climate
Simply put, the Haute Loire has a climate of the "moyenne montagne"; but life is never that simple! Its climate is influenced both by the Atlantic Ocean and the European continental landmass alongside the influence of the Mediterranean and the mountains. This combines to form the extremes of the intense heat of the "Brivadois" in summer to the white-outs in Winter that sweep across the "haute plateau" and are known as the "burle". A quick glance at the temperature map will graphically demonstrate the micro-climates of the Haute Loire - so f you are seeking summer heat, or summer freshness, winter warmth or winter snow; you can find it here.
The arrival of Summer can bring with it heavy storms and the downpouring occassionally results in the "crue" the local term for a flash flood. The last, most severe, was in 1980 when three lives were lost. To check the current "crues" risk click here. For a real time assessement of natural phenomena such as floods, snowfall etc click here. For the latest forecast from MeteoFrance - click here.
Summer and Autumn are often hot and dry and the mountain barriers to the West and Sout-West effectively restrain the cloud mass. The Haute Loire has a more even rainfall (avergae of 800mm per year) than its sister departments because of this as well as the approximately 2000 hours of sunshine it receives each year making it one of the sunniest departments in France. By comparison the south coast of the UK receives about 1750 hours per year and the midlands about 1000hours (source)
Of course, altitude plays a great part in the climate differences within the department. It may be warmer at low altitudes but there is often mist in the river valleys in the early mornings. At higher altitudes the air is often clear and delighfully fresh. For the gardener, there are about 110 days of frost per year in the Haute Loire and snow not uncommon!
