I will try to update our weekly weather synopsis every Thursday in time for the weekend dash to the hills.

I’m not a trained meteorologist far from it, just a passionate interest over the years.
With access to Internet satellite images, data streams and computer analysis readily available forecasting has become “easier” over the last 10 years.
However, the UK is influenced by a very dynamic series of converging weather systems that sometimes just seem to defy weather logic, if that's not a paradoxical statement.
Forecasters can see what’s happening for example out in the Atlantic, where most of our weather originates and make a call on what’s going to happen.

Then the weather does an about turn and throws the predictions out of the window.

It’s difficult enough predicting the weather but getting the timing of the weather event right is the hard one.
It’s easier to generalise about a region but to get specific location accuracy is near impossible.

Tip: For advanced weather forecasts: Gather information from several weather resources (not just one).
Compare them and try to correlate the information. Then read a daily report e.g. Geoff Monks, and view the Web Cams if available

Disclaimer: This forecast is exactly that, a forecast. No responsibility for its accuracy will be accepted by TheFrontPoint web site contributors.

West Scotland
Thursday 1st April: Snowy and windy gusting to 30mph, snow may clear by mid afternoon, +1c
Friday 2nd April: Cold start -6c, sunny spells developing, snow showers later in the day, +2c
Saturday 3rd: Easterly breeze, snow showers on and off, with a few clear spells +2c
Sunday 4th April: Light breeze, snow showers, overcast +2c
Monday 5th April: Cool night -3c, clear spells developing


East Scotland
Thursday 1st April: Snowy and windy gusting to 40mph, snow most of the daylight hours, -2c
Friday 2nd April: Cold start -10c, sunny spells developing, snow showers later in the day, freezing
Saturday 3rd: Easterly breeze, snow showers on and off, with a few clear spells -2c.
Sunday 4th April: Light breeze, heavy snow showers merging, overcast +2c
Monday 5th April: Cool night -3c, overcast, +2c

Lake District
Thursday 1st April: Snow showers on and off,  wind gusting to 25mph, hours, +2c
Friday 2nd April: Chilly start to the day -2c, sunny spells may develop, sleet and snow showers later in the day above 700m
Saturday 3rd: Easterly breeze, sleets and snow showers on and off, with a few clear spells -2c.
Sunday 4th April: Light breeze to start but may become blustery after lunchtime, some sleet and  snow overcast +4c
Monday 5th April: Cool night -1c, dull and overcast, +4c

Snowdonia
Thursday 1st April: Snow showers during the morning,  light wind, maybe snow towards evening
Friday 2nd April: Chilly start to the day -1c, sunny spells may develop, sleet and snow showers later in the day above 900m
Saturday 3rd: Easterly breeze, sleets and snow showers on and off, dull and overcast +3c.
Sunday 4th April: Light breeze to start but may become blustery after lunchtime, some sleet and  snow overcast +4c
Monday 5th April: Cool night -1c, dull and overcast, some sleet, +4c

If the image below does not appear, the server is in the process of acquiring the latest set of images, please check back in a minute
The images will update approximately every hour

The readings are taken from weather stations mainly at "key" points e.g airports, gas and oil rigs, etc.

Not available at the moment

Dundee Satellite Station

Register it's free, groovy satellite images of our current weather. Please support their ongoing research and buy a poster for your bedroom wall

MWIS

Invaluable: Daily mountain forecasts main page for all regions. Read it the night before you set out.
An additional web page was added in early 2006 containing more adverts before you click again to get the PDF weather forecast.
Occasional technical problems with the PDF report files and the response from the site can sometimes be slow.
Daily reports for Scotland and the Lakes, other areas forecasted every 3 days or so.

SAIS Avalanche forecast

Seasonal avalanche outlook. Read it, Understand it.....then Read it again.....enough said
Check the blog sections of the site, good reporting of conditions and some good pictures.
Stirling work by the chaps and chapess, nowt but praise for them.

World Wide Video View

Quite Amusing and quite accurate as well; gives a view of what’s coming our way (and any other way for that matter) , click on the UK to zoom in.  Seems to have several days of advance forecasts some of the time, then only the next two days at other times, odd.
Also seems to have different web cams every day or so, not quite sure the developers of this site know exactly where to aim themselves.

Has runtime problems

UniSys Weather Charts

Showing the predicted European weather charts for the next 10 days. You should be able to make out the pressure gradients ( and therefore the  isobars). An estimated pressure reading is also given in black text. 
Select a different plot type from the menu. A brief description is given for each plot. Proper stuff :-)

Net Weather

Good general purpose weather site.
A bit disjointed in places and not the best ease of use.
Better for general weather forecasts rather than Mountain specific.


Met Office

The stiff upper lip of weather forecasting. A very disjointed web site, after 3 or 4 mouse clicks you'll end up lost.
It's has a  very poor "user experience", to coin a trendy term.


BBC Weather (Beta) 

Still lots of work to do, but showing promice, could do with a key to symbols and some explanations etc.
Nice to see the licence fee being better spent, rather than on the crap like East Enders, Sticky come Snooker Playing, The Weakest Chef or what ever.

Ben Nevis Weather

Nice graphic, update every day linked into MWIS.

XC Weather

Nice and simple. Select the country and weather type from the left menu then hover over a regions arrows. Double click that region arrow and the full weather synopsis is displayed, nice.
Not very good for mountain weather forecasts due to limited locations
Not much else on this site and there's a couple of runtime bugs as well, but not that bad.

Snow Forecast

Snow forecast for 3 days in advance. Select the United Kingdom from the top menu then select the location.
Site appears very American, if you know what I mean, but they are from Wales I think.
Also look at the Snow Maps section. Try the animated mapping sections as well.
Ok-ish site once you work out which bits of it you like.
Unfortunately there is a Category 5 Advert threat on this site, watch where you click.

Winterhighland 5 day mountain forecast

Scottish ski orientated web site, very good. Plenty of stuff here when you dig-down into the site.
Great when they say "and a risk of snow".....what do they mean a risk ?
No guys we want more and more snow ...it's not a risk at all.
Well maybe it's a risk if you're planning to spend the weekend camping in Number 5 Gully on Ben Nevis.

Wunderground

Every thing you wanted to know about the weather but were too afraid to ask. Careful where you tread, you could end up Internet Shopping.

WeatherWebDotNet 

They updated their web site in April 2007. For a professional outfit it's very poor...in fact it's absolutly terrible !
"Real Weather Forecasts by Real Weather Forecasters" they said it.  Are they having a laugh ?
Their previous web site was even worse, believe it or not.
Check this site once just to see how crap it is then never go back again.
It is with out doubt the worst weather site known to man, woman, beast !
Updated 24th November 2008: Avoid !
Updated 31st December 2008: Any web designers reading this may want to offer their help on this really appalling web site.
 
MeteoroLogica

Depressed by unseasonable warm weather; down in the dumps having made the long trip north for nothing.
Don’t despair you to can become a Weather Geek. They probably sell anoraks as well.