teallach | 915m |
| Carn Liath | 1006m |
Frequently asked questions
- Is there an avalanche forecast for Creag Meagaidh?
- Yes — the SAIS forecast area linked on this page is named for this mountain and covers Coire Ardair, The Window and the summits around Loch Laggan. Read it before any winter day on the hill.
- Why is The Window dangerous?
- It is a narrow notch that funnels wind onto anyone climbing through it, and the slopes below it are steep and avalanche-prone in winter. Above it the plateau is featureless, so the top of The Window is the point to decide whether to go on.
- How hard is navigation on the Creag Meagaidh plateau?
- Hard in cloud. The plateau is broad and almost flat, the summit cairn is not obvious, and the Coire Ardair cliffs are on one side. A compass bearing from The Window to the summit and a reverse bearing back are essential in poor visibility.
- Is the walk into Coire Ardair sheltered?
- Mostly, yes. The corrie is long and enclosed, and many people walk to the lochan below the cliffs as a low-level day when the plateau is out of the question. The weather changes at The Window, not before it.
Weather for other locations
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