Loire climate: when to go to the Loire?

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The Loire region (Pays de la Loire) enjoys a mild temperate oceanic climate, with relatively dry summers and mild temperatures compared to the rest of France, while autumns and winters are generally not too cold, thanks to the influence of the ocean, but wet and windy.

However, the climate varies slightly according to the areas, for example the temperatures are warmer in Anjou than in Maine, while the coast receives more hours of sunshine than the interior of the region. The rains are higher along the coast (800 mm/900 mm) than in the interior (650 mm/700 mm) and in the whole region they decrease during the summer months, between June and August. Rainy days vary between 120 along the coast and 110-115 inland. Snow is an infrequent event. Nantes, for example has an average of 5 snow days per year.

The average maximum summer temperatures vary between 24°C and 25°C, while the average minimum summer temperatures have values of 13°C/14°C. During the winter the average minimum temperatures vary between 2°C and 3°C, while the average maximum winter temperatures reach 7°C/9°C. The hours of sunshine stand at values of 1,700/1,750 hours of sunshine per year.

WHEN TO GO TO THE LOIRE

The months from May to September are the best to visit the Loire, in this period the temperatures are warmer and the climate is less humid than in the rest of the year.

LOIRE CLIMATE TABLES

NANTES (26 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rainy days
January	2,8	8,7	86	12
February	3,0	9,9	75	11
March	4,2	12,7	59	11
April	6,0	14,9	58	10
May	9,5	18,7	63	11
June	12,0	21,9	41	8
July	14,2	24,7	46	7
August	14,0	24,8	40	6
September	11,8	21,8	68	9
October	8,9	17,0	82	11
November	5,2	12,2	84	12
December	3,7	9,5	92	13
YEAR	8,0	16,4	798	120

LE MANS (48 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rainy days
January	1,8	7,5	67	11
February	1,7	9,0	59	10
March	3,3	12,3	53	11
April	5,0	14,9	53	10
May	8,8	18,9	61	10
June	11,7	22,2	48	8
July	13,7	24,9	53	7
August	13,3	25,1	40	6
September	10,6	21,5	60	9
October	7,8	16,5	58	10
November	4,0	11,0	61	10
December	2,6	8,4	71	12
YEAR	7,1	16,0	686	114

LA ROCHE-SUR-YON (90 m)
Month	Average low (°C)	Average high (°C)	Rain (mm)	Rainy days
January	2,4	8,1	94	12
February	2,5	9,8	77	11
March	3,5	12,1	54	10
April	5,1	14,3	76	10
May	8,8	18,6	51	11
June	11,3	22,0	49	8
July	13,5	24,7	45	7
August	13,1	24,8	40	6
September	11,1	22,0	85	9
October	8,5	17,2	102	12
November	4,8	11,8	110	12
December	3,2	9,1	98	14
YEAR	7,4	16,2	884	122

This post is also available in: Italiano