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The Weather and Climate in Spain

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Mainland Spain is surrounded by mountain ranges and high plateaus. Alluvial plains are found on many coasts such as the Guadalquivir in Andalusia. The geographical location as well as the orographic conditions of Spain made its climate particularly diverse. Some regions can very cold during the winter and extremely hot in the summers. The climate of Spain can be generally categorized according to 3 groups – Continental, Mediterranean, and Oceanic.

Modest continental atmosphere is experienced in inland areas of the Peninsula such as the city of Madrid. During this period, winter temperatures are cold enough to hold up a fixed period of snow cover every year. A Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry, hot summers and wet, cool winters. It is similar to the weathers of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin. This type of climate generally extends from the Andalusian plain down the eastern and southern coasts up to the Pyrenees. An oceanic climate, also called maritime climate or marine west coast climate, exists in the autonomous community of Galicia and the coastal area by the Bay of Biscay. This type of climate has a more limited annual range of temperatures and does not include the very dry summers of Mediterranean climates.

For travelers and people who are not quite familiar with Spain’s varying weather, I suggest checking the general climate of the city you are going to visit. Regardless of your agenda and itineraries, it is a good idea to outline your line of activities first before heading the city. Summer, winter, fall and spring in each major city vary significantly. Below are few weather advisories for major cities in Spain:

The best time to visit the city of Madrid is during spring and fall when the weather is moderate. Its winter is terribly cold with temperatures of at least 2°C (35°F) during the months of December to February and summer heat can make your trip unpleasant with high temperature averaging 29°C (84°F) from June to September.

If you intent to take a trip to Barcelona do take note that it has warm summers, gentle winters, and irregular rains during spring, winter and fall. Its hottest months are from July to August. Temperatures range between 20°C (68°F) and 30°C (86°F). Wet periods are between September and October. The months of January until February provide the coldest time of the year.

The city of Valencia enjoys a gentle and lovely weather throughout the year with summers and winters you can really enjoy. Its hottest month is August with temperature reaching an average of 25.5°C (78°F). The month of January has the coldest ambiance with an average of 11.5°C (53°F). However, its fall season may bring heavy rains.

Like Valencia, Bilbao has also an almost perfect weather all year around. Summers have an average of 20°C (68°F) and winters typically have 8°C (46°F). Extreme rains are mostly experienced during the months October to December and from April to May.

Spain has a varied climate; a climate with three distinct climatic zones, distinguished by their geographical position and elevation.  In meteorological terms, the three major climates experienced in Spain are known as Mediterranean, oceanic and semiarid climates.  Mention should also be made of the two sub-climatic zones in Spain, the alpine climate, found in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges among other places; and the subtropical climate, found in the Canary Islands, which are also part of the country’s territory. Below we will describe each of these climates in great detail, including the regions of the country in which each of them are most dominant.

The Climates of Spain:  Mediterranean

The Mediterranean climate is the primary or dominant climate in Spain.  It is characterized by warm and generally dry summers and cool, wet winters.  Within this climate classification there are essentially two varieties:  the Typical Mediterranean Climate, known as “Csa” on the Köppen climate classification; and the Continental Mediterranean Climate, known as “Csb” on the same scale.

The Mediterrenean climate is the primary climate in SpainThe typical Mediterranean climate, which is dominant in the cities of Barcelona and Valencia, among others, is strongly influenced by the prevailing winds in the regions where this climate is dominant.  The regions of Spain along the Mediterranean coastline experience Leveche winds:  winds that originate over North Africa that are dry and hot, with easterly or southeasterly air currents.  When these winds occur, usually in the spring, the region may experience a sudden and relatively short-lived increase in temperature.  The more common wind in Spain’s typical Mediterranean climate is the Levante wind, an easterly wind that funnels between the Sistema Penibetico and the Atlas Mountains of North Africa.  These winds, which tend to be humid and mild and temperature, “are the ones that most influence the typical Mediterranean climate.”

The Continental Mediterranean Climate is found primarily in the inland areas of the Iberian Peninsula, in a region that includes Zaragoza, Madrid and the many towns and villages that surround the Spanish capital city.  In these inland regions, the summer months tend to bring very warm weather, regularly exceeding 90 degrees F or more.  The winter months can range from mild to very cold, 35 degrees F or less, with the higher elevations on the Central Plateau regularly receiving snowfall, sometimes heavy.  Rain rarely falls during the summer.  However, the spring and autumn seasons regularly bring rain, at times very measurable amounts.

