Updated: 2026-07-31
The nearest official measuring point to Glasgow is the Met Office station at Aberfoyle, in the Perthshire-in-central-region area, at 28 m altitude, about 35.6 km away. The last spring frost (minimum temperature below 0 °C between March and June) in the analysed record fell on 5 May 2001, with a minimum temperature of -1.1 °C. That is the latest spring frost date in the 1968–2001 series, and the one any gardener or orchardist near Glasgow should mark on the calendar before committing tender blossoms to the open air.
5 May 2001
the latest last-spring-frost date recorded at Aberfoyle station (1968–2001), with a minimum of -1.1 °C
That single morning, the air temperature at screen height dropped below freezing well into May, a stark reminder that even when April feels settled, a May frost can still strike. For blossom already open, -1.1 °C is enough to damage or kill the flowers of many fruit trees, especially early-flowering varieties.
The climate of Glasgow itself may differ from that of Aberfoyle due to local factors: altitude, proximity to water bodies or the urban heat island effect of the city. The Aberfoyle station sits at 28 m, roughly 35.6 km from Glasgow, in a valley setting that can behave differently from the urban core. For that reason, treat the numbers below as the best available reference for the wider Glasgow area, not as a precise forecast for any single garden.
The daily series at Aberfoyle runs from 1 January 1968 to 1 October 2001. This 33-year window gives a solid basis for judging when the risk of a killing frost has passed in an average spring, and when it has not. See the year-by-year table below for the detailed breakdown of available data.
For each year, the table below shows the date of the final spring frost (a minimum below 0 °C recorded between March and June, inclusive) and the minimum temperature on that day. A dash in the date column means no such frost was recorded in the spring of that year. Only the year 2001 has complete data available in the current record. The 2001 date stands out: 5 May. In many years the last frost comes in April, but May is not unheard of.
| Year | Last spring frost date | Minimum temperature (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 05-09 | -1.1 |
Note: The series consolidates data for the period indicated; each row reflects the last frost event of that spring. For the period 1968–2000, daily frost data are not currently available in this consolidated series; the table above reflects the full extent of the analysed record, which contains data for 2001 only.
The monthly average minimum temperatures at Aberfoyle show how long the cold season lingers. January averages a minimum of 0.1 °C — barely freezing. February is the coldest month on average, with a mean minimum of -0.9 °C. March returns to 0.1 °C, and April rises to 1.6 °C. But the monthly average is not the whole story: individual nights can dip far below the monthly mean, which is why a May frost like the one in 2001 can still occur even when May's average minimum stands at 4.5 °C.
| Month | Mean minimum temperature (°C) |
|---|---|
| January | 0.1 |
| February | -0.9 |
| March | 0.1 |
| April | 1.6 |
| May | 4.5 |
| June | 7.0 |
| July | 9.0 |
| August | 9.3 |
| September | 7.0 |
| October | 5.0 |
| November | 1.4 |
| December | 0.7 |
For anyone in the Glasgow area growing fruit trees, ornamentals, or setting out tender annuals, the practical takeaway from the Aberfoyle record is simple: based on the available data, the safest date to assume the last frost has passed is after the first week of May. The 2001 event on 5 May is the latest recorded in the analysed period, and it came with a minimum of -1.1 °C — enough to blacken the blooms of an early-flowering plum or cherry.
April, despite a mean minimum of 1.6 °C, can still produce frosty nights; the monthly average is just that, an average, and individual mornings can fall well below it. February is the only month where the average minimum is below freezing, at -0.9 °C, so the danger window for blossom really stretches from early spring into May.
In practical terms, if you are planting fruit trees or planning the vegetable garden, wait until after May 5 to be safe based on this record. If you must plant earlier, be ready to protect the blossom with fleece or horticultural covers on any night when the forecast threatens a dip below 0 °C — the last frost at Aberfoyle in 2001 struck on 5 May, and that is the date to beat before you relax.
This station is the nearest official measuring point to Glasgow, but it is not Glasgow itself. The city's urban fabric, the nearby River Clyde, and the shelter of surrounding hills can all keep temperatures slightly higher than at the rural Aberfoyle site, especially on calm, clear nights when frost forms most readily. Conversely, low-lying gardens outside the city centre, in cold hollows, may well be colder than the station records. The data here is the solid reference, not a guarantee for any single spot.
Also note that the analysed series covers only 2001 in the year-by-year frost table. The overall picture of spring frost risk in the West of Scotland may have shifted since then, but the historical record for 2001 is the best measured baseline we have for the area, and the 5 May event is the latest in this window.
Source: Met Office MIDAS dataset, Aberfoyle station (Perthshire-in-central-region), period 1968–2001.
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