The climate of France: when to go to France

in France 1,350 Views

This post is also available in: العربية 简体中文繁體中文 Čeština Deutsch 日本語 polski Русский Türkçe

France is a country that extends from 42°N of Corsica up to 51°N of the coast of the North Sea, and from sea level up to 4,810 meters high of the Mont Blanc, is also bathed by two seas, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, all these factors will profoundly affect the climate. Mainly we can distinguish four types of climate: continental climate, oceanic climate, Mediterranean climate and mountain climate.

OCEANIC CLIMATE

The whole coast of the Atlantic Ocean from the Spanish border to the border with Belgium is characterized by a climate of oceanic nature, deeply influenced by the Atlantic influence and with a constant downpour throughout the year.

Climate of Normandy.

OCEANIC – CONTINENTAL TRANSITION CLIMATE

Much of the interior area of France has a mixed climate between the continental and the oceanic. The climate of the city of Paris also falls into this type of climate.

Climate of Paris.

CONTINENTAL CLIMATE

The eastern areas towards the borders with Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the area of the Massif Central has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.

MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

The coasts washed by the Mediterranean, including Corsica and the southern Rhone Valley have a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters. The mountain areas of the Alps, the Pyrenees and Corsica have a climate of alpine type with winter snowfalls.

Climate of the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). The climate of Provence.

WHEN TO GO TO FRANCE

The best time for a visit to France is the one corresponding to the months between April and September, the months when the temperatures are milder.

THE CLIMATE OF FRANCE: CLIMATE TABLES

PARIS (40 meters)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Precip. (mm)	Precip. days
January	2,7	7,2	53,7	10,2
February	2,8	8,3	43,7	9,3
March	5,3	12,2	48,5	10,4
April	7,3	15,6	53,0	9,4
May	10,9	19,6	65,0	10,3
June	13,8	22,7	54,6	8,6
July	15,8	25,2	63,1	8,0
August	15,7	25,0	43,0	6,9
September	12,7	21,1	54,7	8,5
October	9,6	16,3	59,7	9,5
November	5,8	10,8	51,9	9,7
December	3,4	7,5	58,7	10,7
YEAR	8,5	16,0	649,6	111,5

ROUEN (151 meters)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Precip. (mm)	Precip. days (snowy days)
January	1,1	6,4	76,3	13,0 (4,7)
February	1,1	7,3	60,4	10,3 (4,2)
March	3,2	10,8	67,1	11,9 (3,3)
April	4,7	13,7	59,2	10,7 (1,8)
May	8,1	17,3	74,3	11,8 (0,2)
June	10,7	20,3	63,7	9,5
July	12,8	22,8	68,9	9,4
August	12,8	22,8	65,1	9,0
September	10,4	19,5	65,5	9,7
October	7,8	15,0	83,5	12,4
November	4,1	9,9	76,8	13,0 (1,7)
December	1,7	6,6	90,9	13,0 (3,4)
YEAR	6,6	14,4	851,7	133,0 (19,3)

NICE (15 meters)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Precip. (mm)	Precip. days
January	5,3	13,1	69,0	6
February	5,9	13,4	44,7	5
March	7,9	15,2	38,7	5
April	10,2	17,0	69,3	7
May	14,1	20,7	44,6	5
June	17,5	24,3	34,3	4
July	20,3	27,3	12,1	2
August	20,5	27,7	17,8	2
September	17,3	24,6	73,1	5
October	13,7	21,0	132,8	7
November	9,2	16,6	103,9	7
December	6,3	13,8	92,7	6
YEAR	12,3	19,6	733,0	61