Wet weather: 1,174 mm (46 in) a year falls on Nelson, more than on 88% of UK towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 19.5°C (67°F). Seasons differ by 18°C, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 83% of UK towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Nelson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Nelson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,174 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and April the driest. About 35 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 18th wettest of 66 Lancashire towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Bradford
43 air frosts and 5 days of 25°C a year
On about 43 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 Bradford
Bradford is 18 miles east of Nelson, 134 m (440 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 | 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 Nelson 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 Lancashire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson | 19.5°C | 1.5°C | 1,174 mm |
| Barrowford 1.0 mi | 18.8°C 0.7°C cooler | 1.4°C about the same | 1,404 mm |
| Brierfield 1.3 mi | 19.5°C about the same | 1.4°C about the same | 1,177 mm |
| Fence 2.0 mi | 18.8°C 0.7°C cooler | 1.2°C about the same | 1,405 mm |
| Colne 2.2 mi | 19.0°C 0.5°C cooler | 1.4°C about the same | 1,300 mm |
| Trawden 3.0 mi | 18.9°C 0.6°C cooler | 1.0°C 0.5°C colder | 1,114 mm |
| Foulridge 3.1 mi | 18.8°C 0.7°C cooler | 1.3°C about the same | 1,177 mm |
Nelson 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 | 6.4°C 44°F | 1.5°C 35°F | 4.0°C | 113 mm 4.5 in |
| February | 6.8°C 44°F | 1.5°C 35°F | 4.1°C | 98 mm 3.9 in |
| March | 8.7°C 48°F | 2.5°C 37°F | 5.7°C | 87 mm 3.4 in |
| April | 12.1°C 54°F | 4.3°C 40°F | 8.2°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| May | 15.3°C 60°F | 7.0°C 45°F | 11.1°C | 68 mm 2.7 in |
| June | 17.7°C 64°F | 9.7°C 49°F | 13.7°C | 82 mm 3.2 in |
| July | 19.5°C 67°F | 11.7°C 53°F | 15.6°C | 90 mm 3.5 in |
| August | 19.2°C 67°F | 11.8°C 53°F | 15.4°C | 103 mm 4.0 in |
| September | 16.6°C 62°F | 9.6°C 49°F | 13.1°C | 99 mm 3.9 in |
| October | 12.9°C 55°F | 7.0°C 45°F | 9.9°C | 116 mm 4.6 in |
| November | 9.2°C 49°F | 4.0°C 39°F | 6.6°C | 118 mm 4.7 in |
| December | 6.8°C 44°F | 1.6°C 35°F | 4.2°C | 135 mm 5.3 in |
| Year | 12.6°C | 6.0°C | 9.3°C | 1,174 mm |
Where Nelson’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 Nelson’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, 18 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 Nelson’s climate
How warm does Nelson get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 19.5°C (67°F). About 5 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 78% of UK towns.
How cold does Nelson get in winter?
February nights average 1.5°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 43 nights a year, and about 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Nelson get?
About 1,174 mm (46 in) a year, more than 88% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (135 mm) and April the driest (66 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Bradford (18 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 Nelson. 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 Nelson →
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