January in Thornton bites harder than in 89% of UK towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 21.7°C (71°F). Only 21°C separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Thornton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Thornton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 742 mm of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest. About 19 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more.
Rain by month
Millimetres
50 air frosts and 12 days of 25°C a year
On about 50 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 2 days it stays below freezing all day. About 12 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 Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington is 12 miles north of Thornton, 48 m (157 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 | 7.5°C | 1.9°C | 51 mm | 9.3 |
| February | 8.1°C | 1.9°C | 41 mm | 8.6 |
| March | 10.6°C | 3.0°C | 41 mm | 6.0 |
| April | 13.6°C | 4.6°C | 44 mm | 2.9 |
| May | 16.7°C | 7.1°C | 47 mm | 0.9 |
| June | 19.6°C | 10.1°C | 64 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 22.0°C | 12.1°C | 62 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 21.7°C | 12.1°C | 55 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 18.7°C | 10.1°C | 49 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 14.5°C | 7.5°C | 62 mm | 1.2 |
| November | 10.4°C | 4.4°C | 57 mm | 4.4 |
| December | 7.8°C | 2.1°C | 58 mm | 9.2 |
| Year | 14.3°C | 6.4°C | 631 mm | 43 |
Met Office historic station data, Sutton Bonington, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Thornton 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 Leicestershire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 21.7°C | 1.1°C | 742 mm |
| Bagworth 1.8 mi | 21.7°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 741 mm |
| Markfield 2.2 mi | 21.8°C about the same | 1.0°C about the same | 744 mm |
| Newbold Verdon 2.7 mi | 21.7°C about the same | 1.2°C about the same | 741 mm |
| Desford 2.8 mi | 21.7°C about the same | 1.2°C about the same | 742 mm |
| Barlestone 2.8 mi | 21.6°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 713 mm |
| Ratby 3.0 mi | 21.8°C about the same | 1.4°C about the same | 737 mm |
Thornton 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 | 6.8°C 44°F | 1.1°C 34°F | 4.0°C | 60 mm 2.3 in |
| February | 7.8°C 46°F | 1.3°C 34°F | 4.5°C | 49 mm 1.9 in |
| March | 10.3°C 51°F | 2.5°C 36°F | 6.4°C | 49 mm 1.9 in |
| April | 13.4°C 56°F | 4.2°C 39°F | 8.8°C | 52 mm 2.1 in |
| May | 16.5°C 62°F | 6.9°C 44°F | 11.7°C | 53 mm 2.1 in |
| June | 19.4°C 67°F | 9.6°C 49°F | 14.5°C | 71 mm 2.8 in |
| July | 21.7°C 71°F | 11.5°C 53°F | 16.6°C | 68 mm 2.7 in |
| August | 21.3°C 70°F | 11.5°C 53°F | 16.4°C | 67 mm 2.6 in |
| September | 18.4°C 65°F | 9.4°C 49°F | 13.9°C | 61 mm 2.4 in |
| October | 14.1°C 57°F | 6.9°C 44°F | 10.5°C | 72 mm 2.8 in |
| November | 9.9°C 50°F | 3.7°C 39°F | 6.8°C | 70 mm 2.8 in |
| December | 7.3°C 45°F | 1.6°C 35°F | 4.4°C | 69 mm 2.7 in |
| Year | 13.9°C | 5.8°C | 9.9°C | 742 mm |
Where Thornton’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 Thornton’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 Sutton Bonington, 12 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 Thornton’s climate
How warm does Thornton get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 21.7°C (71°F). About 12 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 55% of UK towns.
How cold does Thornton get in winter?
January nights average 1.1°C (34°F). The air drops below freezing on about 50 nights a year, and about 2 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Thornton get?
About 742 mm (29 in) a year, less than 56% of UK towns. October is the wettest month (72 mm) and February the driest (49 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 Thornton. 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 Thornton →
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.