SeasonMapYork weather by month
United Kingdom
The best time to visit York is June to August — 92/100 in August, 21°C and 10 rainy days. The best season is summer, June to August (90/100 on average).
The worst month is December at 51/100 — cold, a little rain, clean air. See December →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit United Kingdom →
York, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip York is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 53 | D | 7°C | 11 d | 4 h | Busy | 1 |
| FebFebruary | 60 | C | 9°C | 11 d | 5 h | Peak | 2 |
| MarMarch | 67 | C | 11°C | 11 d | 7 h | Shoulder | — |
| AprApril | 77 | B | 14°C | 7 d | 10 h | Busy | — |
| MayMay | 83 | A | 17°C | 10 d | 11 h | Busy | — |
| JunJune | 87 | A | 20°C | 9 d | 11 h | Busy | — |
| JulJuly | 90 | S | 22°C | 11 d | 11 h | Peak | 1 |
| AugAugust | 92 | S | 21°C | 10 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| SepSeptember | 80 | A | 18°C | 10 d | 8 h | Busy | 2 |
| OctOctober | 69 | C | 14°C | 13 d | 5 h | Busy | — |
| NovNovember | 59 | D | 10°C | 12 d | 4 h | Busy | 2 |
| DecDecember | 51 | D | 8°C | 14 d | 3 h | Peak | 2 |
What's on in York through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- February
- JORVIK Viking Festival16–22 FebFestival
- July
- English school holidays18 Jul – 1 SepHoliday
- August
- Ebor Festival at York Races19–22 AugFestival
- September
- York Food and Drink Festival15–30 Sep (usually)Festival
- November
- St Nicholas Fair12 Nov – 21 DecFestival
- The Ouse comes up1 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Hazard
Crowds in York in August
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdstravelers describe it as peak season, English school holidays, Ebor Festival at York Races
Sourced from traveler notes: “…e's a north-easterly breeze off the sea, and that August is peak season so hotels and parking book up fast.” — Tripadvisor community
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Good to know before you go to York
Real experiences from travellers' own write-ups, quoted with a link to the original.
Visas & entry
A guide to walking York's medieval Shambles recommends getting there before 11:30am, since the narrow, overhanging-building street genuinely fills up as the day goes on and becomes difficult to photograph or even walk through comfortably by midday, especially on weekends. Their alternative tip for anyone who missed the early window: come back at the end of the day as shops close, when the crowds thin out again and the street's medieval character is easier to actually take in.