Thornley sits near the bottom of UK towns for winter warmth
Expect July afternoons of about 19.8°C (68°F). Of all months, November brings the most rain and March the least. Only about 4 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than in 81% of UK towns. Frost greets about 54 mornings a year, so leave time to clear the car.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Thornley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Thornley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 730 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. 23rd wettest of 52 County Durham towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
A frosty town: 54 air frosts and 4 days of 25°C a year
On about 54 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 4 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 Durham
Durham is 5.8 miles west of Thornley, 102 m (335 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.9°C | 1.3°C | 53 mm | 10.3 |
| February | 7.8°C | 1.4°C | 46 mm | 9.8 |
| March | 9.9°C | 2.5°C | 41 mm | 6.5 |
| April | 12.5°C | 4.1°C | 51 mm | 3.2 |
| May | 15.4°C | 6.5°C | 45 mm | 0.8 |
| June | 18.0°C | 9.3°C | 61 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 20.2°C | 11.3°C | 61 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 19.9°C | 11.3°C | 67 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 17.4°C | 9.2°C | 57 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 13.5°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm | 1.2 |
| November | 9.7°C | 3.6°C | 76 mm | 4.6 |
| December | 7.1°C | 1.4°C | 61 mm | 10.4 |
| Year | 13.2°C | 5.7°C | 681 mm | 47 |
Met Office historic station data, Durham, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Thornley 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 County Durham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornley | 19.8°C | 0.7°C | 730 mm |
| Wheatley Hill 1.2 mi | 19.8°C about the same | 0.7°C about the same | 761 mm |
| Shotton Colliery 2.2 mi | 19.4°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 755 mm |
| Haswell 2.4 mi | 19.3°C 0.5°C cooler | 1.1°C about the same | 730 mm |
| Kelloe 2.5 mi | 19.8°C about the same | 0.6°C about the same | 759 mm |
| Trimdon Colliery 2.6 mi | 19.8°C about the same | 0.7°C about the same | 765 mm |
| Trimdon Grange 2.7 mi | 19.8°C about the same | 0.6°C about the same | 764 mm |
Thornley 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 | 6.5°C 44°F | 0.7°C 33°F | 3.6°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| February | 7.3°C 45°F | 0.9°C 34°F | 4.1°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| March | 9.5°C 49°F | 2.0°C 36°F | 5.7°C | 46 mm 1.8 in |
| April | 11.9°C 53°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 7.7°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| May | 14.9°C 59°F | 5.9°C 43°F | 10.4°C | 49 mm 1.9 in |
| June | 17.5°C 63°F | 8.6°C 48°F | 13.0°C | 67 mm 2.6 in |
| July | 19.8°C 68°F | 10.6°C 51°F | 15.2°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| August | 19.4°C 67°F | 10.7°C 51°F | 15.0°C | 74 mm 2.9 in |
| September | 17.0°C 63°F | 8.7°C 48°F | 12.9°C | 60 mm 2.4 in |
| October | 13.2°C 56°F | 6.1°C 43°F | 9.6°C | 72 mm 2.8 in |
| November | 9.3°C 49°F | 3.2°C 38°F | 6.2°C | 77 mm 3.0 in |
| December | 6.7°C 44°F | 0.9°C 34°F | 3.8°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| Year | 12.7°C | 5.2°C | 8.9°C | 730 mm |
Where Thornley’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the Met Office 2 km grid square nearest Thornley’s centre (the town is smaller than one square).
- 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 Durham, 5.8 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 Thornley’s climate
How warm does Thornley get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 19.8°C (68°F). About 4 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 81% of UK towns.
How cold does Thornley get in winter?
January nights average 0.7°C (33°F). The air drops below freezing on about 54 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Thornley get?
About 730 mm (29 in) a year, less than 59% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (77 mm) and March the driest (46 mm).
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 Thornley. 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 Thornley →
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