Coastal, continental, mountainous and Mediterrnean, the climate in France is

temperate, varying from west to east and especially between the north and south of the
Loire region.
France enjoys mild temperatures throughout the year: not too hot and not too cold, with a
plentiful mix of rainfall and sunshine. Naturally, each region has its own particular climate:
cooler and wetter to the north and west and warmer and drier in the Mediterranean.
In winter , there is plenty of snow for winter sports enthusiasts to enjoy in mountainous areas.
More rarely, snow falls on the plains, mainly north of the Loire, and extremely rarely in Paris.
In spring, temperatures quickly rise above 20C in the south, with the first swimmers
appearing in Nice and Cannes. From the month of May, the whole of France puts on a teeshirt. The days lengthen and it's time to take a trip to the countryside and enjoy an aperitif on
the terrace.
Summers are hot and peaceful, the sun shining across the whole country. There are
temperatures to to suit everyone: often reaching 30C in Ajaccio and Marseille, 25C in Brest
and Deauville. People top up their tans and throng the beaches. It's the perfect time to go on a
long trek in the mountains or explore the various regions of France.
Autumn marks the return of the rain, with the weather turning cooler as Christmas
approaches. All across the country, the trees begin to show off their new colours. Walkers go
out a little more wrapped up and the days start getting shorter.
http://www.france.fr/en/coming-france/climate-france.html

France has four broad climatic zones: the humid seaboard zone west
of the line Bayonne-Lille with cool summers; a semi-continental
zone with cold winters and hot summers in Alsace-Lorraine, along
the rhodanian corridor and in the mountainous massifs (Alps,
Pyrenees, Massif Central); an intermediate zone with cold winters
and hot summers in the North, the Paris region and the central
region; and a Mediterranean zone with mild winters and quite hot summers in the south of
France.

Climate in the Paris area is variable. There is a chance of a

downpour in spring or a thunderstorm in summer. Temperature
ranges between 20C and 26C from May through October.
Springtime in Paris is mild and relatively dry, and the autumn is
equally extended. July and August are the warmest months. Daily average maximum
temperatures range from 6C in January to 26C in August. The wettest month on average is
October (71 mm), when heavy Thunderstorms are possible. Brittany in the far west is the

wettest French locale, especially between October and November. July is the driest month
for the Bretons.

In the South, the Mediterranean coast has the driest climate with any
noticeable rain coming in spring and autumn. Provence (in the
southeast) occasionally plays reluctant host to le mistral, a strong,
cold and dry wind that blows in over the winter for periods of only a
few days up to a couple of weeks.The Mediterranean coastline and
Corsica have plenty of sunshine during the summer months, and refreshing sea breezes.
Average daily maximum temperatures reach a warm 27C in August, and an average of 12
hours of sunshine per day. 25-30 dry days per month can be expected during the summer
season. On the Atlantic Coast and in Bordeaux, the climate is generally mild with
temperatures averaging 11C in winter, up to 27C in summer, and rainfall distributed
throughout the year. With the days fresh and possibly damp in the spring and often sunny in
the autumn, the climate is one of the most important factors behind Bordeaux's high quality
wine it produces.

The weather in the French Alps varies from north to south. The northern Alps (the Savoy) are
subject to oceanic influences resulting in abundant precipitation year round with low
temperatures, and cold winters with sometimes heavy snowfall. Briancon, in the Alps, has a
mean temperature of -2C in January, and 17C in July. During the warm season, local winds
blow along this region's wide valleys and by midday, warm air rises from the valleys, causing
clouds to form around most mountain summits. The heights can sometimes attract storms that
are both violent and spectacular. The southern Alps (Provence and the Cote D'Azur) enjoy a
typical Mediterranean climate, with lots of sunshine, dry weather, clear skies and no mist or
fog. Autumn is the best time of year in this region. Occasionally, violent storms may occur,
but they are always followed by sunny spells.

Required clothing:
Light cotton clothes are needed in the summer, mediumweight in the Winter. raincoats and
waterproof clothing are especially needed in the western areas and the mountainous regions.
Wherever you go, take a sweater for cool evenings.

Koeppen-Geiger classification:
Most areas of France can be classified as Cfb Climate; a warm temperated humid climate
with the warmest month lower than 22C over average and four or more months above 10C
over average. The southern coast areas can be classified as Csa Climate; a warm temperated
mediterranean climate with dry, warm summers and moderate, wet winters with the warmest
month above 22C over average. The Mounainous regions of the French Alps have a Dfb
Climate; a humid Snow climate with the warmest month above 10C over average and the
coldest month below -3C.

