Alsace climate: when to go to Alsace?

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Alsace is the easternmost region of France. Due to its position, the region has two types of climate: in the flat central areas of the Rhine valley the climate is semi-continental, while in the heights of the Vosges the climate is typically mountain.

The Vosges mountain range which is located to the west of the plain causes a sort of barrier to the humid westerly winds, which lose a large part of their humid component on the western slopes, while on the eastern slopes of the mountains and on the plain of the Rhine there are rather discharges of humidity , this translates into rather low rainfall, cold winters and hot summers.

The city of Colmar in the center of the Rhine plain is the least rainy French city, in fact average rainfall values are recorded between 530 mm and 580 mm per year. Even Strasbourg, located further north, has rather low average annual rainfall values, around 610/630 mm. The rainiest months are those in late spring and summer, between May and September, while the driest months are those between January and March.

Temperatures are quite cold in winter, the city of Strasbourg records average minimum temperatures below zero between December and February, with minimum values of -1°C in January, the average maximum temperatures in January stop at 4.2°C . In summer there are average maximum temperatures in July of 25.1°C, while, again in July, the average minimum temperatures reach values of 13.9°C. The sunniest months are those between May and August with over 200 hours of sunshine per month, in the city of Colmar annual averages of 1721 hours of sunshine are reached.

WHEN TO GO TO ALSACE

Although these are the rainiest months, the best time to visit Alsace, thanks above all to the higher temperatures and longer days, are the months between May and September.

Strasbourg climate.

Colmar climate.

ALSACE CLIMATE TABLES

STRASBOURG – ENTZHEIM (150 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rainy days
January	-1,0	4,2	30	8
February	-0,7	6,2	35	8
March	2,2	11,1	36	9
April	4,6	14,9	43	9
May	9,0	19,6	78	12
June	12,1	22,4	77	11
July	13,9	25,1	66	10
August	13,6	25,0	58	9
September	10,3	20,7	62	9
October	6,6	14,6	53	9
November	2,3	8,3	50	9
December	0,3	5,3	45	9
YEAR	6,1	14,8	631	112

COLMAR (207 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rainy days
January	-1,4	4,5	32	7
February	-1,0	6,7	30	7
March	1,9	11,6	33	9
April	4,4	15,2	42	9
May	8,7	19,9	69	11
June	11,7	22,9	64	10
July	13,7	25,7	63	9
August	13,3	25,5	55	9
September	10,1	21,3	52	8
October	6,2	15,3	46	9
November	1,9	8,8	42	7
December	-0,2	5,7	44	9
YEAR	5,8	15,3	577	104

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This article is also available in: Italian