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Hi,

does anyone know what weather we can expect at Easter please? We are going to the South west area of France and have not been at Easter before. I want to be able to sit out and read, barbeque and chill out (hopefully whilst sampling the wine!)

Thanks Sue

If you're lucky you can 'sit out' in France almost every day of the year - sometimes not for very long though. We've picniced in St Ambroix in December, (in a sheltered spot), sunbathed on the beach at Collioure (again sheltered) in February, and swum in the sea in Collioure in November!   It depends where exactly you're going.  We've travelled through France at Easter several times (I know Easter can vary from mid-March to early April, so even this makes a difference) and we've gone from 'Warm spring' weather in the very north, near to Calais, descending down as far as Paris it was still warm, but from about Moulins to Millau it was 'Deep winter' with frost whitening the trees and deep snow in the mountains, and freezing temperatures - the sun was glorious though!!  From Millau south it became 'Early Spring' and then from the Pas de L'Escalet near Lodeve, down to the med you could have believed it was summer - the geraniums and wisteria were out, the trees were green and the sky was blue, clear and wonderful.  Usually evenings are chilly, though, until later in the season.

France has 'continental' winters - which can be very cold, but are often dry.  Spring comes early in some areas, but not others, so the temperature will depend on your location.  There is a 'weather web site' somewhere, which will give you the average temperatures for the area you'll be visiting, so you'll have some idea what to expect.  Hope the weather is kind - if not collect pine cones, take a good fleece, and keep your barbecue going to toast yourself on when the food is cooked.

Quote: Originally posted by Val A on 08/3/2007

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France has 'continental' winters - which can be very cold, but are often dry. Spring comes early in some areas, but not others, so the temperature will depend on your location.

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I know, everyone in France appears to have had a very unusual winter - as we have, really, here.  It's been warmer than ever before here, and for the most part drier than usual, but with torrential rain recently!  We've been able to sit outside on winter nights, albeit with our chiminea burning!!!   We watched the eclipse outside on Saturday, from 8.30 pm until after midnight, and it wasn't too cold - we were well wrapped up.  Our friends in La Croix Valmer have reported it being the worst winter they've known in 26 years down there!  (Rain, rain and more rain).

Still, some of the areas in France we've visited over the years have become noticeably drier in the summer - the Ardeche river, now, is much less 'torrential' than it once was, and canoeing can now be quite a tame experience.  Some of the other smaller rivers dry up completely in the summer, so maybe the rain is not a bad thing - except for campsite owners.  I can imagine how difficult it is to try to work on getting everything ready for the new season when the ground and the sky are so waterlogged that you just don't want to go outside!  All the best with your outside work - hope the weather improves soon!

I suppose, I meant that France had continental (dry) winters before 'global warming'.