Provence Climate: When to go to Provence?

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Provence is favored by a Mediterranean climate, with mild temperatures throughout the year, and particularly with hot, dry and sunny summers, the region is in fact the area of France with the most hours of sunshine per year, the annual average is 2,700-2,900 hours, the sunniest areas are those of the Var and Vaucluse departments.

Provence is located in the area of France with a Mediterranean climate, characterized by long hot and dry summers, a more pronounced rainy period in autumn, and a less intense and shorter rainy period in spring. Winters are mild and dry near the coast, but are harsher in the north and north-east of the region, where the climate gradually becomes alpine.

Due to the geographical conformation of the region, there can be notable climatic differences between the coast and the inland areas, with even significant variations in temperatures caused by the different altitude. In the mountainous areas, winters are cold and snowy, while along the coast they are generally mild. In summer the mountains have a cool climate, while the coast is decidedly hot and dry.

During the winter the Provençal climate is characterized by the fairly frequent presence of wind. A negative characteristic of the Provençal climate is therefore the wind, the famous Mistral, a cold and dry wind, which blows from the north-north-west, and which rages during the winter, especially in the Rhône valley, in the departments of Vaucluse and the Bouches-du-Rhône, and which sometimes blows very violently.

The region of Avignon, the Vaucluse, which corresponds to the westernmost part of Provence, is especially during the winter, under the influence of the Mistral, which however blows at any time of the year, on average, in this area, between 120 and 160 days a year the Mistral blows.

In the Avignon area, there are two rainy seasons, a more intense one in autumn and a shorter one in spring, and two dry seasons, one in winter and one in summer, the driest months are those from June to August and from December in March, the rainiest ones are those that go from September to November, the amount of annual rainfall is however low, in fact there are averages of 465 mm per year.

In Avignon the summer temperatures are hot and average maximum temperatures are reached in July and August of 30°C and average minimum temperatures of 18°C, during the winter the average minimum temperatures are 2°C in January, while the average maximum temperatures in January they stop at 10°C.

The region around Marseille and Toulon, located along the Mediterranean coast, has a milder climate, with a dry season in summer, and with high summer temperatures, in Marseille the average maximum temperatures exceed 29°C in July and August, winters are mild with average minimum temperatures of 3°C in January and average maximum winter temperatures of around 11°C-12°C. The rainiest month is October, the driest is July, in Marseille there is an average of almost 550 mm of rain per year. The Mistral blows for 93 days a year in Marseille, while in Toulon it blows for 115 days a year.

Rainfall is less along the coast, while it is more abundant inland, generally varying between 550 mm and 800 mm, the rainiest month is October, the rainy days are less than 60 days a year along the coast, and less than 80 days a year in the interior. Provence is one of the regions of France with the most hours of sunshine per year, in the Marseille area and in the Camargue it reaches over 2,800 hours of sunshine, while in the interior it reaches 2,600 hours of sunshine.

WHEN TO GO TO PROVENCE?

The best time to visit Provence are the spring months, particularly May and June, when nature is in bloom and the climate is mild and sunny. Summer is also an excellent period, even if the heat, especially in the internal areas, can sometimes be oppressive, to see lavender in its maximum bloom the best month is July. Thanks to the mild climate, a visit to Provence is always pleasant, but generally the months between April and September are preferable. July is the best month to observe lavender blooming.

PROVENCE CLIMATE TABLES

ORANGE (53 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)
January	1,7	9,8	55
February	2,7	11,7	48
March	4,9	15,2	56
April	7,3	17,7	67
May	11,3	22,5	70
June	14,7	26,3	42
July	17,5	30,0	36
August	17,1	29,5	49
September	13,9	25,0	76
October	9,9	19,4	106
November	5,2	13,3	62
December	2,6	10,4	51
YEAR	9,1	19,3	722

MARSEILLE (Marignane) (5 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)
January	3,0	11,2	53
February	3,9	12,6	43
March	6,0	15,3	40
April	8,5	17,7	58
May	12,6	22,2	41
June	16,0	26,1	25
July	18,7	29,5	12
August	18,7	29,2	31
September	15,5	25,3	60
October	11,6	20,3	85
November	6,8	14,7	50
December	4,1	12,0	52
YEAR	10,5	19,7	554

 PROVENCE SEA WATER TEMPERATURE

MARSEILLE
Month	Sea Water Temperature (°C)
January	13
February	13
March	13
April	14
May	16
June	19
July	22
August	23
September	21
October	19
November	16
December	14

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This article is also available in: Italian