Clermont Ferrand has a mild continental climate with all four seasons and moderate rainfall. Its summers are pleasantly hot and its winters are cool. The city is famous for the ring of dormant volcanoes surrounding it which keep the city drier than might be expected. It is also home to ASM Clermont Auvergne (Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne), a rugby union club that competes at the top level of French rugby. It sits in central France on the east side of the Massif Central mountains.
Summer, from June till September, is warm to hot but also quite wet. The average high temperature stays in the 20s throughout the season; starting at 23°C in June it peaks at 25°C in July and August then gets down to 21°C in September. Sunny days often see temperatures rising towards 30°C during the peak months; daytime heat is generally ideal. Night time temperatures are cool, around 12°C, but slightly cooler in September. Summer is the sunniest but also the wettest month. Sunshine levels are highest in July at an average of nine hours per day though June and August are not far behind. Rainfall, already high in springtime, stays around 80mm per month with a dip to 60mm in July. This is usually concentrated in short, heavy showers, sometimes thunderstorms, which fall quite frequently but clear to leave blue skies.
Autumn, in October and November, is initially very pleasant but sees a rapid deterioration of all weather conditions. The average high temperature drops to 17°C in October and 10°C in November. The average low temperature falls to 7°C and 2°C respectively. It can fall below freezing at night early in November and frosts are common. Rainfall actually decreases slightly but it falls more frequently in prolonged, light showers. Sunshine levels dwindle to five per day in October and three per day in November. The early weeks of the season can still be a great time to visit the area for an active holiday, hiking in the surrounding mountains.
Winter, between December and February, is quite cold. The average high temperature quickly gets below 10°C, reaching its lowest in January at 6°C. The average low temperature stays around freezing, getting to -1°C in January. Precipitation remains moderate and rarely falls as snow in the city itself. However, up in the mountains the snow is heavy. Close by the ski resort of Superbesse opens at the beginning of December and doesnât close till the end of April. Activities closer to Cermont Ferrand include snow shoeing and tobogganing. It is regularly overcast. December is the cloudiest month with only two hours of sunshine on average per day.
Spring, is mild but increasingly wet. The average high temperature gets to 12°C in March, 15°C in April and 19°C in May. The average low temperature stays below 10°C for the entire season and often drops down to freezing into early May. Rainfall remains moderate at first but jumps up in May, the wettest month of the year, when showers fall on more than half of the days in the month. Sunshine levels quickly increase at the beginning of the season to five hours per day then get up to six hours per day in April and May. By mid May sunny days with heat in the low 20s can occur, but the season is also prone to cold winds blowing down from the mountains.
Clermont Ferrand is an industrial city but is known for its surrounding landscape and cultural events. It is home to the International Short Film Festival which takes place at the end of January and beginning of February.