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just saw that. a typical 5c january day here is anything but "mild" even to a visiting canadian. You really need clothing that protects you from the cold and humidity.
That said, culture plays a part in it, especially in the difference between Italians and French for instance. When I go home in France for christmas, I notice that french people tend to dress with lighter clothing (say, a sweater with a regular coat or a leather jacket) whereas Italians tend to wear heavy winter clothing as early as october (especially southerners), despite the climate being very similar. Still, someone in shorts in mid-winter here would be seen as a total weirdo, for good reason.
I'd say the Cfb climates of western europe are a bit milder in mid-winter, although they are generally rainier and windier than us.
A 5C maximum is pretty chilly though -would only happen about one in ten years here. There would still be the hardy types, out in their shorts though.
I'm thinking maybe (based on my experience) people dress in light clothing, not because the air is warm, but because the sun feels warm - I'm off to work shortly (on a sunday morning), and even though it's chilly and windy, will be in shorts and a fleece top , because by about 10:00am the sun will feel warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt. Temperature will peak about mid afternoon (16C), and the thought of wearing trousers at that temperature with sun , isn't appealing.
Italians might just be more fashion/clothes conscious
A 5C maximum is pretty chilly though -would only happen about one in ten years here. There would still be the hardy types, out in their shorts though.
I'm thinking maybe (based on my experience) people dress in light clothing, not because the air is warm, but because the sun feels warm - I'm off to work shortly (on a sunday morning), and even though it's chilly and windy, will be in shorts and a fleece top , because by about 10:00am the sun will feel warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt. Temperature will peak about mid afternoon (16C), and the thought of wearing trousers at that temperature with sun , isn't appealing.
Italians might just be more fashion/clothes conscious
well these are completely different weather conditions. 5/16c is more like (early) spring weather here, and it is not what i'd call cold weather. People might have a sweater and a warm jacket in the evening, but daytime is mild enough to be outside in a shirt or hoodie. I'd only wear shorts if I was going running or something. Also, in mid-winter it is not very sunny usually, most of the time it's overcast and fog is common. You definitely do not feel the sun, and it feels really damp and cold.
That said, january days can be mild and 15c is possible most years, but that's like the warmest day of the month. I generally wear a mid-season jacket on that occasion and can occasionally be out in just a long.sleeve shirt if i'm like biking in the sun or something. But then it's back to cold, humid and dreary quite soon.
In the 1970s when I lived in Germany while in the Army, my GF and I took a 2 week summer seaside vacation to Le Croisic (Brittany), France. It sits on a narrow peninsula about 40 km NW of Nantes, which is where the Loire empties into the Atlantic. What a great area to spend a summer vacation.
Although this is a popular destination for visitors from central France, at the time it did not seem like there were many visitors from other parts of Europe. We met just a few people from the UK and a few from Germany and Netherlands. That may have changed in the last 4 decades, but Brittany had just a fraction of the tourist masses that one finds along most of the warmer Mediterranean coastal resorts.
I really enjoyed the relaxed pace in Brittany, no traffic jams, the extremely clean air, excellent food (especially seafood), and near perfect summer temperatures. No air conditioning required - a cool afternoon breeze usually arrived after 2 pm. Some basic communication skills in French are recommended, but the locals are very friendly and hospitable.
Winter here is as sunny as the rest of the year, and fog is rare. You mention the damp and humidity there, but your winters are much drier than here and here has higher dewpoints, so maybe the lack of sun is the main issue there.
Hi, for the climate of the Aquitaine coast unfortunately (or happily according to some) the climate is becoming more and more Mediterranean with global warming. For a few years now all winegrowers have been worrying about and they invest millions in the search for new heat resistant grape variety. Wines produced in the region will surely be replaced by Mediterranean wines.
