Rainfall in Bolton tops that of 91% of UK towns: 1,250 mm (49 in) a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 1.7°C (35°F). Expect the heaviest rain in December and the lightest in April. None of its 6 nearest neighbours has cooler July afternoons. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to August, with highs of 18–20°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Bolton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Bolton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,250 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and April the driest. About 39 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 8th wettest of 81 Greater Manchester towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Bradford
41 air frosts and 6 days of 25°C a year
On about 41 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 6 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 Bradford
Bradford is 32 miles north-east of Bolton, 134 m (440 ft) above sea level. It is the nearest of the 37 long-running stations the Met Office publishes in full; at that distance read it for sunshine and the station’s own record, not as the town’s figures.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Air frosts | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8°C | 1.8°C | 88 mm | 8.8 | 43 |
| February | 7.4°C | 1.8°C | 74 mm | 8.2 | 68 |
| March | 9.5°C | 2.9°C | 64 mm | 4.8 | 105 |
| April | 12.5°C | 4.7°C | 58 mm | 2.1 | 142 |
| May | 15.7°C | 7.2°C | 52 mm | 0.4 | 173 |
| June | 18.2°C | 10.1°C | 73 mm | 0.0 | 159 |
| July | 20.4°C | 12.2°C | 64 mm | 0.0 | 167 |
| August | 19.8°C | 12.0°C | 74 mm | 0.0 | 156 |
| September | 17.2°C | 9.9°C | 70 mm | 0.0 | 123 |
| October | 13.4°C | 7.1°C | 84 mm | 0.9 | 90 |
| November | 9.6°C | 4.1°C | 90 mm | 4.1 | 55 |
| December | 7.2°C | 2.0°C | 99 mm | 8.8 | 38 |
| Year | 13.1°C | 6.3°C | 890 mm | 38 | 1,320 |
Met Office historic station data, Bradford, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Bolton 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 Greater Manchester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | 19.8°C | 1.7°C | 1,250 mm |
| Farnworth 2.5 mi | 20.4°C 0.6°C warmer | 1.9°C about the same | 1,082 mm |
| Hunger Hill 2.9 mi | 20.1°C about the same | 1.6°C about the same | 1,201 mm |
| Little Lever 3.0 mi | 20.4°C 0.6°C warmer | 1.9°C about the same | 1,086 mm |
| Ainsworth 3.2 mi | 20.3°C 0.5°C warmer | 1.6°C about the same | 1,063 mm |
| Little Hulton 3.7 mi | 20.3°C 0.5°C warmer | 1.9°C about the same | 1,080 mm |
| Kearsley 3.8 mi | 20.4°C 0.6°C warmer | 2.0°C about the same | 1,075 mm |
Bolton 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 | 6.7°C 44°F | 1.7°C 35°F | 4.2°C | 115 mm 4.5 in |
| February | 7.1°C 45°F | 1.6°C 35°F | 4.5°C | 100 mm 3.9 in |
| March | 9.6°C 49°F | 2.7°C 37°F | 6.1°C | 82 mm 3.2 in |
| April | 12.9°C 55°F | 4.7°C 40°F | 8.7°C | 74 mm 2.9 in |
| May | 15.9°C 61°F | 7.4°C 45°F | 11.5°C | 79 mm 3.1 in |
| June | 18.1°C 65°F | 10.2°C 50°F | 14.0°C | 92 mm 3.6 in |
| July | 19.8°C 68°F | 12.1°C 54°F | 15.8°C | 94 mm 3.7 in |
| August | 19.5°C 67°F | 12.0°C 54°F | 15.6°C | 106 mm 4.2 in |
| September | 16.7°C 62°F | 9.7°C 50°F | 13.3°C | 106 mm 4.2 in |
| October | 13.3°C 56°F | 6.8°C 44°F | 10.0°C | 132 mm 5.2 in |
| November | 9.5°C 49°F | 4.2°C 40°F | 6.9°C | 130 mm 5.1 in |
| December | 7.1°C 45°F | 1.7°C 35°F | 4.4°C | 140 mm 5.5 in |
| Year | 13.0°C | 6.2°C | 9.6°C | 1,250 mm |
Where Bolton’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 10 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Bolton’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 Bradford, 32 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 Bolton’s climate
How warm does Bolton get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 19.8°C (68°F). About 6 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 72% of UK towns.
How cold does Bolton get in winter?
February nights average 1.6°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 41 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Bolton get?
About 1,250 mm (49 in) a year, more than 91% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (140 mm) and April the driest (74 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Bradford (32 miles away), averages 1,320 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 Bolton. 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 Bolton →
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