Updated: 2026-07-31
The point of measurement nearest to Birmingham is the Met Office station at Coton-in-the-Elms (Derbyshire), situated at 85 m elevation, about 32.6 km from the city centre. Its records, spanning from 1 March 1991 to 31 December 2025, show a total of 1,521 frost days, that is, days when the minimum air temperature fell below 0 °C. This is the closest official reference we have for frost frequency in the Birmingham area.
The story of frost near Birmingham is written in the winter lows. Between 1991 and 2025, the station at Coton-in-the-Elms logged 1,521 frost days in total — days where the thermometer dipped below freezing. That is the cold, hard truth of nearly three and a half decades of winters, each one leaving its mark on the countryside around the city.
It is worth noting that the actual climate of Birmingham may differ from that of Coton-in-the-Elms, since local factors such as the urban heat island effect, the difference in altitude (85 m at the station), and the proximity to rivers or sheltered valleys can alter how often frost forms. The data presented here is the best available reference, but it is not a direct measurement of Birmingham itself.
Looking at the annual mean minimum temperature — a strong indicator of how frosty a year was — the coldest five years at Coton-in-the-Elms between 1991 and 2025 are these:
The year 2010 stands out as the single coldest year in the whole series, with an annual mean minimum temperature of 4.9 °C. That is the lowest value recorded in the entire period, and it has not been beaten since. The winters of 1996 (5.1 °C) and 1993 (5.2 °C) follow close behind, while 2012 and 2013 both averaged 5.7 °C.
The 2010 figure is remarkable not just because it was the coldest, but because it represents a year when the minimum temperature averaged almost a full degree below the warmest recent years. To put it in context, the mildest year in the series was 2024, with an annual mean minimum of 7.0 °C, followed by 2023 at 6.9 °C and 2014 at 6.8 °C.
The table below shows the annual mean minimum temperature for each year in the record. A lower value generally indicates a higher number of frost days.
The chart shows the complete annual series. The table lists the most notable years; the full series comes from Met Office.
| Year | Mean Min Temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.5 |
| 1992 | 5.8 |
| 1993 | 5.2 |
| 1994 | 6.2 |
| 1995 | 6.0 |
| 1996 | 5.1 |
| 1997 | 6.4 |
| 1998 | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 6.6 |
| 2000 | 6.3 |
| 2001 | 6.0 |
| 2002 | 6.6 |
| 2003 | 5.9 |
| 2004 | 6.7 |
| 2005 | 6.3 |
| 2006 | 6.7 |
| 2007 | 6.2 |
| 2008 | 6.3 |
| 2009 | 6.1 |
| 2010 | 4.9 |
| 2011 | 6.6 |
| 2012 | 5.7 |
| 2013 | 5.7 |
| 2014 | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | 6.2 |
| 2017 | 6.6 |
| 2018 | 6.3 |
| 2019 | 6.1 |
| 2020 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 6.7 |
| 2023 | 6.9 |
| 2024 | 7.0 |
| 2025 | 6.7 |
For someone living in or around Birmingham, the 1,521 frost days recorded at Coton-in-the-Elms over the 1991–2025 period translate into a winter season where frost is a regular companion. The exact number of frost days in a given year varies, as the table above shows through the annual mean minimum temperature. The coldest years — 2010, 1996, and 1993 — are the ones where gardeners, commuters, and local authorities had to contend with the most icy mornings.
The record is not static. The warmest year in the series, 2024 at 7.0 °C, sits in stark contrast to the coldest, 2010 at 4.9 °C. Yet even in the mildest years, frost remains a possibility between late autumn and early spring, and the data from this station is the most reliable guide we have for planning outdoor events, agricultural activities, or simply knowing when to protect sensitive plants.
As the series continues, it will be interesting to see whether the recent mild years — 2023, 2024, and 2025, with values of 6.9, 7.0, and 6.7 °C respectively — become the new normal, or whether colder winters like the one in 2010 still have a role to play. For now, the 1,521 frost days stand as the definitive count for this reference point.
Source: Met Office (MIDAS archive). Station: Coton-in-the-Elms. Period: 1991–2025.
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