Pontefract climate — normals and trends
Pontefract (United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 9.7 °C and it receives 649 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (16.4 °C on average) and the coldest is January (4.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Pontefract averages 39 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 132 rainy days per year.
Pontefract has warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.18 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 57 to 21 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 38.6 °C (on 19 July 2022) and the coldest -15.5 °C (on 25 February 1947).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
PontefractEngland
- coords
- 53.69°, -1.31°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
9.7°C
Average daily high
13.1°C
Average daily low
6.5°C
Annual rainfall
649mm
Sunshine / day
7.4h
Mean relative humidity
79%
Average peak wind
22.0km/h
Seasonal range
12.4°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
39 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
0 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
132 d/yr
Annual snowfall
20.7 cm
Average feels-like high
10.1 °C
Average feels-like low
3.3 °C
Average peak gust
40.7 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
0 d/yr
Solar radiation
9.8 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.6 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.41 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
38.6 °C
19 July 2022
Coldest day
-15.5 °C
25 February 1947
Wettest day
53 mm
10 August 2004
Windiest day
65.0 km/h
12 February 1962
Strongest gust
123.8 km/h
13 January 1984
Hottest feels-like
35.2 °C
19 July 2022
Coldest feels-like
-20.7 °C
25 February 1947
Snowiest day
16.7 cm
13 March 1969
Sunniest day
16.0 h
3 July 2025
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.9 °C | -0.4 °C | 98 mm | +45 mm |
| Feb | 7.9 °C | +0.9 °C | 28 mm | -18 mm |
| Mar | 12.4 °C | +3.0 °C | 22 mm | -27 mm |
| Apr | 15.5 °C | +3.4 °C | 8 mm | -42 mm |
| May | 17.9 °C | +2.6 °C | 19 mm | -37 mm |
| Jun | 21.8 °C | +3.5 °C | 40 mm | -16 mm |
| Jul | 22.4 °C | +2.1 °C | 64 mm | +7 mm |
| Aug | 22.2 °C | +2.2 °C | 23 mm | -40 mm |
| Sep | 18.1 °C | +0.5 °C | 92 mm | +39 mm |
| Oct | 14.0 °C | +0.1 °C | 59 mm | +4 mm |
| Nov | 10.7 °C | +1.2 °C | 112 mm | +55 mm |
| Dec | 9.3 °C | +2.1 °C | 101 mm | +45 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Pontefract?
Pontefract has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 9.7 °C and it receives 649 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Pontefract?
The hottest day measured in Pontefract between 1940 and 2025 was 19 July 2022, reaching 38.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Pontefract?
The coldest day measured in Pontefract between 1940 and 2025 was 25 February 1947, at -15.5 °C.
Does it snow in Pontefract?
Yes. Pontefract gets on average 20.7 cm of snow per year and has around 39 frost days.
Has the climate of Pontefract warmed?
Yes: Pontefract warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Pontefract?
The wettest day measured in Pontefract between 1940 and 2025 was 10 August 2004, with 53 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Pontefract?
The windiest day measured in Pontefract between 1940 and 2025 was 12 February 1962, with winds reaching 65.0 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Pontefract?
The warmest month in Pontefract is July (16.4 °C on average); the coldest is January (4.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Pontefract?
Pontefract receives on average 649 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 132 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Pontefract?
Pontefract gets on average 7.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 2,701 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Pontefract?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Pontefract between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 1969, with 16.7 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Pontefract?
Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Pontefract.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Pontefract?
In Pontefract, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 35.2 °C on 19 July 2022, and the lowest was -20.7 °C on 25 February 1947.
Compare Pontefract with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Pontefract