The Oceanic Climate

Areas that experience an oceanic climate stretch from the western shores of Europe, Portugal to Norway, and on the western littoral of America, from San Francisco to British Columbia in Canada.  In Spain, the oceanic climate is dominant from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Asturias—an area commonly referred to as “Green Spain,” which also incorporates the region of Galicia.  In all of Spain’s oceanic regions, both the climate and the landscape are strongly influenced by the winds of the Atlantic Ocean—winds whose moisture gets trapped by the mountains circumventing the Spanish Atlantic coast.  From a climatic standpoint, the area known as Green Spain differs greatly from the remainder of the country.  Rainfall tends to be abundant in the region and is evenly spread out among the seasons.  Even in August, which is typically the driest month, Green Spain averages 1.2 inches of rain, the minimum criteria for an oceanic climate according to the Köppen scale.

The temperatures associated with Spain’s oceanic climate range from cool to mild, with very little variance from season to season.  The high temperatures in the coldest month (January), for example, average 48 degrees F; while in July, the warmest month, the average high temperature is only 69 degrees F.  The Atlantic Ocean has a lot to do with the mild and wet weather in Spain’s oceanic regions.  In fact, the further one moves inland from the coast, the warmer and dryer the weather becomes.  Like other northern coastal regions of Europe, fog and mist are very common occurrences in Green Spain, particularly along the northwestern coast.

While the Galician region also has an oceanic climate, the weather conditions there can vary slightly from those regions along the northern coast.  Here the year-round temperatures are mild, with slightly drier summers, and the rainfall, while still much more plentiful than that experienced by those in the Mediterranean regions of the country, is not as bountiful as it is along the northern coast. 

Semi-Arid Climate

The southeastern region of Spain, encompassing the Alicante, Murcia and Almeria provinces, experiences a semi-arid climate, known as “Bsk” on the Köppen climate classification.  In these regions of the country, the summers are known to be hot, in fact very hot, regularly exceeding 104 degrees F, and rainfall is practically non-existent.  These temperatures and drought conditions can sometimes extend into the autumn months as well.  The total rainfall in the southeast region is often less than 5 inches a year, even less in the region of Cabo de Gata, known as the “driest region in all of Europe.

Other Climatic Zones in Spain

While the majority of Spain’s territory falls under one of the three main climate categories (Mediterranean, Oceanic, Semi-arid), there are actually two other types of climatic zones in the country.

The first climatic subzone is the Alpine climate.  This climate, which is the norm in many northwestern European nations, is dominant in Spain’s highest regions, including the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada, Picos de Europa, Sistema Central and Sistema Iberico.

The Canary Islands feature the other climate type, known as a subtropical climate.  This weather category is characterized by stable and very mild temperatures, generally ranging from 64 to 75 degrees F throughout the year.  The westernmost islands receive more rainfall than the semi-arid eastern islands, with the wettest regions being the mountains of La Gomera and La Palma, home to the cloud forest known as “laurisilva.

Temperature Records:  Highs and Lows

To give you an idea regarding the temperature extremes that can be experienced in Spain, the following table shows the record high and low temperatures in a select number of Spanish cities.

                 Location

Record Highs

Record Lows

 

 

 

Typical Mediterranean Climate

 (Celsius)              (Fahrenheit)

(Celsius)              (Fahrenheit)

Murcia

       47.2                        117.0

      -6.0                           21.2

Malaga

       44.2                        111.6

      -3.8                           25.1

Valencia

       43.0                        107.6

      -7.2                           19.0

Alicante

       41.4                        106.5

      -4.6                           23.7

Barcelona

       39.8                        103.6

      -10                            14.0

Seville

       47.0                        117.0

      -5.5                           22.1

Continental Mediterranean Climate

   

Zaragoza

       43.1                         108.7

       -16                            3.1        

Madrid

       42.2                         108.0

       -19                            3.6

Burgos

       41.8                         107.2

       -25                            -13

Northern Atlantic Coast

   

Orense

       42.6                          108.7

       -9.0                            16

Bilbao

       42.0                          107.6

       -8.6                            17

Gijon

       36.4                            97.5 

       -4.8                            23


In January, Spaniards can swim in the ocean around he Canary Islands, off the southern tip of Spain, while their friends ski on one of the country´s snowy mountains. The weather is dramatically different from region to region because of the varied landscape. Rain pours steadily on the northwestern coast, hot winds blow over the Meseta, and snow falls in many of the mountains.

Wet Spain

Winds blowing over the Atlantic Ocean bring a lot of rain to Spain´s northwest coast. This area is sometimes called “Wet Spain”. Summers in Wet Spain are warm, humid, and rainy. Winters are cool and rainy.

