Saint-Étienne climate
Saint-Étienne (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 695 mm27 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Saint-Étienne climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 541 | −229 | 135 | 421.6 | 21 |
| Feb | 643 | −228 | 236 | 351.4 | 20 |
| Mar | 1151 | 133 | 642 | 421.7 | 13 |
| Apr | 1559 | 439 | 949 | 572.2 | 4 |
| May | 1966 | 846 | 1356 | 753.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 2476 | 1254 | 1865 | 642.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2781 | 1458 | 2169 | 652.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1457 | 2068 | 642.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2271 | 1049 | 1660 | 562.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 1661 | 643 | 1152 | 722.8 | 2 |
| Nov | 1049 | 236 | 642 | 732.9 | 8 |
| Dec | 542 | −130 | 236 | 502.0 | 18 |
| Year | 2781 | −228 | 1151 | 69527 | 87 |
“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 | 91% | 73% | 1.3 | 9:05 |
| Feb | 87% | 69% | 2.2 | 10:19 |
| Mar | 82% | 64% | 3.5 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 77% | 63% | 4.7 | 13:27 |
| May | 75% | 68% | 5.4 | 14:52 |
| Jun | 69% | 58% | 6.4 | 15:39 |
| Jul | 61% | 50% | 6.4 | 15:20 |
| Aug | 62% | 51% | 5.5 | 14:05 |
| Sep | 69% | 55% | 4.1 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 80% | 66% | 2.6 | 10:51 |
| Nov | 89% | 73% | 1.5 | 9:26 |
| Dec | 91% | 72% | 1.1 | 8:44 |
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 Saint-Étienne is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 14 °C58 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C41 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.3 °C34.7 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 695 mm27 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 29% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (75 mm3.0 in), the driest is February (35 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 61% in July to 91% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 50%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in August to 10 km/h (6 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 12 cm).
Best time to visit Saint-Étienne
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 22 °C71 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 56 mm2.2 in to 65 mm2.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C41 °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 Saint-Étienne
- Winter (December–February) — highs 541 to 6 °C43 °F, lows −228 to −1 °C30 °F, about 42 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1151 to 19 °C66 °F, lows 133 to 8 °C46 °F, about 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2476 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 1254 to 14 °C58 °F, about 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1049 to 22 °C71 °F, lows 236 to 10 °C49 °F, about 67 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Saint-Étienne compares
Compared with Lyon, about 50 km to the northeast, Saint-Étienne is on average 1.9 °C3.4 °F cooler and receives 12% less precipitation (695 mm27 in vs 786 mm31 in). The difference is largest in April (2.3 °C4.1 °F cooler).
Of the 36 places in France covered by World Climates, Saint-Étienne is the 31st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 27th 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: Mainz (Germany, Cfb), Wiesbaden (Germany, Cfb) and Saarbrücken (Germany, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Lyon 50 km · 12 °C54 °F · 786 mm31 in
- Villeurbanne 53 km · 12 °C54 °F · 842 mm33 in
- Grenoble 107 km · 13 °C56 °F · 857 mm34 in
- Clermont-Ferrand 108 km · 11 °C52 °F · 700 mm28 in
- Geneva 161 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,107 mm44 in
- Nîmes 178 km · 15 °C58 °F · 740 mm29 in
- Montpellier 207 km · 15 °C60 °F · 575 mm23 in
- Lausanne 211 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Saint-Étienne?
July is the warmest month in Saint-Étienne, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (58 °F).
What is the coldest month in Saint-Étienne?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (41 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Saint-Étienne?
May is the wettest month with about 75 mm (3.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 35 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Saint-Étienne?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–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 582 m, while Saint-Étienne lies at about 529 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.