Climate - Saint Etienne (France)

The climate of Saint-Étienne is temperate, with quite cold winters and warm summers.
The city is located in central-eastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, at an altitude of 500/650 meters (1,600/2,130 feet), in an area of hills and low mountains east of the Massif Central.
The weather station at Saint-Étienne-Bouthéon airport is at 400 meters (1,300 ft), so it provides somewhat higher temperatures, especially in summer.
The winter is quite cold. There may be relatively mild periods, when Atlantic currents prevail, cold and humid periods in which fogs and low clouds form, and other colder periods, when the temperature drops below freezing.
Sometimes it can even snow. Due to the altitude and the mountains to the west (the Massif Central) which partially protect it from Atlantic currents, but also to the proximity of the Pilat massif to the east, Saint-Étienne is the snowiest city in France. In the city center, at 650 meters (2,130 ft) above sea level, there are on average 24 days with snow per year, for a total of 80 cm (31.5 in).
At times, there can be cold spells, in which temperatures can drop as low as -10 °C (14 °F) or even below. The temperature dropped to -22.5 °C (-8.5 °F) in February 1956, to -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in January 1963, to -25.5 °C (-14 °F) in January 1971, to -16 °C (3 °F) in January 1979, to -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in January 1985, to -14 °C (7 °F) in February 1986, to -15.5 °C (4 °F) in January 1987, to -14 °C (7 °F) in January 2003 and in March 2005, to -16 °C (3 °F) in February 2012, and to -14 °C (7 °F) in February 2018.
In summer, the temperatures are generally pleasant and lend themselves to outdoor activities, although sometimes there can be rains and thunderstorms.
At times, hot periods can occur, which in recent years are becoming more frequent due to global warming, and in which the temperature can exceed 32 °C (90 °F). The temperature reached 40.5 °C (105 °F) in July 1983, 38 °C (100.5 °F) in June 2003, 39.5 °C (103 °F) in August 2003, 38 °C (100.5 °F) in August 2011 and 2012, 41 °C (106 °F) in July 2015 (record), 39 °C (102 °F) in August 2015, 38 °C (100.5 °F) in late June and in July 2019, 39 °C (102 °F) in July 2020, and 38 °C (100.5 °F) in August 2020.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 3.2 °C (38 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 20.5 °C (69 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 720 millimeters (28.3 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 30 mm (1.2 in) in the driest month (February) to 90 mm (3.5 in) in the wettest (May). Here is the average precipitation.

On average, there are around 1,990 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best time to visit Saint-Etienne runs from mid-May to mid-September, since it is the warmest and sunniest period of the year. Sometimes, it can be hot in July and August, while in other circumstances, nights can be cool or even a little cold even in these months, so it can be useful to bring a sweatshirt or sweater and a light jacket for the evening.