In maybe 30 or 40 years the climate will be practically identical to that of the riviera. It is the most obvious along the coast 1 hour from Bordeaux, Arcachon, Cap Ferret etc. which really have a micro climate very very mild in winters with a lot of sun and that we could already qualify as semi / mediterranean , the only difference is that there is much less wind and more rain during the winters.
Currently, we can have very hot years with summers as dry as the Mediterranean or years where it rains often but in small quantity during winters and the beginning of the spring (january, february, march). Generally the summer continues very late until early December. We often have 20/25 degrees in late November.
Winter here is as sunny as the rest of the year, and fog is rare. You mention the damp and humidity there, but your winters are much drier than here and here has higher dewpoints, so maybe the lack of sun is the main issue there.
i don't know, it looks like your location would be drier overall because of the large diurnal ranges. Here it can remain in the 90% RH for weeks on end without any precipitation, and it's the worst in terms of feeling cold. If I spend a few days on the Alps in winter it feels much nicer at the same temperature, or colder, also because the dps are much lower, regardless of sun or not. It does not feel damp.
Sometimes it's sunny here in winter but generally still very humid / hazy, and it does not feel much warmer, although things are a bit better. Last january was really mild though, and quite sunny by our standards: Synop report summary
i don't know, it looks like your location would be drier overall because of the large diurnal ranges. Here it can remain in the 90% RH for weeks on end without any precipitation, and it's the worst in terms of feeling cold. If I spend a few days on the Alps in winter it feels much nicer at the same temperature, or colder, also because the dps are much lower, regardless of sun or not. It does not feel damp.
Sometimes it's sunny here in winter but generally still very humid / hazy, and it does not feel much warmer, although things are a bit better. Last january was really mild though, and quite sunny by our standards: Synop report summary
Humidity is still reasonably high here in winter, even with the diurnal range - today the dewpoint is at 11C at 12:00. Fine cold weather can see reasonably low dewpoints of around 30% at the maximum temperature, but there can also be days of rain, with 15C dewpoints. The heaviness of dews/frosts here give a good indication of highish humidity, combined with highish diurnal range -dew can often settle before the sun sets.
Your January does look mild for the latitude and distance inland, with the minimums comparable to a typical June here. Still some chilly maximums though, and I would imagine the days could feel quite bleak.
Hi, for the climate of the Aquitaine coast unfortunately (or happily according to some) the climate is becoming more and more Mediterranean with global warming. For a few years now all winegrowers have been worrying about and they invest millions in the search for new heat resistant grape variety. Wines produced in the region will surely be replaced by Mediterranean wines.
In maybe 30 or 40 years the climate will be practically identical to that of the riviera. It is the most obvious along the coast 1 hour from Bordeaux, Arcachon, Cap Ferret etc. which really have a micro climate very very mild in winters with a lot of sun and that we could already qualify as semi / mediterranean , the only difference is that there is much less wind and more rain during the winters.
Currently, we can have very hot years with summers as dry as the Mediterranean or years where it rains often but in small quantity during winters and the beginning of the spring (january, february, march). Generally the summer continues very late until early December. We often have 20/25 degrees in late November.
Interesting -my climate has a similar summer/winter rain ratio as Bordeaux, but over the last few years, it feels as though it's summers are becoming more subtropical, with a higher frequency of heavy rain events from cyclones - grapes are rotting on the vines, rather than suffering from dry conditions
It's definitely a cultural thing, I think the need for there to be four seasons is overwhelming to the point where people will switch to coats and jackets, gloves, scarves and boots, whatever in winter. And this is Sydney, where the typical winter day is about 18C, nights down to about 3C slightly warmer by the sea.
It's definitely a cultural thing, I think the need for there to be four seasons is overwhelming to the point where people will switch to coats and jackets, gloves, scarves and boots, whatever in winter. And this is Sydney, where the typical winter day is about 18C, nights down to about 3C slightly warmer by the sea.
If you walked around Sydney during a typical winter day of 18C in shorts and a t-shirt, would everyone think you are crazy?
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