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Open Travel Guide

Weather guides

Weather and seasons: when to visit

Seasonal patterns, what monthly averages conceal, and how climate shapes the timing of a trip.

Averages are a starting point and little more. A monthly mean says nothing about the range within a day, and places at altitude, on coasts or deep inside continents can share a headline figure while feeling nothing alike. Rainfall is similarly misleading in total form: a month that records a great deal of rain in a few afternoon storms is a different proposition from one that drizzles steadily, so hours of rain and humidity are often more useful than millimetres.

Season sets more than comfort. Mountain passes, ferry routes, seasonal restaurants and some attractions close outside their operating months, while festivals, school holidays and religious calendars move both crowds and prices sharply. Shoulder seasons trade a degree of certainty for quieter sites and lower rates, which suits flexible trips and frustrates those built around one fixed outdoor day.

Plan around daylight as well as temperature. Hours of light vary enormously with latitude and shape how much can be fitted into a day, particularly in winter. Pack in layers for anywhere with mountains or a coast, allow for wind and humidity rather than the number on the forecast, and remember that detailed predictions are only dependable a few days ahead; longer-range outlooks describe tendencies, not plans.

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