Climate - Barcelona (Catalonia)

The climate of Barcelona is Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is the capital of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and is located in the north-east of Spain, on the Mediterranean coast.
Near the coast, the altitude reaches up to 177 meters (580 feet) on the Montjuic hill, which dominates the port. In inland areas, the altitude gradually increases up to about 200 meters (650 ft) in the neighborhoods at the foot of the sierra de Collserola, which culminates with the Tibidabo, the 512-meter (1,680 ft) high mountain that dominates the city.
The monthly average temperature ranges from 9 °C (48 °F) in January to 24.5 °C (76 °F) in August. Here are the average temperatures.

Due to the city's location on the east coast of Spain, rainfall is not abundant, in fact, the flow of Atlantic weather fronts comes from the west, so when they reach the city, they have already released moisture on the western and inland regions: for this reason, the inhabitants of central and southern Catalonia are accustomed to limiting water consumption.
However, the rains are more frequent in autumn and spring, that is, in the seasons in which the southerly currents, which can pick up moisture from the sea, are more frequent.
In a typical year, 620 millimeters (24.5 inches) of rain fall, with a maximum of 100 mm (4 in) in October. July is the driest month, with just 20 mm (0.8 in); in summer, the rains are rare, but thunderstorms can sometimes erupt in the afternoon, reaching the coast after forming in the interior.
Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to February, is mild, although different weather situations can occur. When the Azores High moves over Spain, there can be several mild and sunny days, with highs around 15 °C (59 °F). On the other hand, Atlantic fronts can bring clouds and rains for a few days.
Sometimes, even cold and windy days can occur, when cold air masses from eastern Europe arrive. The lowest temperatures in Barcelona are not particularly cold: on the coldest nights, the temperature typically drops around freezing. On average, there are only four days a year with a minimum below 0 °C (32 °F).
However, in February 1956, the temperature dropped to -6.5 °C (20.5 °F) at the airport and to -10 °C (14 °F) at the Fabra observatory, 400 meters (1,300 ft) above sea level near the top of Tibidabo. The coldest record in Barcelona was broken after the big Christmas snowfall of 1962 (see below), when the temperature dropped to -8 °C (17.5 °F) at the airport. More recently, in January 1985, the temperature dropped to -7 °C (19.5 °F). In the years 2000-2020, it dropped to -3.5 °C (25.5 °F) in February 2012.
Snowfalls in Barcelona are very rare, but not impossible; they are more frequent in the hills near the city. Here are the dates of some important snowfalls occurred in the past: January 15, 1914 (20 cm or 8 inches); February 21, 1933; February 17, 1938; February 18, 1942; February 21, 1948; Christmas 1962 (almost half a meter or one foot in the city, and 80 cm or 2.6 feet at the Tibidabo, the most abundant of the century); January 5, 1985; January 30, 1986 (blizzard, 5 cm or 2 inches in the city and 30 cm or 1 foot at the Tibidabo); March 1, 1993 (especially in the higher areas); December 14, 2001 (especially in the upper areas); March 8, 2010 (blizzard, 10 cm or 4 inches in the city, and 20 cm or 8 inches in the upper areas).

Summer, from mid-June to August, is hot and sunny, with highs close to 30 °C (86 °F). During the day, the sea breeze makes the heat more bearable, but nights are muggy.
The city is somewhat protected from heat waves that can affect other parts of Spain, but we can not exclude some particularly hot days, with peaks of 34/35 °C (93/95 °F). The heat record is 37.5 °C (99.5 °F), recorded in August 2003 and August 2010.

Spring and autumn are mild and relatively rainy, however, there is a fair amount of sunny days also in these periods. Sometimes, the rains in autumn can be abundant.

The amount of sunshine in Barcelona is acceptable in winter, when there are sunny days but also periods with cloudy skies, and very good in summer, when clear skies prevail.
On average, there are 2,500 hours of sunshine per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.



The temperature of the sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September, with a peak in August of 25 °C (77 °F). In June, the sea is still cool, around 20 °C (68 °F). Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Barcelona is spring, from mid-April to mid-June. September, too, is a good month, but it is quite rainy. Summer, from mid-June to August, can be hot and muggy, though it is the best time for a beach holiday. Winter is usually mild, but sometimes it can get a bit cold and it can rain.

Back to the climate of Catalonia.