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

Andalucia