General

Carcassonne is a charming old fortified town found in the south of France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

The general climate found here is best described as Mediterranean with hot dry summers and mild winters. Carcassonne enjoys a lot of sunshine with over 300 sunny days a year on average. Annual rainfall is low at a little under 600mm a year, although rain can occur at any time of the year - but is most likely in late autumn/early winter.

Carcassone and the surrounding region is one of the warmest places in France with an annual average temperature of around 14C.

Summer

Carcassone enjoys fine summers and sunshine is in abundance!

The hottest months are the peak summer months of July and August when average temperature is around 23C. Daily highs are  usually in the high 20s during summer but temperatures can often reach into the 30s on the hottest days.

June and September also enjoy good summer weather with plenty of sunshine and temperatures  slightly lower, averaging around 20C.

Occasional summer heatwaves can occur each year bringing extremely hot temperatures, even up towards 40C on the odd occasion. If the hot sirocco wind from North Africa is prevailing it can get hot and dry in the region and the wind even brings desert sand with it! This does, however, only happen a couple of days each year.

Rainfall is low in summer, though not unheard of. July is the driest month with an average of just 18mm rainfall. June and August are pretty dry too, seeing about 30-40mm of rain. Come the end of the summer, rainfall begins to increase and lightning storms can occur.

Summer really is a good time to visit Carcassonne; good weather is almost guaranteed and there are a number of festivals.

Autumn

Autumn enjoys good temperatures, but rainfall does increase throughout the season. September is warm and still enjoys summer weather. October still enjoys daily highs in the 20s but temperature does start to drop into single figures at night and rainfall is at its highest of the year around this time. November averages 10C; you can still enjoy pleasant daytime temperatures, but it can also drop into low single figures.

Autumn is one of the wettest times of the year in Carcassonne, but most of the rainfall is accounted for in sporadic heavy storms so you can still enjoy plenty of sunshine throughout the season. The dwindling crowds after the summer months also help to make it a pretty good time to visit and ride.

Winter

Winters are cold in Carcassonne, without getting really cold. Temperatures average 6 to 7C and frequently drop towards zero. Temperatures rarely drop a long way into the minuses, although this does happen and snow can fall on occasions! The nearby mountains will see snow a lot more frequently throughout winter.

Winter can be a bit rainy with about 50-60mm monthly average throughout the season. Expect some rainfall, but you’ll certainly see the sun more than in the United Kingdom.

Spring

Spring is arguably the best time to visit, especially late on in the season. Temperatures are good and the sun shines frequently.

Early spring can still be a little unpredictable with the weather but by the end of the season you can enjoy plenty of sunny days and daytime temperatures in the low 20s.

Rainfall decreases throughout the season as the damp cool winter weather gives way to the warm sunny days of summer.