Is the weather in Spain hot and sunny all year round?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions about Spain and in this article we look at the various areas and regions of the country and compare and contrast the different climates that can be found in just one single country.
Spain is in what is known as a temperate weather zone and the stark contrasts in land features and heights above sea level throughout the country actually make Spain as having one of the most diverse weather patterns in Europe.
Having the various mountain ranges also affects the weather in spain and being in country, the sheer amount of these enormous natural features, make for a stunning backdrop to a very beautiful and interesting country; but what about the weather?
The rain in Spain doesn’t always fall on the plain.
Mountainous regions certainly get their fair share of rain, fog and snow and the mountains of northern regions of Spain such as Cantabria, Navarra and Galicia certainly provide a stark contrast to the dry and barren desert regions which can be found further south in Almeria.
The northern most part of Spain does have nice dry summers but the weather in Spain in November, for example, is very wet and cold in the north.
Moving down to the eastern parts of Spain and looking at the weather in Valencia, they see dry but cool weather, and an average temperature in the region often hovers around 20 degrees during the day.
This is compared with the weather in Madrid at this time which sees daytime temperatures of around only 10 degrees, becoming much colder at night.
The weather on the Costa del sol during November enjoys a balmy 18 to 22 degrees and very little rain, although October often sees what are known as “Gota Fria” (translated as Cold drop) which is when the temperature drops suddenly and all the water that had been evaporated during a long and hot summer, suddenly gets literally dropped onto the country, often causing widespread flooding and can be quite dangerous.
The gota Fria rainfalls in Spain
The gota fria, or cold drop, is a weather phenomenon in Spain that can be compared to a brief monsoon and where the rain coming down can become almost a solid wall of water.
The hot summers around the country see the various water sources such as the sea, rivers and reservoirs subject to an immense amount of evaporation. Of course as they old saying goes “What goes up must come down” and down it comes in huge storms that are quite frightening to those unprepared.
The normal season for this monsoon type storm is usually later September to early November but vary according to the location but travel around where you are staying in Spain is not recommended during the heaviest storms, which often fall at night.
The average weather for Spain in March
Because of Spain’s diverse terrain and the differences in climates in the various areas around the country, the weather in Galicia and Asturias and of course most other northern areas are mild and wet, Very wet!
The average maximum temperature in Santiago de Compostela, for example, in March is 57°F/14°C and the average minimum temperature is a chilly 48°F/9°C.
If we compare this to Madrid, we can see an average maximum temperature is 61°F/16°C and the average minimum temperature in Madrid in March is 37°F/3°C.
All of this can be contrasted to once the summer ends and the weather changes.
The average weather for Spain in November.
During the winter months, Spain changes. People’s lifestyle and activities change, all according to the weather in Spain and how different it is from the long and hot summers here.
The northern parts of Spain have much longer and harsher winters than southern Spain and this can be adeptly explained if 2 distinctly different areas of Spain are compared.
Madrid sits in the centre of Spain and quite high above sea level so the average maximum temperature in Madrid during November is around 57°F/14°C and the minimum temperature during November in Madrid is around 39°F/4°C.
This is a sharp contrast to Marbella where winter rain is unusual and average maximum temperature in Malaga in November is 66°F/19°C and the average minimum temperature there is 52°F/11°C.
Spain has a very diverse set of weather patterns throughout the year and planning any trip to Spain outside of the summer months requires some thought, especially if visiting the north.
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