January: Empty and often frozen. The Goathland Plough Stots dance on the Saturday after Plough Monday. Snow on the tops if you are lucky.
February: Dark Skies Festival. Snowdrops in the abbey grounds. Stormy seas at Whitby.
March: The first daffodils in Farndale towards the end of the month. Lambing. The railway restarts full service at the end of the month or in early April.
April: Farndale at its best in the first half. Spring Goth Weekend in Whitby. Curlews and lapwings back on the moor.
May: Bluebells in Newton Wood under Roseberry Topping and in the dales. Fish and Ships festival in Whitby. Long light evenings begin.
June: The longest days. Wild flowers on the coast path. Quiet before the school holidays.
July: Bell heather begins to flower. Ryedale Festival. Sea fret can roll in on the coast in the mornings.
August: Ling heather at its peak in the middle of the month. The agricultural shows: Rosedale, Egton, Bilsdale, Danby. Whitby Regatta and Folk Week. Busy.
September: Heather fading, bracken turning. The Autumn Steam Gala on the railway. Often the most settled weather of the year.
October: Autumn colour in the dales and along the Esk. Whitby Goth Weekend over Halloween with the abbey floodlit. Grey seal pups born at Ravenscar.
November: Quiet. Salmon leaping at Sleights weir on the Esk. Roaring fires in the pubs.
December: Santa specials on the railway. Christmas markets in Helmsley and Whitby. Clear cold nights for stargazing.
