Climate in France

France has a mostly temperate climate, although there are many regional variations.

Average winter temperatures range from 32 F to 46 F, and average summer temperatures vary from 61 F to 75 F. For the most warmth and sunshine, look to the Midi, the term the French themselves use for the deep south of the country. Provence and Occitanie are characterized by mild winters and blisteringly hot summers.

Along with the northern and central regions, Paris has cool and fairly rainy winters, although summers here are usually hot. Winters are a lot colder in the eastern regions of Alsace-Lorraine and in the mountainous regions of the Alps, the Pyrénées, and the Massif Central.

The French use the Celsius (C) temperature scale. Don’t expect to see any temperatures given in Fahrenheit once you’re there. To convert to degrees Fahrenheit, multiply the temperature in degrees Celsius by 1.8 and then add 32. For example, 20 C is equivalent to 68 F.

Northwestern France

Bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, northwestern France has a temperate Atlantic climate. Characterized by relatively mild winters (with average temperatures of 45 F) with the chance of sea fog, the climate’s regular feature is fine rain (crachin). With an average of 200 days of rainfall annually, it’s wetter than many people expect. Brittany, in the far west, is the rainiest location of all, especially between October and November. Summers here aren’t overly hot, either—the average temperature is 61 F. This is the type of climate you can expect in towns like Lille, Deauville, Rouen, Caen, and Rennes.

Western France

Following the Atlantic Coast south toward Bordeaux and Biarritz, the weather gets milder and more pleasant. Spring rainfall is still plentiful, but summers are more likely to be warm and dry, and sunny days are usual throughout the fall. On the coast and around Bordeaux, the climate is generally mild, with temperatures averaging 45 F in winter and the low 70s F in summer. On average, the region gets around 170 days of sunshine annually.

Paris, Eastern, and Central France

This region is described as having a “continental climate.” The good news is that rainfall decreases as you move eastward and inland. Paris, for example, gets much less rain than western Brittany, although it still might be more than what you expect. On average, Paris gets 20 days of rain in January and 12 in August, the driest month. Although winters can be chilly and damp, normal Paris temperatures tend to range between 50 F and 75 F from May through to October.

Farther east, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, and the half-timbered wine villages of the Alsace region enjoy a drier, sunnier climate, but winters can be very cold indeed. In the Massif Central mountains of central France, the climate is harsh and cold. Clermont-Ferrand, for example, is often completely covered in snow in winter.

France’s South and Corsica

France’s Mediterranean coastline rejoices in hot, dry summers—and it’s usually very mild throughout winter too. However, the region also gets some battering from the Mistral wind. Cold in winter and gusting warm in summer, this blustery wind blasts down the Rhône Valley toward the Riviera. Winters here couldn’t be described as sizzling, but they’re the warmest you’ll find in France.

Temperatures around Nice can reach 56 F during the daytime in winter, and some five hours of sunshine can be expected. On average, there are about 22 dry days per month. Corsica usually records temperatures that are a few degrees higher, but being a mountainous island, it usually has only 18 or 19 dry days per month during winter.

Average daily temperatures in the south rise to around 68 F by May, and the daily sunshine hours increase to nine or 10. There is less chance of a rain shower too, with around 23 dry days per month. The perfect Mediterranean climate...

Summer sizzles. Average daily maximum temperatures reach 81 F in August, and it’s usual to get 12 hours of sunshine per day. Rainfall is almost non-existent: 25 to 30 dry days per month can be expected. By fall, nights are getting longer, but the weather stays warm through September and October, with daytime temperatures often in the mid-70s.

By November, that figure has fallen to 63 F. October and November are the rainiest months, averaging around four-and-a-half inches each. However, about 22 dry days can be expected per month throughout the winter, although by November sunshine will have fallen to five hours daily.

The Southwest

The climate of the coastal fringe of Occitanie is similar to that in Provence—mild winters and hot summers. Whereas Provence has the Mistral, the Occitanie region has two main winds: the Marin, which gusts in from the sea, giving mild but sometimes cloudy weather, and the cooler Tramontane wind from the northwest, which blows in blue skies and sunshine.

The region enjoys more than 300 annual days a year of sunshine. This warm, dry climate has made Occitanie the largest wine-producing region of France. Being so close to Spain, the sun can feel quite warm, even in winter, and the temperature rarely falls below freezing. However, you will find dramatic differences up beyond the foothills of the Pyrénées—winter skiing territory.

The French Alps

There’s abundant winter snow, yes, but the weather in the French Alps varies from north to south. The northern Savoy Alps can get quite a lot of rain year-round, and temperatures stay fairly low. During the warmer season, winds blow along this region’s valleys, and by midday clouds have formed around most mountain summits. The heights can attract violent storms. The southern Alps bordering Provence have a more typical Mediterranean climate, with lots of sunshine, dry weather, clear skies, and no mist or fog. Storms may occasionally occur, but they are always followed by sunny spells.