Penrith sits near the top of UK towns for frosts
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 19.9°C (68°F). Rain peaks in December and eases off in April. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 76% of UK towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 10°C on average.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Penrith at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Penrith feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 966 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and April the driest. About 25 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 19th wettest of 23 Cumbria towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
A frosty town: 62 air frosts and 5 days of 25°C a year
On about 62 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 5 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 Newton Rigg
Newton Rigg is 1.5 miles west of Penrith, 169 m (554 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 | 6.4°C | 0.9°C | 103 mm | 11.1 |
| February | 7.0°C | 0.9°C | 81 mm | 10.6 |
| March | 9.1°C | 1.9°C | 69 mm | 8.6 |
| April | 12.0°C | 3.3°C | 52 mm | 4.8 |
| May | 15.3°C | 5.7°C | 56 mm | 1.8 |
| June | 17.6°C | 8.7°C | 67 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 19.5°C | 10.6°C | 75 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 18.9°C | 10.3°C | 81 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 16.6°C | 8.2°C | 76 mm | 0.1 |
| October | 12.8°C | 5.7°C | 102 mm | 2.9 |
| November | 9.1°C | 2.9°C | 103 mm | 7.1 |
| December | 6.8°C | 0.7°C | 118 mm | 12.0 |
| Year | 12.6°C | 5.0°C | 981 mm | 59 |
Met Office historic station data, Newton Rigg, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Penrith 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 Cumbria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penrith | 19.9°C | 0.8°C | 966 mm |
| Appleby-in-Westmorland 11.9 mi | 19.4°C 0.6°C cooler | 1.1°C about the same | 869 mm |
Penrith 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 | 0.8°C 33°F | 3.6°C | 98 mm 3.8 in |
| February | 7.4°C 45°F | 0.7°C 33°F | 4.1°C | 77 mm 3.0 in |
| March | 9.3°C 49°F | 2.1°C 36°F | 5.7°C | 70 mm 2.8 in |
| April | 12.6°C 55°F | 3.7°C 39°F | 7.9°C | 56 mm 2.2 in |
| May | 15.7°C 60°F | 6.1°C 43°F | 10.8°C | 60 mm 2.4 in |
| June | 18.2°C 65°F | 8.3°C 47°F | 13.4°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| July | 19.9°C 68°F | 10.8°C 51°F | 15.2°C | 72 mm 2.9 in |
| August | 19.2°C 67°F | 10.9°C 52°F | 14.9°C | 78 mm 3.1 in |
| September | 16.9°C 62°F | 8.6°C 47°F | 12.6°C | 78 mm 3.1 in |
| October | 13.2°C 56°F | 5.9°C 43°F | 9.5°C | 101 mm 4.0 in |
| November | 9.4°C 49°F | 2.9°C 37°F | 6.1°C | 100 mm 3.9 in |
| December | 6.9°C 44°F | 0.8°C 33°F | 3.9°C | 111 mm 4.4 in |
| Year | 12.9°C | 5.1°C | 9.0°C | 966 mm |
Where Penrith’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 2 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Penrith’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 Newton Rigg, 1.5 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 Penrith’s climate
How warm does Penrith get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 19.9°C (68°F). About 5 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 75% of UK towns.
How cold does Penrith get in winter?
February nights average 0.7°C (33°F). The air drops below freezing on about 62 nights a year, and about 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Penrith get?
About 966 mm (38 in) a year, more than 76% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (111 mm) and April the driest (56 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 Penrith. 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 Penrith →
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