North East frost date finder
Enter your postcode to see when the last spring frost and first autumn frost usually fall where you garden, worked out from 30 years of Met Office records for your square kilometre. Use it to decide when to sow, when it's safe to plant out, and when to bring tender plants in.
Last frost dates across the North East
Frost dates change a lot over short distances here. The typical last frost in Kielder is 60 days later than in Whitley Bay, so a planting date that suits the coast can lose plants in the dales.
Typical last spring frost
- By 31 March
- 1 to 15 April
- 16 to 30 April
- 1 to 15 May
- After 15 May
- Outside the North East
| Town | Typical last frost | Safe to plant out | Typical first autumn frost | Frost-free days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley Bay | 22 March | 15 April | 25 November | 248 |
| Redcar | 22 March | 18 April | 25 November | 248 |
| Hartlepool | 25 March | 18 April | 23 November | 243 |
| South Shields | 29 March | 25 April | 23 November | 239 |
| Sunderland | 29 March | 25 April | 25 November | 241 |
| Seaham | 4 April | 28 April | 25 November | 235 |
| Newcastle | 5 April | 19 April | 13 November | 222 |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | 7 April | 1 May | 16 November | 223 |
| Gateshead | 8 April | 28 April | 10 November | 216 |
| Middlesbrough | 13 April | 4 May | 6 November | 207 |
| Morpeth | 16 April | 6 May | 9 November | 207 |
| Peterlee | 16 April | 10 May | 11 November | 209 |
| Alnwick | 18 April | 9 May | 3 November | 199 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 19 April | 13 May | 1 November | 196 |
| Darlington | 27 April | 13 May | 2 November | 189 |
| Guisborough | 27 April | 11 May | 4 November | 191 |
| Hexham | 1 May | 18 May | 30 October | 182 |
| Consett | 1 May | 18 May | 1 November | 184 |
| Bishop Auckland | 1 May | 18 May | 3 November | 186 |
| Sedgefield | 1 May | 14 May | 29 October | 181 |
| Durham | 2 May | 18 May | 30 October | 181 |
| Stanhope | 3 May | 18 May | 29 October | 179 |
| Haltwhistle | 6 May | 19 May | 28 October | 175 |
| Barnard Castle | 7 May | 20 May | 22 October | 168 |
| Allenheads | 15 May | 28 May | 18 October | 156 |
| Kielder | 21 May | 4 June | 6 October | 138 |
Figures for the square kilometre at each town centre, 1991 to 2020. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.
How to use your frost dates
| Hardy seeds outside | Sow broad beans, peas, carrots and other hardy crops from around your typical last frost date, once the soil has warmed. |
|---|---|
| Tender plants indoors | Start tomatoes, peppers and squash indoors six to eight weeks before your safe-to-plant-out date. |
| Hardening off | Put young plants out during the day for a week or two before your safe date, and bring them in at night. |
| Planting out | Plant tender crops and bedding after your safe date, and keep fleece handy for a late cold snap. |
| Autumn | Lift dahlias, bring in tender pots and pick the last tomatoes before your 1-in-10 early frost date. |
Not sure what will grow in your spot? I'm a horticulturist trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and on a garden consultation I'll walk round your garden with you and plan what to plant and when. If you grow food, veg and allotment coaching gives you a sowing and planting calendar for your own plot.
Frost date questions
When is it safe to plant out in the North East?
It depends on where you are. Near the coast, tender plants are usually safe from mid-May, but in the Pennine dales frosts can carry on into June. Put your postcode into the finder above and use the "safe to plant out" date, which only 1 year in 10 beats.
Why are these dates later than the ones on seed packets?
Seed packets and national charts are usually written for the south of England, where the last frost comes two to four weeks earlier. These dates come from frost records for your own square kilometre of the North East.
What's the difference between an air frost and a ground frost?
An air frost is when the air at 1.5 m drops below 0°C, which is what these dates measure. A ground frost forms on grass and soil, and on clear, still nights it can happen when the air is still a degree or two above freezing. Low-growing seedlings feel ground frosts first, so give them an extra week or two of protection.
Where does the data come from?
The dates are worked out from the Met Office's HadUK-Grid daily minimum temperatures on a 1 km grid for 1991 to 2020, the standard 30-year climate period. For every square kilometre, we found the last night below freezing each spring and the first each autumn, then took the typical date and the 1-in-10 late date across the 30 years.
Can I use these figures in an article, newsletter or allotment notice?
Yes. Please credit Beatrice Vasey and link to this page, and include "Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright" for the underlying records.