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Weather Overview for Skegness

Located on the eastern central coast of the United Kingdom; Skegness has the ideal scenery for a classic family holiday. The town offers everything a holiday maker requires including beautiful beaches, attractions, shops and a stunning nature reserve.

Due to its proximity to the English Channel, Skegness’s climate shares many of the same traits as Chicago in the US. Similar to Chicago, Skegness lies in a humid continental climate zone and experiences four distinct seasons. Rainfall averages at 650mm per year.

Average annual temperatures can vary dramatically and with the town’s proximity to the coast can at times be extremely windy. The coldest waters around the UK are found off the coast of Skegness and nearby North-East English coasts with sea surface temperatures varying from about 5°C in winter to 13°C in summer; compared to a range of 8°C to 18 C off South-West England. This, together with extensive areas of highland, leads to a prevailing coolness with average annual temperatures typically in the range of 8°C to 9°C.

Winter

Winter throughout this part of England can at times be unpleasantly cold, with chilly winds that commonly sift through the town. January is typically the coldest month in Skegness, with average daily minimum temperatures varying from below -0.5°C to about 1.5°C right along the coast. Minimum temperatures usually occur around sunrise and extreme minimums have been recorded in winter, often in January or February. The lowest known temperature recorded in the region was -21.1 °C in January 1941.

Summer

Yet at times cool, the summer months can make a lovely escape and summer break for holiday makers throughout the UK. July and August are the warmest months, with average daily maximum temperatures ranging from about 21°C to less than 16°C in region of Skegness. The highest July mean maximums which occur just inland of Skegness hit 22.5°C, whilst the lowest occur directly on the coast when the climate can drop to 15°C. Maximum temperatures are normally 2 or 3 hours after midday. Extreme maximum temperatures can occur in July or August, but are less common in Skegness than areas further south. However, a heat wave hit the coast in August 1990 when temperatures of 33 °C occurred broadly.

An “air frost” occurs very commonly when the temperature at throughout the coastal regions of Eastern England falls below 0°C, whereas frequency of a “ground frost” refers to a temperature below 0°C measured on a grass surface. In the town of Skegness, the average number of days with air frost varies from about 30 a year on the coast to about 55 just inland and over 90 in the higher Pennines. Ground frost occurs on average on about 80 days per year on the coast and over 135 days on high ground, with a similar distribution to air frost.

Even though at times very cold, this thriving resort on the East Coast of England has many unspoilt beaches is an assured recommendation for family holidays throughout the mild and pleasant summer months.