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/France.htm

Climate
The climate of France is generally favourable to cultivation. Most of France lies in the
southern part of the temperate zone, although the subtropical zone encompasses its southern
fringe. All of France is considered to be under the effect of oceanic influences, moderated by
the North Atlantic Drift on the west and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. Average annual
temperatures decline to the north, with Nice on the Cte dAzure at 59 F (15 C) and Lille on
the northern border at 50 F (10 C). Rainfall is brought mainly by westerly winds from the
Atlantic and is characterized by cyclonic depressions. Annual precipitation is more than 50
inches (1,270 mm) at higher elevations in western and northwestern France, in the western
Pyrenees, in the Massif Central, and in the Alps and the Jura. In winter eastern France
especially may come under the influence of the continental high-pressure system, which
brings extremely cold conditions and temperature inversions over the cities, during which
cold air is trapped below warmer air, with consequent fogs and urban pollution. The climate
of France, then, can be discussed according to three major climatic zonesoceanic,
continental, and Mediterranean, with some variation in the Aquitaine Basin and in the
mountains.

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republic with two legislative houses (Parliament; Senate [348], National
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President: Franois Hollande

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The oceanic region

The pure oceanic climate prevails in the northwest, especially in Brittany. It is characterized
by its low annual temperature variation, with Brest having an average temperature in January
of 43 F (6 C) and in July of 61 F (16 C); by its extreme humidity and moderate rainfall
(35 inches [890 mm] of rain falling through the year), accompanied by cloudiness and haze;
by the frequency and sometimes the violence of the west winds that blow almost constantly;
and by large variations in the weather, which can change several times a day. This oceanic
climate is somewhat modified toward the north, where the winters are cooler, and toward the
south, where, in the Aquitaine Basin, the winters are mild and the summers warmer. There is
also less rainfall, although at Toulouse great summer storms are quite frequent.

The continental region

The plains of the northeast are particularly affected by a continental climate. The city of
Strasbourg has the greatest temperature range in France. Winter is cold, with an average of 83
days of frost and with snow cover for several weeks, although the weather is often sunny. In
summer, storms cause maximum precipitation in the region in June and July, although total
rainfall is comparatively light.
The climate of the Paris Basin is somewhere between the oceanic and the continental. The
average yearly temperature is 53 F (11 C) in Paris. In addition, the relatively light annual
rainfall (23 inches [58 cm]) follows a pattern of moderately heavy rain in spring and early
summer and autumn, as in the oceanic countries, but the maximum amount of rain falls in
summer, with storms of the continental type. In summer, spray irrigation is needed for crops
in the continental climatic region and the Paris Basin.

The Mediterranean region

In the southeast the Mediterranean climate extends over the coastal plains and penetrates the
valley of the lower Rhne River as far as the Montlimar area. It affects the southern Alps, the
southeastern slopes of the Cvennes and the Noire Mountains (in the Massif Central), and the
eastern Pyrenees. The latitude and the proximity of the warm Mediterranean Sea contribute to
mild winters, with an average temperature of 47 F (8 C) in January at Nice and with only a
few days of frost. Precipitation is heavy and tends to fall in sudden downpours, especially in
the autumn and spring, whereas summer is nearly completely dry for at least three months. In
coastal Languedoc-Roussillon, annual rainfall totals can be as low as 17 to 20 inches (430 to
500 mm). It is a unique area because of its clear skies and the regularity of fine weather. This

area is also subject to the violent north winds called the mistral, which are peculiar to southern
France. The winds are caused by high-pressure areas from central France that move toward
the low-pressure areas of the Gulf of Genoa. Permanent irrigation systems are characteristic
of the Mediterranean lowlands.
The Aquitaine Basin is intermediate between the oceanic and the Mediterranean climates.
Winters tend toward the oceanic type, but springs and summers are warm, although less arid
than in the Mediterranean zone.

The mountains have varied climates. West-facing slopes in the Pyrenees have some of the
highest precipitation figures in France. Snow cover stays from December to the end of April
above 3,000 feet (900 metres) and is perpetual above 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) in the Alps
and 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) in the Pyrenees. Locally, the contrast between the sunny southfacing valley slopes (adrets) and the shaded north-facing slopes (ubacs) can be of great
importance for land use and settlement, while some intermontane basins can have quite
advantageous climates as opposed to that of the surrounding peaks and plateaus.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/215768/France/41101/Climate