Fort William is among the wettest of UK towns: 2,590 mm (102 in) of rain a year
Nights in January average 1.3°C (34°F). Rain peaks in December and eases off in June. None of the 16 Highland towns has cooler July afternoons. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Fort William at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Fort William feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 2,590 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and June the driest. About 85 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. The wettest of 16 Highland towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
A frosty town: 72 air frosts and 2 days of 25°C a year
On about 72 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 2 days it stays below freezing all day. About 2 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 Dunstaffnage
Dunstaffnage is 28 miles south-west of Fort William, 3 m (10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.5°C | 2.6°C | 207 mm | 5.9 |
| February | 7.8°C | 2.6°C | 148 mm | 5.7 |
| March | 9.4°C | 3.4°C | 140 mm | 3.9 |
| April | 11.9°C | 5.0°C | 93 mm | 1.5 |
| May | 14.9°C | 7.1°C | 97 mm | 0.6 |
| June | 16.8°C | 9.6°C | 96 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 18.2°C | 11.4°C | 110 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 18.1°C | 11.4°C | 127 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 16.2°C | 9.9°C | 141 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 13.1°C | 7.4°C | 190 mm | 0.5 |
| November | 10.0°C | 4.8°C | 176 mm | 2.7 |
| December | 8.1°C | 3.0°C | 204 mm | 6.2 |
| Year | 12.7°C | 6.5°C | 1,728 mm | 27 |
Met Office historic station data, Dunstaffnage, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Fort William 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 Highland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort William | 16.9°C | 1.3°C | 2,590 mm |
| Caol 1.5 mi | 18.6°C 1.7°C warmer | 1.9°C 0.6°C milder | 1,911 mm |
Fort William 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 | 1.3°C 34°F | 3.9°C | 305 mm 12.0 in |
| February | 6.3°C 43°F | 0.4°C 33°F | 3.4°C | 256 mm 10.1 in |
| March | 7.6°C 46°F | 1.1°C 34°F | 4.4°C | 218 mm 8.6 in |
| April | 10.5°C 51°F | 2.9°C 37°F | 6.7°C | 153 mm 6.0 in |
| May | 13.8°C 57°F | 5.4°C 42°F | 9.4°C | 143 mm 5.6 in |
| June | 15.7°C 60°F | 8.2°C 47°F | 11.8°C | 132 mm 5.2 in |
| July | 16.9°C 62°F | 9.9°C 50°F | 13.3°C | 149 mm 5.9 in |
| August | 16.7°C 62°F | 9.6°C 49°F | 13.1°C | 178 mm 7.0 in |
| September | 14.5°C 58°F | 8.3°C 47°F | 11.2°C | 203 mm 8.0 in |
| October | 11.1°C 52°F | 5.1°C 41°F | 8.0°C | 275 mm 10.8 in |
| November | 8.1°C 47°F | 2.8°C 37°F | 5.4°C | 266 mm 10.5 in |
| December | 5.5°C 42°F | 0.1°C 32°F | 2.6°C | 312 mm 12.3 in |
| Year | 11.1°C | 4.6°C | 7.7°C | 2,590 mm |
Where Fort William’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 Fort William’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 Dunstaffnage, 28 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 Fort William’s climate
How warm does Fort William get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 16.9°C (62°F). About 2 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 93% of UK towns.
How cold does Fort William get in winter?
December nights average 0.1°C (32°F). The air drops below freezing on about 72 nights a year, and about 2 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Fort William get?
About 2,590 mm (102 in) a year, more than almost every UK town. December is the wettest month (312 mm) and June the driest (132 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 Fort William. 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 Fort William →
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.