Climate of Castilla y Leon
Temperatures of Castilla y Leon
There is a an old Castilian saying which describes perfectly the continental climate of Castilla y Leon: “nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno*” – “nine months of winter and three months of hell”. The average high altitude of the Western Meseta and the region in general (see below Provinces of Castilla y Leon altitude bands) also helps to make Castilla y Leon one of the coldest parts of Spain, with the provincial capitals of Ávila, Soria and Burgos recording average temperatures of 10.4, 10.6 and 10.1 respectively – the three coldest capitals in Spain. Extreme cold spells produced by incursions of polar air are frequent (Ávila holds the record with a nippy -27.6ºC back in 1945). Higher parts of Soria and Ávila regularly suffer from frosts in summer. In contrast, daytime temperatures in much of the region soar in the summer, with maximums of above 40ºC in Palencia, Valladolid and Zamora, and average temperatures are almost 30ºC across most of the region.
Average rainfall in Castilla y Leon
Precipitation is lowest in Palencia (capital) with an average of 347.5mm, and highest in Leon with 556mm and Burgos with 555mm. Average rainfall in other capitals receive: Soria 502mm, Valladolid 435mm, Salamanca 464mm, Segovia 464mm and Zamora 363mm.
(*Thanks to Rosa Rodriguez for the quote).
Adapted from the truly excellent “Guía del Clima de España. Vicente Aupi. Omega 2005. Buy it!)
Regions of Spain- Albufera de Adra
- Bahia de Cadiz
- Cabo de Gata-Nijar
- Climate of Andalusia
- Doñana
- Flora and wildlife of Andalusia
- Geography of Andalusia
- Grazalema
- History of Andalucia
- Laguna de Fuente de Piedra
- Las Dehesas de Sierra Morena
- Las Sierras de Cazorla y Segura
- Los Alcornocales
- Nature reserves in Andalusia
- Ordiel Marshes
- Sierra Nevada
- Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park
- Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici
- Birding sites in Catalonia
- Cap de Creus
- Catalonia earthquake of 1428
- Congost de Mont-rebei / Mont-rebei gorge
- Delta del Ebro
- Els Ports
- Garraf
- Lake Banyoles
- Lerida Steppes
- Montseny
- Pica d’Estats
- Sant Llorenç del Munt
- Serra de Montsec
- Sierra de Cadi
The Iberianature guide to Spain