flygirl

I've always wanted to take my Dad to Yorkshire, it's been on the list for a while. He enjoyed the James Herriott stories when they came out and I think he'd really love England.

I've been to London in April but anything north of that has either been the dead of winter (Scotland over New Years, one year) or the middle of summer.

I'd like to show him the Dales but try to avoid cold and rainy weather. Brisk would be great, but cold and wet would be a bummer.

I know the weather is so variable and there's just no way to predict it. But in the recent past, is April the start of decent weather or would we be better off waiting a month or two?

Also, would March really pushing it?

Thanks.

janisj

"<i>I know the weather is so variable and there's just no way to predict it</i>"

That's all you needed to post

April can be lovely or horrible (on consecutive days) -- and everything in between.

PatrickLondon

This year we had our summer in April. Next year, who knows?

PatrickLondon

PS: later April is obviously better than earlier. March might be nicer, but we have in the past had a late cold snap in March.

Morgana

Having lived in Yorkshire for many years, I can tell you that no one can answer your question. I do a charity walk at the end of April/very beginning of May each year. Some years I've walked in hot sun covered in suntan lotion, I've walked in bitterly cold driving rain, I've walked in mild blustery winds, and on one occasion I walked in snow and hail. There's absolutely no date where the weather will automatically improve.
However please don't let ideas about 'the frozen north' put you off as it will only ever be a few degrees cooler than 'down south' and I actually experienced far more snow when I lived in Essex than I've ever had living up here!
There are also loads of indoor things you could do in the Dales and surrounding area if you should get some rain - the Herriot museum in Thirsk for instance.

MissPrism

Late April to early May would have the Spring flowers out.
As people say, that time of year can be beautiful or horrible.

qwovadis

weather2travel.com climate guides for general info

but basically a total crap shoot so stay flexible

btter to wait till warmer if you can...

Love their terriers and pudding but winter weather

not so much... very depressing.

DickieG

April this year north of Watford...28oC.

July this year....12oC.

Next year....?

Most of the world's weather seems to be all over the place!!!

RM67

With regard to temperature, it will almost certainly be warmer in late spring or summer than at any other time of the year. Yes, we've had freakishly warm weather in some early months, and also in October (just gone), but you need to think 'on average'. March will likely not be that pleasant.

We get rain all year round so I'd completely forget trying to predict or anticipate precipitation - it's pointless.

flygirl

Hello everyone

Many thanks for the replies. I know this is simply unpredictable, was hoping for "trends". Thinking out loud, here: maybe we could spend the last week of April in Holland (check out the tulips again) and then the beginning of May in England. Just thoughts.

flygirl

PS. I should mention that I visited this area in August of 1996. I had beautiful, practically perfect weather and I spent a day tooling around the "James Herriott" sites based on a small booklet I purchased from the local TI.

flanneruk

No of course it isn't cold in a Yorkshire spring.

Once Candlemas is gone, it's never cold in England - by the standards of most of North America anyway (the US Department of Agriculture assesses the mildness of winters in central Texas and most of Louisiana at 8: exactly the same as Yorkshire) True Yorkshire's cold if your reference is southern California - but most Americans have the sense to live somewhere with a more interesting climate.

Yorkshire is also usually slightly warmer than Amsterdam in winter and early spring, so if you're nesh, going to Holland won't help

There's absolutely no need to wait till late March for flowers. Bulbs typically start coming out by mid Feb, and by Lady Day (March 25), most of England has got to the "daffs virtually everywhere" stage, buds start appearing on trees and lambing (date not really weather-dependent) is well established.

Me, I prefer mid March to later, for what's to be seen. If you find it unclement, the Leeds Primark will fit you both out for little more than the price of a pint. Can't see how anyone could call a chilly early spring a bummer.

Lack of moral fibre would be the only explanation. Which your dad's generation was never plagued with.

Vpicks

It is entirely possible to have lovely weather in April, although by no means guaranteed. Over the last few years I have noticed a tendency for April to be one of the more reliable months in the UK (as opposed to July and August, which are often awful). I have had decent weather as far north as Scotland in April, so personally I would go for it, but have some warm things to hand just in case!

Regards,
Vicky
http://postcards-pfte.blogspot.com/
Celebrating the Great British Coastline

alanRow

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Some years August was too early for decent weather in Yorkshire