Spring is Here – But Freezing Overnight Temperatures Set to Continue Through April and Beyond

Overnight ice is a risk not only in winter, but right through the spring in most areas of the country. This is why it is important to be aware of the dangers it can present to your workforce and organise gritting contractors so that you are fully prepared, even at this time of year.

While from March to May the majority of ice occurs outside working hours, for businesses or organisations that operate overnight, or in the early hours of the morning, such as hospitals, hotels, warehouses, factories or 24 hour stores, this means an ongoing threat to staff and visitors. Overnight ice can pose a risk for much of the year, even if the daytime temperatures are warming up significantly and it is commonplace for Ice Watch gritting contractors to be called out right through the spring period.

This article looks at the UK ice risk, region by region for April. The temperatures below are based on historical averages and show a general likelihood rather than a specific forecast.

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Scotland

The west and south west of Scotland tends to be generally warmer than the east and north, as this part of the country benefits from the effects of the Gulf Stream. However, overnight temperatures in the south of Scotland can still drop below freezing throughout April. The north tends to be drier (only 18 days of rainfall in Inverness, for example) but is also significantly colder, presenting a significant ice risk right through April and plenty to keep gritting contractors on their toes!

	Glasgow	Edinburgh	Inverness
Average minimum April temperature	4 C	1 C	4C
Absolute minimum* April temperature	-4 C	-11 C	-10 C
Expected days rainfall in April	22	23	18
Estimated ice risk in April	Medium	High	High

* Absolute minimum will almost always be an overnight temperature

North of England

The northern English counties of Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire can all experience overnight temperatures well below freezing being possible right through April and even through till May. Combined with high levels of rainfall this creates an ongoing risk of ice formation throughout the month.

	York	Blackpool	Manchester
Average minimum April temperature	3C	6C	4C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-5 C	-4C	-4C
Expected days rainfall in April	15	17	21
Estimated ice risk in April	Medium	Medium	Medium

Midlands

The Midlands do not benefit much from being further south, perhaps because they are largely landlocked and do not benefit at all from the Gulf Stream. Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire and the West Midlands have a similar or even greater ice risk than the more northerly counties.

	Derby	Lincoln	Shrewsbury
Average minimum April temperature	4C	3C	3C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-6 C	-10C	-14C
Expected days rainfall in April	17	20	21
Estimated ice risk in April	Medium	High	High

Wales

While the south of Wales is warmed significantly by the Gulf Stream (Cardiff and Swansea experiencing very low ice risk, for instance), places that are further north or inland can still see overnight temperatures plummeting as low as -9C. Inland locations get significantly less rainfall however, which helps to reduce the ice risk considerably – so in a wetter year the risk will increase.

	Caernarfon	Cardiff	Wrexham
Average minimum April temperature	5C	6C	4C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-9 C	-1C	-5C
Expected days rainfall in April	21	16	3
Estimated ice risk in April	High	Low	Low

South West

The south west region varies greatly, with the westerly counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset being warmed by the Gulf Stream and giving overnight temperatures that don't drop much too much below zero if at all; while the counties of Dorset, Wiltshire and Shropshire are much more like their Midlands neighbours, giving some significant ice risk.

	Truro	Exeter	Bournemouth
Average minimum April temperature	7C	5C	3C
Absolute minimum April temperature	1C	-5C	-13C
Expected days rainfall in April	14	16	19
Estimated ice risk in April	Very Low	Medium	High

East Anglia

The flat counties of Suffolk, Norwich and Cambridgeshire are exposed to very cold winds coming in off the North Sea and can all experience overnight temperatures well below freezing throughout the month of April, with Ipswich temperatures as low as -12C on occasions
.

	Cambridge	Norwich	Ipswich
Average minimum April temperature	7C	5C	3C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-8 C	-3C	-12C
Expected days rainfall in April	11	19	19
Estimated ice risk in April	Medium	Low	High

Home Counties

The counties immediately surrounding London, including Surrey, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are generally slightly warmer than the more northerly and easterly counties. But many places in this region, especially those away from the coast, have average minimum temperatures only 3 or 4 degrees above freezing, and overnight temperatures well below freezing, creating a significant ice risk.

	Oxford	Basingstoke	Guildford
Average minimum April temperature	3C	3C	4C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-8 C	-11C	-6C
Expected days rainfall in April	17	19	7
Estimated ice risk in April	High	High	Medium

London and South East

While Central London itself will rarely see sub zero temperatures in April, even overnight, you do not have to travel far away from the capital to find a significant risk of overnight ice: Heathrow airport can experience lows of -11C, for instance.

	Colchester, Essex	Heathrow, London	Maidstone, Kent
Average minimum April temperature	4C	5C	4C
Absolute minimum April temperature	-12C	-11C	-5 C
Expected days rainfall in April	19	20	3
Estimated ice risk in April	High	High	Low

In short, unless you are lucky enough to live and work in Cornwall, South Wales or Central London, you can be almost certain to experience some overnight ice throughout the month of April and, in some places, even beyond. While businesses are naturally alert for ice over the winter months, ice in April may catch out many – except for those with gritting contractors in place, watching the weather for them.

Gritting Contractors – click here for full information on how we can help.