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ARDECHE
Climate and Weather

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Climate and Weather

The Mont Mézenc was already covered with snow in mid-December 2007 The Mont Mézenc was already covered with snow in mid-December 2007Photo: Dandumona CC 3.0 Unported no changes made

The northern plateau of the Ardèche has a pleasant climate in summer, because it rarely gets very hot then. In autumn it can be haunted with heavy downpours and in winter there is a layer of snow on the plateaus. Although the ski areas there are much smaller than in the Alps, winter sports can be enjoyed to the full in the west of the Ardèche, between the Croix de Bauzon and the Plateau de Lalouvesc.

Southern Ardèche, with a Mediterranean climate, still has nice temperatures in spring and autumn. In general, the Ardèche has a continental climate with Mediterranean influences. The temperature of central France is between 21 and 26°C in summer. The annual mean temperature is 12°C. The sun shines an average of 250 days a year, and spring and autumn can also be sunny.

Sun on the Ardeche watersSun on the Ardeche watersPhoto: Mboesch CC 3.0 Unported no changes made

Also known in this region is the mistral, a northerly wind from the Massif Central that rises suddenly and can last for several days and can cause a temperature drop of 10°C. Strangely enough, after a period of mistral there is often a period of calm.

In the northwest of the Ardèche, on the edge of the Vivarais, lies the region of La Montagne or the 'Plateau of the Ardèche'. Here every winter from November to April occurs a curious meteorological phenomenon, 'la burle'. For a long time, the wind blows so hard and frequently that daylong snowstorms cause high snow piles that even cover entire houses. This treacherous wind has already cost many human lives.

Climate table Ardèche

avg.max.temp.avg.min.temp.hours of sunshine p/ddays of rainfall p/m
January6°C0°C215
February7°C1°C314
March11°C3°C515
April15°C7°C614
May19°C9°C716
June24°C13°C911
July28°C14°C1012
August25°C14°C811
September23°C11°C712
October17°C8°C415
November9°C5°C316
December6°C2°C216

Sources

Ardèche
Lannoo 

Ardèche
Touring/Lannoo

Ardèche, Drôme
Terra Lannoo

BBC - Country Profiles

CIA - World Factbook

Forst, Bettina
Cevennen, Ardèche

Graaf, Gjelt de / Auvergne, Ardèche
ANWB

Kalmbach, Gabriele
Ardèche

Talbot, Roseline
Natuurreisgids Ardèche en Auvergne

Wikipedia




Last updated September 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info