Oxford Weather

Like most of the weather in southern England, the climate is generally dull and wet. Records kept since 1815 show that not a single month has ever passed without rain, although Oxford is still drier compared to other parts of England. The wettest month is October and the driest is March. This rain often turns into snow during the late winter and early spring, and frost is a near constant throughout the winter. Although the beauty of the Thames countryside is alluring all year round, the depths of winter are not the best time to fully experience its magic.

The paradox of summer

Summers tend to be pleasantly mild, but there are occasional heatwaves which will likely continue as the planets climate adapts to mankinds greenhouse gas emissions. High summer is positively stunning, but hordes of visitors descend on the town, clogging the best sites and making conditions rather hectic. August and September should really be avoided if at all possible, as this is when most British and Europeans take their holidays. Summer is also the season when Eton and Oxford colleges are out of session. This means visitors will have much greater access to the grounds, but the campuses may seem more like a theme park than a university. The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn make excellent windows of opportunity for a visit. The weather is often very nice, and the crowds are much smaller.

Average Temperature (°C)

30 22 15 8 0

Jan 3.7

Feb 4.2

Mar 5.8

Apr 8.4

May 11.7

Jun 14.9

Jul 16.6

Aug 16.2

Sep 13.8

Oct 10.1

Nov 6.4

Dec 4.4

Rainfall (mm)

70 52 35 18 0

Jan 52.5

Feb 41.0

Mar 41.7

Apr 43.3

May 51.5

Jun 54.5

Jul 61.1

Aug 59.3

Sep 60.9

Oct 65.5

Nov 62.0

Dec 55.4