The climate of the the Alpes-Maritimes is very varied what is very surprising because of its small surface. In the south reigns a Mediterranean climate, in north a mountain climate and with Cannes a particularly hot microclimate due to the high hills heating the air which goes down on the city.

The band littoral knows very soft temperatures the winter and heats but without excess the summer, in spite of episodes of strong heats. The " season of the pluies" has place in autumn and in spring, the summer is known for him for its dryness, just like the winter. The sunning is very important, one counts almost 300 days of sun per annum. Nevertheless the differences in temperature due to a hot sea in autumn are at the origin of violent one storms, with often with the key raw and floods .

As soon as one moves away from the littoral, towards the west of the department, the interior plains (in particular on the side of Grasse) know a climate a little less moderate but quite as sunny. The summer the temperature exceeds very easily the 30°C there, whereas the average is not " que" of 27°C on the seaside niçois for July and August. Contrary the small frosts are not excluded in winter whereas they are very rare with Nice. It is besides this geographical configuration which gives to Cannes its microclimate. Hot air of the interior " déboule" on the city, contrary to the winter or it is the air a little fresher which comes to refresh the Cannes-native nights.

In the east of the department, contrary to the west, there are no plains. In the area of Menton altitude is very quickly raised, the sea thus moderates much more the atmosphere, the maximum ones in summer are on average of 25°C and the winters are softer than in the western interior, the frosts are almost almost excluded.

Snow is rare on the littoral, nevertheless it happens that good falls interest the Riviera, as it was the case the winter 2004-2005 when the town of Nice awoke with a few centimeters of snow in a road disorder… While in Cannes not a flake!

In the Alps the climate is thus mountain dweller, he snows there from November to May.

See too

• Climate of Nice