Lourdes lies in the Pyrenean foothills of southwest France. The town became famous as a place of Christian pilgrimage following many claimed apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Up to 5 million tourists and pilgrims visit the town each year despite yet the permanent population is just 15,000. While the town is surrounded by mountains that rise up to more than 3000m, the village itself is still more than 400m above sea level.
The town of Lourdes features warm summers and cool, sometimes chilly, winters. Profound rainfall can be expected at any time of the year although autumn is the wettest season and summer the driest. Snowfall can occur in winter and is a common sight in the higher elevations around the town during the winter months.
Summer
The summer months enjoy good temperatures, with average temperature between 18 ºC and 19 ºC. July and August are the hottest months and daily highs regularly reach the mid 20s. June and September are only a couple of degrees cooler. At night temperatures donât often fall below the mid teens. Summer enjoys a good amount of sunshine; June and August average 9 hours of sunshine per day, and July enjoys 10. Rainfall is at its lowest of the year in summer but you should still expect some showers. July is quite easily the driest with about 50mm average rainfall. June and July see more like 80mm. In terms of days you can expect to see some rainfall on between 10 and 12 days each month in summer. Most of the rain at this time of year does fall in brief summer showers so even a ârainy dayâ can see plenty of sunshine.
Autumn
Autumn can enjoy good temperatures but it is the wettest time of the year. September is summer like in terms of the temperature with highs in the low 20s and sometimes reaching the mid 20s. October can enjoy daily highs that get up towards 20 ºC but night time temperatures do dip into single figures. By November it gets a fair bit cooler, with temperature averaging 8 ºC and lows can drop into the low single figures. You can also see the first frosts of the year in this month. Rainfall builds up throughout autumn and November is the wettest month of the year with more than 100mm on average.
Winter
Winter weather is often chilly and can get cold. Average temperature is 5 ºC or 6 ºC during the winter months. In January temperature frequently drops to freezing point at night and frosts are common. Lourdes sees snowfall every winter and the taller mountains nearby will be snow covered for a few months each year. Winter days can see temperatures just creeping into double figures. Winter days see a fair amount of rainfall and while itâs not as wet as autumn it is wetter than summer and roughly on a par with spring. There is more cloudy weather this time of year and the sun is shining for 3 hours a day on average. Winter weather can be quite disturbed due to the nearby Pyrenees mountain range. Very cold weather can visit Lourdes and the town does sometimes experience temperatures well into the minuses. Generally though it is a few degrees above freezing and feels chilly rather than very cold.
Spring
Spring can be a great time to visit Lourdes, especially later in the season. March is still a bit chilly, especially at night and in the early morning, with temperature averaging 9 ºC. This quickly rises to 14 ºC by May, and the daily highs can start touching the 20s. May can be a great month with these good temperatures accompanied by a healthy seven hours average daily sunshine. May can see the start of the summer weather, and April can enjoy some pretty good days too. In terms of rainfall, spring is moderate with around 70 to 80mm. You generally see some rain on a little under half the days each month but as the season wears on the sun shines more and more frequently.