🗼 Paris Weather

Mild seasons with a continental edge

Paris has a temperate oceanic climate similar to London's, but sitting farther inland gives it a slightly more continental character — marginally warmer summers, cooler winters, and a touch more sunshine. The result is four gentle, distinct seasons, with changeable, often-cloudy weather and rain spread fairly evenly throughout the year.

Cool, grey winters

Winters are cool and damp, with January highs around 45°F (7°C) and frequent overcast skies. Hard frosts occur but heavy snow is uncommon and usually fleeting in the city. The season's defining feature is greyness and short days rather than bitter cold.

Pleasant summers and heat spikes

Summers are warm and generally comfortable, with July highs around 77°F (25°C), long daylight, and the city's famous café terraces in full swing. But Paris is increasingly prone to intense heat waves — the deadly 2003 event and recent summers have pushed temperatures past 104°F (40°C) in a city largely built without air conditioning.

Paris averages about 25 inches (640 mm) of rain a year, with no real dry season. Spring and autumn are mild and changeable, and many consider late spring and early autumn the loveliest times to visit.

Grey skies and gentle seasons

Paris has a mild oceanic climate with no real extremes — winters are chilly and damp rather than frigid, and summers pleasantly warm, though the city's limited air conditioning makes the occasional heat wave, like the record 108°F (42°C) of 2019, genuinely uncomfortable.

Rain is spread evenly through the year, usually as light drizzle rather than downpours, and grey overcast is common in the cooler months. Late spring and early autumn offer the most reliable pleasant weather, while the long June days — with light lingering past 10 p.m. — are a highlight of the northern summer.