Beatrice Vasey
    Free garden tool

    West Midlands frost date finder

    Enter your postcode to see when the last spring frost and first autumn frost usually fall where you garden in Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands conurbation, 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 West Midlands

    Frost dates change a lot over short distances. The typical last frost in Ludlow is 15 days later than in Coventry, so a planting date that suits Coventry can lose plants in Ludlow.

    Map of the West Midlands shaded by typical last spring frost date for each square kilometre.
    Birmingham
    Coventry
    Stoke-on-Trent
    Shrewsbury
    Ross-on-Wye
    Evesham
    Burton upon Trent

    Typical last spring frost

    • By 31 March
    • 1 to 15 April
    • 16 to 30 April
    • 1 to 15 May
    • After 15 May
    • Outside the West Midlands
    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
    Coventry10 April1 May8 November212
    Stoke-on-Trent12 April21 April10 November212
    Great Malvern12 April27 April9 November211
    Wolverhampton13 April27 April5 November206
    Birmingham14 April6 May9 November209
    Ross-on-Wye15 April1 May5 November204
    Leek16 April5 May7 November205
    Stafford16 April8 May5 November203
    Oswestry16 April4 May9 November207
    Kidderminster16 April6 May4 November202
    Evesham16 April6 May3 November201
    Nuneaton16 April8 May6 November204
    Shrewsbury17 April8 May8 November205
    Church Stretton17 April8 May6 November203
    Hereford17 April6 May4 November201
    Rugby17 April4 May4 November201
    Redditch18 April6 May6 November202
    Warwick18 April11 May4 November200
    Burton upon Trent18 April4 May5 November201
    Telford19 April8 May3 November198
    Worcester19 April14 May3 November198
    Leominster20 April11 May3 November197
    Tamworth20 April13 May5 November199
    Lichfield20 April13 May5 November199
    Stratford-upon-Avon24 April15 May1 November191
    Ludlow25 April14 May3 November192

    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 cope with your frost dates? I'm a horticulturist trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and I draw planting plans for gardens anywhere in the UK, choosing plants for your soil, your light and the frosts you get.

    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 West Midlands?

    It depends on where you are. In Stoke-on-Trent, tender plants are usually safe from 21 April, but in Stratford-upon-Avon you need to wait until 15 May. 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 West Midlands?

    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)