Tools

Your garden's climate

Frost dates, growing season, rain and sunshine for anywhere in the UK, worked out from thirty years of Met Office records.

Map

York

Averages for 1994 to 2023, for the 1km square around this point.

Frost

Last spring frost

16 April

Safer from 4 May

First autumn frost

11 November

Can come as early as 29 October

Frost-free season

209 days

Between the typical last and first frosts

Hardiness zone

USDA 9a

RHS H4 · coldest night of a typical winter around −5.7°C

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Frost likely Some risk Safe for tender plants in nine years out of ten

Hard frosts, below −2°C, usually finish by 9 March. Hardy crops and fleece-covered sowings can go out from about then.

Through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day high 7° 8° 11° 14° 17° 20° 22° 21° 19° 15° 10° 8°
Night low 2° 2° 3° 5° 8° 11° 13° 13° 11° 8° 4° 2°
Ground frost days 17 15 14 11 4 0 0 0 1 4 10 17
Rain (mm) 53 43 49 38 48 85 50 71 59 69 62 60
Sunshine (hours) 53 76 117 155 189 160 179 168 129 97 60 47

Ground frost is measured on grass, and comes weeks either side of air frost. It is what catches seedlings on the soil surface.

Growing

Growing season

327 days

From the first spell above 5°C in spring to the first below it in autumn

Hot days

14 a year

Above 25°C, when lettuce and peas tend to bolt

Longest dry spell

20 days

In a typical April to September, with under 1mm of rain a day

Warmth for tender crops

  • Squash and courgettesUsually ripens outdoors
  • Outdoor tomatoesUsually ripens outdoors
  • SweetcornUsually ripens outdoors
  • Outdoor chillies and peppersPossible in a good year, or somewhere sheltered

From summer warmth only. Shelter, a south-facing wall or a cold frame all help.

Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright, from HadUK-Grid, used under the Open Government Licence v3. Place search by postcodes.io. These are averages, not a forecast, and a frost pocket or a sheltered wall can shift your garden by weeks either way.