The Climate of
Andorra
Arinsal, a village at an altitude of 1500 m, close to the border with Spain.
What is the climate of Andorra like?
Andorra is a tiny independent principality, high in the eastern Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain. Lying on the southern or Spanish side of the crest line, it is rather sheltered and therefore drier than much of the French Pyrenees. The whole country lies above 840 meters (2,750 feet).
Andorra has a temperate (moderate) climate, but the winters are cold but rather dry and sunny. Snow completely fills the northern valleys for several months. The midsummer months are slightly drier than spring and autumn and, with the cool temperatures, summer is a pleasant season. Summers are generally warm and dry. More of the country's rainfall occurs from April to October than in the winter months.
The capital, Andorra la Vella, is representative of the valleys in this small state. Temperatures are lower in the higher mountainous area.
| Climate data for Andorra La Vella (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) | 8.9 (48.0) | 11.7 (53.1) | 13.3 (55.9) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.9 (71.4) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.4 (77.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 7.5 (45.5) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.5 (38.3) | 5.8 (42.4) | 7.5 (45.5) | 11.5 (52.7) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 14.9 (58.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 5.7 (42.3) | 3.0 (37.4) | 9.8 (49.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −1.8 (28.8) | −0.2 (31.6) | 1.7 (35.1) | 5.3 (41.5) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 11.4 (52.5) | 8.5 (47.3) | 4.7 (40.5) | 0.6 (33.1) | −1.4 (29.5) | 3.9 (39.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 53.1 (2.09) | 37.9 (1.49) | 40.5 (1.59) | 71.2 (2.80) | 89.8 (3.54) | 84.2 (3.31) | 60.7 (2.39) | 85.6 (3.37) | 80.9 (3.19) | 72.4 (2.85) | 68.4 (2.69) | 67.9 (2.67) | 812.3 (31.98) |
| Source: Atles climàtic digital d’Andorra | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Andorra
In summary:
Summers in Andorra are warm or mild, depending on the altitude. There are considerable variations between maximum day and night temperatures.
Because of its high elevation, Andorra has cold winters. The northern valleys are completely snowed up for several months. Most rain falls in Spring and Autumn. Humidity is very low.