Weather in the Pyrenees
“The West is wet, and the East is much dryer.”
The Pyrenees Mountains form the natural border between France and Spain, and completely engulf the tiny nation of Andorra.
The mountains extend for about 440 kilometers (270 miles) from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea.
The highest point is Pico de Aneto at 3,404 meters (11,168 ft.)
The Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre have historically extended on both sides of the mountain range, with small northern portions now in France and much larger southern parts now in Spain.
Legend
The mountains are named after a mythological princess – Pyrene. Apparently Pyrene was raped by Hercules, who has abused of her father’s hospitality. As a consequence, Pyrene gave birth to a serpent and, afraid of her father’s rage, run away in the woods, where she was torn apart by wild beasts. After learning of Pyrene’s fate, Hercules was seized by profound grief and remorse. He laid Pyrene to rest tenderly, demanding that the surrounding geography join in mourning and preserve her name: “struck by Herculean voice, the mountaintops shudder at the ridges; he kept crying out with a sorrowful noise 'Pyrene!' and all the rock-cliffs and wild-beast haunts echo back 'Pyrene!' … The mountains hold on to the wept-over name through the ages.”
Climate
The amount of precipitation the range receives, including rain and snow, is much greater in the western than in the eastern Pyrenees, because of the moist air that blows in from the Atlantic Ocean over the Bay of Biscay. After dropping its moisture over the western and central Pyrenees, the air is usually dry over the eastern Pyrenees.
The winter average temperature is -2°C (28.4°F).
Sections of the mountain range vary in more than one respect. Some glaciers are found in the western and especially the snowy central Pyrenees, but the eastern Pyrenees are without any glaciers – with the quantity of snow falling there being insufficient to cause their development.
The snow-line varies in different parts of the Pyrenees from about 2,700 to 2,800 meters above sea level.
The weather varies considerably across the Pyrenees.
The general rule is that the West is wet, and the East is much dryer. Furthermore, the Spanish side of the Pyrenees is considerably warmer than the French. As a consequence, plant and animal life change almost as soon as you cross the border.
The French side has lush wooded forests of beech and oak, whereas the Spanish side is sparsely planted with low vegetation and dotted with pine trees. The desolate but beautiful nature of the Spanish Pyrenees is in part due to the destruction of olive groves several decades ago.
The climate year-round is that of temperate mountain regions. Short bursts of heavy rainfall can be expected in April and May, and stable periods of high pressure between September and November give clear blue skies. During the height of summer (especially August), short violent thunderstorms are a regular occurrence during mid-afternoon. Occasionally, the onset of winter is heralded by a cold-snap at the start of November. However, any snow usually melts away below about 1,000 m altitude.
Winter conditions are to be generally expected between January and March.
Weather in May
The most beautiful month of May is possibly also the rainiest month in the Pyrenees. While hoping for sun and for T-shirt & shorts weather, at the same time we need to be prepared for rain, and for temperatures below zero.