In this city in France, the sun shines all year round, even in winter.
Winter is long, far too long for some inhabitants of France whose city is plunged, more than others, continually into grayness, cold and humidity. If overall the sun is shy in winter, there is a city in France whose microclimate gives it a spring-like feel, with mild temperatures, very little rain and maximum sunshine during this season.
We have lunch there in t-shirts in February, in the middle of the carnival period on the Cours Saleya, have you guessed? It’s definitely Nice! The sun shines generously in “Nissa la bella”, such is its nickname given by its inhabitants, and this is a reality confirmed by Météo France. It has 574 hours of sunshine in winter (compared to 327 hours of sunshine on average in France during this season), with temperatures rarely below 10°C, knowing that on average in France, the normal temperature of winter season is 5.9°C. This city is also one of the warmest in Europe in winter, according to travel magazine Geo.
You will enjoy mild temperatures during your walks along the Promenade des Anglais or the coastal path, which runs along the Mediterranean to Villefranche-sur-Mer, with exceptional views all along. In the evening, the bright sun will offer you a sublime sunset. And all this without taking the umbrella! Nice is also one of the least humid cities in this season, with episodes of rain which are concentrated more in autumn or spring. Indeed, the capital of the Côte d’Azur, located in the department of Alpes Maritimes, records only 43 mm of precipitation compared to 161 mm of the national average in winter, according to our climate data.
How can we explain this generous microclimate while the high relief of its hinterland is subject to a more hostile climate in winter? Simply thanks to the sea. Bathed by the Mediterranean, the humidity of Nice is swept by sea winds, with cloud formations exiled into the hinterland. In short, the coast benefits from a mild climate while the rain reaches the land in the distance. The city of Nice is yours for your holidays under the sun in winter! And if the carnival crowd bores you in February, know that calm resides in January and returns in March, during the low season.
