Caen climate
Caen (Normandy, France) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C53 °F, and about 745 mm29 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Caen climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 846 | 236 | 541 | 692.7 | 10 |
| Feb | 948 | 236 | 542 | 582.3 | 9 |
| Mar | 1253 | 338 | 846 | 592.3 | 5 |
| Apr | 1559 | 642 | 1051 | 451.8 | 1 |
| May | 1865 | 948 | 1356 | 592.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 2271 | 1253 | 1762 | 532.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 2374 | 1456 | 1865 | 572.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 2373 | 1456 | 1865 | 592.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 2169 | 1152 | 1661 | 481.9 | 0 |
| Oct | 1662 | 948 | 1355 | 773.0 | 0 |
| Nov | 1253 | 642 | 948 | 793.1 | 2 |
| Dec | 847 | 337 | 642 | 823.2 | 9 |
| Year | 2374 | 236 | 1253 | 74529 | 37 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92% | 77% | 0.9 | 8:38 |
| Feb | 89% | 75% | 1.6 | 10:04 |
| Mar | 85% | 70% | 2.9 | 11:44 |
| Apr | 81% | 62% | 4.6 | 13:39 |
| May | 80% | 64% | 5.4 | 15:17 |
| Jun | 79% | 63% | 5.8 | 16:12 |
| Jul | 78% | 61% | 5.7 | 15:50 |
| Aug | 78% | 63% | 4.7 | 14:23 |
| Sep | 80% | 62% | 3.6 | 12:31 |
| Oct | 86% | 73% | 2.0 | 10:40 |
| Nov | 91% | 77% | 1.1 | 9:02 |
| Dec | 92% | 77% | 0.7 | 8:13 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Caen is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 23 °C74 °F and a low of 14 °C56 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 8 °C46 °F and lows 2 °C36 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 13.3 °C23.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 745 mm29 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is December (82 mm3.2 in), the driest is April (45 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 78% in July to 92% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 61%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in August to 16 km/h (10 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 8.2 hours in December to 16.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Caen
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 23 °C74 °F with 48 mm1.9 in to 59 mm2.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is cold, with average highs of 8 °C47 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Caen
- Winter (December–February) — highs 846 to 9 °C48 °F, lows 236 to 3 °C37 °F, about 70 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1253 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 338 to 9 °C48 °F, about 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2271 to 23 °C74 °F, lows 1253 to 14 °C56 °F, about 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1253 to 21 °C69 °F, lows 642 to 11 °C52 °F, about 68 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Caen compares
Compared with Le Havre, about 48 km to the northeast, Caen is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F cooler and receives 7% less precipitation (745 mm29 in vs 803 mm32 in). The difference is largest in December (1.6 °C2.9 °F cooler).
Of the 36 places in France covered by World Climates, Caen is the 19th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 18th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the France climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Worthing (United Kingdom, Cfb), Southampton (United Kingdom, Cfb) and Eastbourne (United Kingdom, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Le Havre 48 km · 12 °C53 °F · 803 mm32 in
- Rouen 110 km · 11 °C52 °F · 750 mm30 in
- Jersey (St Helier) 127 km · 12 °C54 °F · 772 mm30 in
- Le Mans 138 km · 12 °C53 °F · 707 mm28 in
- Rennes 154 km · 12 °C53 °F · 708 mm28 in
- Guernsey (St Peter Port) 161 km · 12 °C54 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Cergy-Pontoise 178 km · 11 °C52 °F · 672 mm26 in
- Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 180 km · 10 °C51 °F · 672 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Caen?
July is the warmest month in Caen, with an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (56 °F).
What is the coldest month in Caen?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 8 °C (46 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (36 °F).
When does it rain the most in Caen?
December is the wettest month with about 82 mm (3.2 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 45 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Caen?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 131 m, while Caen lies at about 21 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.