Dry Spain

The central and southern parts of Spain are known as “Dry Spain”. The central Meseta receives most of its rain in April. As the people who live there say, “En abril, aguas mil” or “In April, water by the thousands”. After April, little rain falls. Summer is blistering hot, with dry winds that drift north from the Sahara Desert, in North Africa. These winds get trapped on the plateau by the surrounding mountains. The winter is bitterly cold, with below-freezing temperatures and sharp winds.

Southern Spain

“The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” is a line from the musical My Fair Lady. It does not, however, describe the plains of southern Spain. Scorching winds from the Sahara blow over this area. As well, a wind called the solano brings broiling weather in the summer to the plains of Andalusia, in the south. This region is the hottest in all of Spain, with desertlike areas such as Almería, on the southern coast.

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are close to the Sahara Desert. Like the Sahara, they have hot and dry weather all year around, but pleasant breezes from the Gulf Stream cool off the islands in the evenings. The temperature changes very little from season to season, which makes the Canary Islands a popular spot for tourists.

Snowy Mountains

Even in a warm climate like Spain´s, some mountains are high enough to have snow on their peaks all year. Pico de Teide, on Tenerife, is permanently capped with snow. In the Pyrenees, the snow can be so heavy during the winter months that roads are sometimes blocked.

In the south, snow covers the Sierra Nevada Mountains for most of the year. These mountains are home to the southernmost ski resort in all of Europe. Skiers enjoy sliding down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada because of the warm and pleasant weather that awaits them at the bottom. World championship ski races take place on the highest mountain in this range, called Mulhacén.

The Weather in Madrid

If you plan to enjoy a short holiday or extended vacation this year in Madrid, the capital and largest city in Spain, you no doubt have some questions regarding the weather in this historical yet cosmopolitan city. Understanding the climate patterns in Madrid will not only help you when you’re ready to pack for your trip, but it may have a bearing on the types of sites and attractions to schedule during your visit (i.e. inside attractions versus outside attractions). To help you get a better understanding of these patterns, below we have provided a brief synopsis regarding the weather in Madrid, including some facts and figures for every season of the year.

Weather in Madrid: Overview

The Madrid region of Spain has what is officially called a Mediterranean climate, characterized by cold winters, hot summers and moderate temperatures in the Spring and Fall months. The coldest months of the year are December through February, a time when the high temperatures average just 51 degrees F, or 11 degrees C, and the low temperatures average a chilly 38 degrees F, or 6.5 degrees C. Due to its elevation—2,133 feet (650 m) above sea level—it is not uncommon to experience temperatures below freezing at night, nor is it out of the ordinary to see sporadic snowfall during these winter months.

The summer months in Madrid paint a completely different weather picture. Its altitude makes for a very warm dry climate, and the swings between morning lows and afternoon highs can often be quite severe. The hottest months of the year are June through September, with July and August being the warmest months. Although the average high temperature during these four months is only about 85 degrees F (29 C), it is not uncommon to experience days where the thermometer tops 95-100 degrees F (35-38 C) or more, especially during July and August. Temperatures get much cooler, however, after night fall, with the low temperature averaging about 62 degrees F (16 C). Rainfall is practically non-existent during the Madrid summer, with each of the warmer months averaging but two rain showers and one thunderstorm each.

If you combine the other four months of the year—March through May and October and November—the average high, according to records, is a comfortable 63 degrees F, or 17 degrees Celsius, and the average low is 50 degrees F, or 10 degrees C. The months of May and October are especially pleasant, with daytime highs averaging around 70 degrees F (21 C). While these five months will usually offer you the most comfortable temperatures, they also represent the time in which Madrid receives most of its rainfall. Records show that in each of these five months it tends to rain about 6-7 days, compared with only 2 days in the warmer months of summer.

The locals in Madrid have a saying when asked about the weather in the city: nueve meses de invierno y tres de infierno, which translates literally to “nine months of winter and three months of hell.” To some extent they are correct, as the meseta, or high inland plateau on which the city is located, does tend to lend itself to scorching summers and bitter winters. However, when you compare Madrid’s weather to that of some other European and world capitals, the temperatures are quite balmy in comparison.

The truth is there is never a bad time to visit Madrid, as its mixture of both indoor and outdoor sites and attractions guarantees you will always have something fun to do and interesting to see. After all, if the weather was good enough for the celebrated author Ernest Hemingway, who famously described Madrid’s climate as the “finest in Spain,” it might just be good enough for you and your family, too.