Frosty mornings in Cold Ash outnumber those of 84% of UK towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 22.4°C (72°F). Rain peaks in November and eases off in March. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 75% of UK towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 19–22°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Cold Ash at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Cold Ash feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 742 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and March the driest. About 19 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Oxford
49 air frosts and 15 days of 25°C a year
On about 49 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 2 days it stays below freezing all day. About 15 days a year reach 25°C (77°F).
Day counts are 1991–2020 averages from the Met Office’s 2 km grid. The Met Office calls a day of 25°C or more a summer day and a night below 0°C an air frost; ground frosts, on grass, come more often.
The Met Office station at Oxford
Oxford is 23 miles north of Cold Ash, 63 m (207 ft) above sea level. It is the nearest of the 37 long-running stations the Met Office publishes in full.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Air frosts | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.0°C | 2.4°C | 60 mm | 8.4 | 64 |
| February | 8.6°C | 2.3°C | 47 mm | 7.6 | 82 |
| March | 11.3°C | 3.6°C | 43 mm | 3.8 | 118 |
| April | 14.4°C | 5.3°C | 49 mm | 1.5 | 166 |
| May | 17.7°C | 8.2°C | 57 mm | 0.1 | 200 |
| June | 20.7°C | 11.1°C | 50 mm | 0.0 | 198 |
| July | 23.1°C | 13.1°C | 53 mm | 0.0 | 212 |
| August | 22.5°C | 13.0°C | 62 mm | 0.0 | 193 |
| September | 19.4°C | 10.7°C | 52 mm | 0.0 | 145 |
| October | 15.1°C | 8.0°C | 73 mm | 0.7 | 110 |
| November | 10.9°C | 4.9°C | 72 mm | 3.2 | 71 |
| December | 8.2°C | 2.6°C | 66 mm | 8.6 | 57 |
| Year | 15.0°C | 7.1°C | 681 mm | 34 | 1,615 |
Met Office historic station data, Oxford, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Cold Ash compares
Against the 2,537 towns and cities of 2,500 or more across the UK, each with its own Met Office averages, and its place among Berkshire towns that size.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles: a hill, a valley or the sea can make a real difference over a few miles.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Ash | 22.4°C | 1.5°C | 742 mm |
| Hermitage 1.7 mi | 22.4°C about the same | 1.4°C about the same | 743 mm |
| Thatcham 2.0 mi | 22.7°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 716 mm |
| Upper Bucklebury 2.2 mi | 22.8°C about the same | 1.5°C about the same | 712 mm |
| Newbury 3.3 mi | 22.5°C about the same | 1.7°C about the same | 831 mm |
| Compton 5.9 mi | 22.0°C about the same | 1.4°C about the same | 752 mm |
| Upper Basildon 6.6 mi | 22.7°C about the same | 1.5°C about the same | 694 mm |
Cold Ash weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature and rain, 1991–2020, for the town itself (the Met Office’s HadUK-Grid).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.6°C 46°F | 1.5°C 35°F | 4.5°C | 77 mm 3.0 in |
| February | 8.2°C 47°F | 1.4°C 35°F | 4.8°C | 55 mm 2.2 in |
| March | 10.9°C 52°F | 2.7°C 37°F | 6.8°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| April | 13.9°C 57°F | 4.1°C 39°F | 9.0°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| May | 17.0°C 63°F | 6.9°C 44°F | 12.0°C | 53 mm 2.1 in |
| June | 20.0°C 68°F | 9.7°C 49°F | 14.8°C | 50 mm 2.0 in |
| July | 22.4°C 72°F | 11.6°C 53°F | 17.0°C | 52 mm 2.0 in |
| August | 21.9°C 71°F | 11.7°C 53°F | 16.8°C | 58 mm 2.3 in |
| September | 19.0°C 66°F | 9.5°C 49°F | 14.2°C | 57 mm 2.2 in |
| October | 14.7°C 58°F | 7.0°C 45°F | 10.9°C | 81 mm 3.2 in |
| November | 10.5°C 51°F | 4.0°C 39°F | 7.3°C | 83 mm 3.3 in |
| December | 8.1°C 47°F | 1.8°C 35°F | 5.0°C | 73 mm 2.9 in |
| Year | 14.5°C | 6.0°C | 10.3°C | 742 mm |
Where Cold Ash’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 1 Met Office 2 km grid square whose centre lies inside Cold Ash’s built-up area.
- Highs and lows: the Met Office publishes average daily maxima and minima on its 12 km grid; each is moved by the difference between the town’s 2 km mean temperature and the 12 km square’s, which carries the town’s own height and setting over.
- Weather station and sunshine: Met Office historic station data for Oxford, 23 miles away, months of 1991–2020 averaged.
- Comparisons: every town and city of 2,500 or more across the UK, all four nations, read the same way.
Met Office HadUK-Grid · Met Office Climate Data Portal · Historic station data. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions about Cold Ash’s climate
How warm does Cold Ash get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 22.4°C (72°F). About 15 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 73% of UK towns.
How cold does Cold Ash get in winter?
February nights average 1.4°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 49 nights a year, and about 2 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Cold Ash get?
About 742 mm (29 in) a year, less than 56% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (83 mm) and March the driest (48 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Oxford (23 miles away), averages 1,615 hours of bright sunshine a year. Sunshine isn’t on the town grid, so this is the station’s figure.
Where do these figures come from?
The Met Office’s HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages, which turn thousands of weather stations into a map of the UK in 2 km squares; the page reads the squares inside Cold Ash. They are 30-year averages, not a forecast.
Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0. HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages via the Met Office Climate Data Portal; station averages from Met Office historic station data. Today’s forecast for Cold Ash →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.