Climate - Glasgow (Scotland)

The climate of Glasgow, the most populous city in Scotland, is oceanic, with cold, rainy winters and cool, cloudy summers. The wind often blows, and can sometimes be stormy, especially in the colder half of the year.
The city is located in the western part of Scotland, about 20 km (12 mi) from the estuary of the Clyde river, which flows into a fjord.
The average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of 3.8 °C (39 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 15.2 °C (59 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,320 millimeters (52 inches) per year: it is therefore quite abundant. Since it is on the western side, Glasgow is rainier than the other Scottish cities, and is the rainiest city in the United Kingdom (only mountainous areas are rainier). Rainfall ranges from 65 mm (2.6 in) in the driest months (April, May) to 155 mm (6.1 in) in the wettest (January). Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to February, is quite cold: temperatures are not so low, but wind and humidity can increase the sensation of cold. The sky is often cloudy, and rainfall is frequent. Sometimes, intense Atlantic depressions can cause wind storms.
Snowfalls are quite rare, and generally not abundant. However, the season in which snow can fall is long, and runs from November to April.
From time to time, there can be cold spells, but generally they don't last long. Due to the distance from the coast (the Firth of Clyde lies about 40 km or 25 miles to the west), Glasgow is a bit more prone to winter cold than other major Scottish cities. On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to -8/-9 °C (16/18 °F), but can sometimes drop even lower. At Abbotsinch Airport, the temperature reached -17 °C (1.5 °F) in January 1979 and in December 1981, -17.5 °C (0.5 °F) in January 1982, -13.5 °C (7.5 °F) in February 1986, -20 °C (-4 °F) in December 1995, and -15 °C (5 °F) in December 2010. In December 2010, there were 11 days with a minimum temperature equal to or below -10 °C (14 °F).

In spring, from March to May, the temperature slowly rises, and Atlantic fronts become a bit less frequent. In May, it is often still quite cold.

Summer, from June to August, is cool, with quite frequent rains.
However, quite rarely, there may be periods, usually short-lived, with sunny weather and pleasantly warm temperatures. On the warmest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 26/27 °C (79/81 °F), though it can sometimes reach higher values. The temperature reached 31 °C (88 °F) in August 1975, 30 °C (86 °F) in July 1983 and in August 1995, and 31 °C (88 °F) in June 2018.

Autumn, from September to November, is gray, cloudy and rainy, and with each passing week, it gets progressively colder. In November, the wind is often moderate or strong.



On average, there are around 1,350 sunshine hours per year. So, the sun doesn't shine often. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Given the latitude of Glasgow (55°52'N), the length of the days varies greatly between the different months of the year.
On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises at 8:45 am and sets at 3:44 pm. A month later, on January 20, it rises at 8:30 am and sets at 4:25 pm. In mid-February, it rises at 7:40 am and sets at 5:20 pm.
In spring, the days become longer: already in April, the sun sets after 8 pm, and approximately from June 2 to July 10, the "white nights" occur, that is, it never becomes completely dark. On June 21, the longest day of the year, the sun rises at 4:31 am and sets at 10:06 pm.
In autumn, the days rapidly shorten: the sun sets at about 7:30 pm in mid-September, at 6:15 pm in mid-October, and at 4:10 pm in mid-November.

---

The sea temperature ranges between 7 °C (45 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F). So, it is cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Glasgow is the summer, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, there are often cloudy skies, wind, rain and a bit of cold at night.