Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate (Csa) according to Köppen-Geiger classification, a warm-temperate subtropical climate (Warmgemäßigt-subtropisches Zonenklima) according to Troll-Paffen climate classification, and a subtropical climate according to Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification.Die Klimatypen der Erde - Pädagogische Hochschule in Heidelberg
Temperature
General Yearly max tempYearly mean tempYearly min temp Barcelona's average annual temperature is during the day and at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from during the day and at night. In the warmest month, August, the temperature typically ranges from during the day and from at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are very rare.
Seasonal climate
Winter Winters in Barcelona are mild. January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around during the day and at night. The hills around the city (such as Montjuic) and in the outer metropolitan area, further from the sea, occasionally record frost at night. Frost during the day has been recorded in the city and inner metropolitan area during the strongest cold waves and snowstorms, but is very rare overall. The last time the city recorded a temperature below freezing was on 27 January 2005.
Spring Spring lasts usually from March to late May, although in some years it might get into June. Maximum is around and the minimum is around . Rain is more frequent in spring than in winter and summer, but less than autumn.
Summer Generally the summer season lasts from late May or early June to late September or early October. July and August are the warmest months, with average temperatures around during the day and at night. In June and September the average temperature is around during the day and at night. Daytime temperatures above are rare.
Autumn Autumn is the rainiest season of the year, lasting from October to December. Maximum is around and the minimum is around .
Sunshine Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 - average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day in December to 310 - average 10 hours of sunshine per day in July. Barcelona has an average seasonal UV index close to that of Madrid, different only in March but with the same annual average of 5, with the values varying from 9 in June and July to 1 in December. Although at about the same latitude New Haven, Connecticut has values a little lower than Barcelona but still close.
Daylight In winter, days are not as short as in the northern part of the continent, as the average hours of daylight in December, January and February is 10 (for comparison: London or Moscow or Warsaw - about 8 hours). +Average hours of daylight Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec hours of light 10 11 12 13 15 15 15 14 12 11 10 9 hours of Twilight/Night 14 13 12 11 9 9 9 10 12 13 14 15
Precipitation Barcelona has on average only 55 precipitation (≥ 1 mm) days a year, therein average several rainy days per month, ranging from 2 in July to 6 in October. The average annual precipitation is less than 640 mm (25 inches), ranging from 20 mm (0.79 inch) in July to 91 mm (3.58 inch) in October.
As the city lies on a leeward location relative to the westerlies, the largest amounts of rainfall in the cold season are produced by easternly (backdoor) cold fronts or "Levanters", which can last several days and be enhanced when an Atlantic cutoff travels through the Straits of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. So although Atlantic cyclones usually produce little or no precipitation at all, the slipstream effect (rebuf in Catalan) behind a cold front or a trough, when N-NW winds from the Ebro valley ("mestral") and the easternmost Pyrenees ("tramuntana") converge around Barcelona, brings rain or, in case of enough low temperatures, snow, as in November 1999. Especially in summer, when sea surface temperature (SST) is higher, convective precipitation can happen in the form of warm rain (i.e. from the coalescence of water droplets without ice formation) instead of a conventional thunderstorm. Either way, these storms can be heavy and lead to flash floods in the lowest parts of the city.
Humidity Average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October.
Snow Snowfalls in the city are rare, but light snowfall events can happen any year on the top of the mountains around the city and in the depths of the metropolitan area (far from the sea) more frequently. A heavy snowfall occurred in Christmas 1962, being the heaviest snowfall recorded in Barcelona since 1887. In the 21st century, the heaviest snowfall happened on 8 March 2010, a thundersnow during which public transport and roads were shut down.
Mean maximums and minimums
Temperature extremes The highest temperature recorded during the day was on 27 August 2010; the average August 2003 maximum temperature during the day was . The coldest temperature recorded was at night on 27 December 1962."Valores Extremos for Barcelona" (pdf) (www version) – Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Fog Although Barcelona is generally a sunny city, some days of fog and spells of overcast days are not rare. Sea fog is frequent in early spring, when the first warm African air masses come in over the cold sea water.
Thunderstorms Thunderstorms, which occasionally reach severe limits, are common from mid July until November. The most recent major summer storm was on the 31 July 2002, when over of rain were recorded at some observatories.
Winds Although Barcelona is normally not a windy city, it is affected by sea breezes from May/June to September and winds from the west and northwest in winter. Eastern gales sometimes cause floods on the coastline. East and northeast winds can exceed . In winter Barcelona is sometimes affected by the tramontana or mistral winds, like other places in the Northwestern Mediterranean Basin.
Wind direction in Barcelona7,2% 3,7% 15,2% 11,3% 21,1% 33,7% 4,4% 3,4%
Wind direction in Barcelona from 2002 to 2012 (average values) NorthNortheastEastSouth EastSouthernSouthwestWestNorthwest7.2%3.7%15.2%11.3%21.1%33.7%4.4%3.4% Source: world-weather.ru
Sea temperature Average annual temperature of sea is about . In the coldest month – January, the average sea temperature is . In the warmest month – August, the average sea temperature is .Barcelona average sea temperature - seatemperature.org
+Average sea temperature, according to weather2travel.com:JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear +Average sea temperature, according to seatemperature.org:JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Seasonal information Snow is rare in Barcelona (falling only once every two years on average), although there are resorts for winter sports in the Pyrenees 100–150 km from the city such as La Molina. Summers in Barcelona area are warm. Summer temperatures - above - begin as early as May, although in this month the sea temperature is still mild: around . The summer season ends in October. Over the summer season (4 months), the average temperatures is during the day and the average sea temperature is . The weather in Barcelona during spring and autumn can be very changeable. During these months it can rain for quite long periods, but consecutive sunny days are also fairly common. The difference between temperatures during day and night is small because of the strong maritime influence, very rarely surpassing 10 °C.
Climatic data for Barcelona area
See also Climate in other places in Iberian Peninsula: Climate of Valencia Climate of Madrid Climate of Bilbao Climate of Lisbon Climate of Porto Climate of Spain Climate of Gibraltar
References
External links Sèries climàtiques històriques (1950–2015) - Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya – Generalitat de Catalunya Snowfall in Barcelona (1962) on Homage to BCN