Climate - Paris (France)

The climate of Paris and the region of Île-de-France is temperate and influenced by the Atlantic Ocean: it is quite cold but not freezing in winter and pleasantly warm in summer. However, it has some continental characteristics too, so it can sometimes be very cold in winter and hot in summer.
Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation is not abundant, since it amounts to 650 millimeters (26 inches) per year, but it is well distributed over the seasons, however, the rains are slightly less frequent in summer. Here is the average precipitation.

In winter, from December to February, the average temperatures are quite low: normally, the maximum temperatures are around 7/8 °C (45/46 °F).
When Atlantic currents prevail, the temperature can become mild and can even reach 13/14 °C (55/57 °F), but the weather in these cases is cloudy and rainy; in these periods, the wind blows frequently, and sometimes can be strong.
On the other hand, there can be cold periods due to north or north-east currents, which are able to lower the temperature to the freezing point (0 °C or 32 °F) or a few degrees above; in these situations, the feeling of cold can be exacerbated by the wind, which blows moderate, usually from the northeast. The coldest periods occur under the influence of cold air masses from Russia, which can lead to a few days of snow, generally not abundant, and frost. In Paris, the temperature rarely drops to around -10 °C (14 °F), though this may happen on colder winters: in January 1985, the temperature dropped to -18 °C (0 °F) at the airport of Le Bourget.
At the Orly airport, the temperature dropped to -13 °C (8.5 °F) in January 1947, to -15 °C (5 °F) in February 1956, to -13 °C (8.5 °F) in January 1979, to -17 °C (1.5 °F) in January 1985, to -13 °C (8.5 °F) in January 1987, to -12.5 °C (9.5 °F) in January 2009, and to -13 °C (8.5 °F) in January 2010.

Summer, from June to August, is a pleasantly warm season: the days are very long, and the temperature generally lends itself to outdoor activities. However, the weather is variable: there are some cool and rainy days due to Atlantic fronts, when the maximum temperature remains below 20 °C (68 °F), while on other occasions, the Azores High can bring some hot and sunny days, maybe a little sultry, with highs around or even above 30 °C (86 °F); in these cases, some thunderstorms can erupt in the afternoon.
Really hot days in Paris are quite rare, though sometimes they may occur because of hot air masses from Africa. In recent decades, heat waves are becoming more frequent due to global warming. The temperature reached 39.5 °C (103 °F) in July 1947, 37 °C (98.5 °F) in August 1990, 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) in August 1998, 40 °C (104 °F) in August 2003, 38 °C (100.5 °F) in August 2012, 39 °C (102 °F) in July 2015, 37 °C (98.5 °F) in June 2017 and in August 2018, as high as 42 °C (107.5 °F) in July 2019, 39.5 °C (103 °F) in July 2020, and 38.5 °C (101.5 °F) in August 2020.

Spring and autumn are cool and unstable, characterized by the passage of Atlantic depressions and by temperature changes. In spring, from March to May, the return of cold weather is possible, with short snowfalls in March and sometimes even in April. Sometimes, it's cold still in early May, with highs around 10 °C (50 °F), while in the course of the month, the temperature can reach and even exceed 25 °C (77 °F). Autumn, from September to November, is characterized by a gradual increase of cloudy and rainy periods; usually, it gets cold by November or late October.



The amount of sunshine in Paris is decent from April to September, and scarce from November to February, when cloudy skies prevail. On average, there are 7 hours of sunshine per day from June to August.

Best Time

The best time to visit Paris is from mid-May to mid-September, and in particular, from mid-May to late June, when the days are long, nature is in bloom and there is a low risk of excessive heat (not by chance, the tennis tournament of "Roland Garros" takes place in the last week of May and the first week of June). However, in this period, but even in mid-summer (July and August), it can rain and it can get cool at night, so it may be useful to bring a sweatshirt or sweater and a light jacket, as well as a raincoat or umbrella.
Although the Easter period is a possibility, this time of the year can be quite chilly.