Beatrice Vasey
    Free garden tool

    North East frost date finder

    Enter your postcode to see when the last spring frost and first autumn frost usually fall where you garden in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside, 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. The typical last frost in Kielder is 60 days later than in Whitley Bay, so a planting date that suits Whitley Bay can lose plants in Kielder.

    Map of the North East shaded by typical last spring frost date for each square kilometre.
    Berwick-upon-Tweed
    Alnwick
    Kielder
    Hexham
    Newcastle
    Sunderland
    Durham
    Hartlepool
    Barnard Castle
    Darlington
    Middlesbrough

    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
    Each square is 1 km. Hover over the map to see the dates for any square. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright. Region boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023.
    TownTypical last frostSafe to plant outTypical first autumn frostFrost-free days
    Whitley Bay22 March15 April25 November248
    Redcar22 March18 April25 November248
    Hartlepool25 March18 April23 November243
    South Shields29 March25 April23 November239
    Sunderland29 March25 April25 November241
    Seaham4 April28 April25 November235
    Newcastle5 April19 April13 November222
    Berwick-upon-Tweed7 April1 May16 November223
    Gateshead8 April28 April10 November216
    Middlesbrough13 April4 May6 November207
    Morpeth15 April6 May13 November212
    Peterlee16 April10 May11 November209
    Alnwick18 April9 May3 November199
    Stockton-on-Tees19 April13 May4 November199
    Darlington27 April13 May2 November189
    Guisborough27 April11 May4 November191
    Hexham1 May18 May30 October182
    Consett1 May18 May1 November184
    Bishop Auckland1 May18 May3 November186
    Sedgefield1 May14 May29 October181
    Durham2 May18 May30 October181
    Stanhope3 May18 May29 October179
    Haltwhistle6 May19 May28 October175
    Barnard Castle7 May20 May22 October168
    Allenheads17 May30 May15 October151
    Kielder21 May4 June6 October138

    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 outsideSow broad beans, peas, carrots and other hardy crops from around your typical last frost date, once the soil has warmed.
    Tender plants indoorsStart tomatoes, peppers and squash indoors six to eight weeks before your safe-to-plant-out date.
    Hardening offPut young plants out during the day for a week or two before your safe date, and bring them in at night.
    Planting outPlant tender crops and bedding after your safe date, and keep fleece handy for a late cold snap.
    AutumnLift 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 dates in other regions

    RegionEarliest last frostLatest last frost
    North East22 March in Whitley Bay21 May in Kielder
    North West17 March in Liverpool17 May in Alston
    Yorkshire and the Humber3 March in Scarborough8 May in Hawes
    East Midlands24 March in Skegness25 April in Buxton
    West Midlands10 April in Coventry25 April in Ludlow
    East of England11 March in Cromer4 May in Thetford
    London1 March in Westminster14 April in Orpington
    South East22 February in Margate5 May in Dorking
    South West23 February in Newquay19 April in Cirencester

    Frost date questions

    When is it safe to plant out in the North East?

    It depends on where you are. In Whitley Bay, tender plants are usually safe from 15 April, but in Kielder you need to wait until 4 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 different from the ones on seed packets?

    Seed packets and national charts give one date for the whole country, but frost dates can differ by weeks between the coast, towns, valleys and higher ground. These dates come from frost records for your own square kilometre.

    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. We checked the results against the Met Office's own weather station records.

    Does the finder work outside the North East?

    Yes. It works for any postcode in England, and the frost map of England compares every region.

    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.

    Sources (6)