Updated: 2026-07-29
The worst frost year on record at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden since 1939 was 1942, when the temperature dropped below zero on 87 separate days. That winter — and the long, cold spring that followed — meant the city saw frost in nearly one of every four days around the calendar.
In an average year, Edinburgh experiences between 40 and 60 frost days (a frost day is any day when the minimum temperature drops below 0 °C). But the range is wide: from as few as 18 frost days in 2014 up to the 87-day record of 1942. The data come directly from the Met Office's official MIDAS archive, measured at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden No. 2 station (1939–2024).
Frost days vary enormously with the strength of each winter. The 1940s and 1950s were generally severe: five years in that period topped 60 frost days. The 1960s continued cold, with 1963 (the famous snowy winter) logging 71 frost days and 1968 recording 72. The 1970s were mixed but included the mildest year so far — 1974, with just 22 frost days — before an exceptionally cold 1979 with 73.
In the last two decades, winters have been milder on the whole. The record for fewest frost days (18 in 2014) is recent. Other notably mild years: 1990 with 20 frost days, 2020 with 25, and 1974 with 22. The very cold year of 2010 stands out from the modern period, with 76 frost days — the second highest since 1942.
The chart shows the complete annual series. The table lists the most notable years; the full series comes from Met Office.
| Year | Frost days |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 87 |
| 1947 | 77 |
| 1955 | 74 |
| 1968 | 72 |
| 1979 | 73 |
| 2010 | 76 |
| 2014 | 18 |
The 1942 record of 87 frost days still stands, unbeaten for more than eight decades. The 1947 winter was also extreme (77 frost days), and 2010 is the only modern year to come close (76). The mildest stretch on record came in the 2010s: 2014 (18 frost days), 2015 (28), and 2020 (25).
If you're planning an outdoor event in Edinburgh — a wedding, a festival, a garden opening — the risk of frost is highest from November through March. But as the numbers above show, late frosts can occur in April and early May in colder years, and frost has been recorded in every month outside the summer core.
Source: Met Office MIDAS (Integrated Data Archive System) — Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden No. 2 station, 1939–2024. Official data from the UK Met Office, Open Government Licence v3.0.
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© 2026 HistoClima · data: Met Office (OGL v3.0) · not affiliated with Met Office · citation permitted with source.