Weather

Overview

First the good news: on the whole, this autonomous region does not experience the harsh contrasts between summer and winter associated with other regions of Spain and nor is its landscape as arid. It is part of the “Green Coast” crowning this peninsula. Thus, gallegos shrug off rainy days with the consolation that their countryside is lush; their rivers, vigorous; estuaries, extensive; and their crops, abundant. Moreover, when the weather is good, it is a very pleasant place to be in summer, with warm days and cool nights - the perfect antidote to the unrelenting heat of southern Spain. Now the not so good news: an umbrella and waterproofs are essential packing for a visit to Galicia. When the national weather forecast comes up on the Spanish news, it is often the only area that is not covered in the egg yolk like circles denoting perfectly sunny weather. If it is raining in Spain, it is not on the plain, but in the hilly countryside in Galicia.

Apart from being humid, the Galician climate is mild and without marked contrasts - this is particularly true near the coast. Temperatures never drop below –5º in winter, and seldom do they rise above 35º in summer across the region. The weather is also changeable, as Galicia is the gateway for Atlantic fronts. An interesting phenomenon is that temperatures may vary as much as 2º in a distance as short as 5 kms. What is more, the price of bright weather in the day is that fog and mists roll in during the late afternoon and evening, giving the countryside a mysterious air. Seeing the Cathedral of Santiago on a wild, moonlit night is particularly enxebre or authentically and indescribably gallego. For the tourist, this means that one should be prepared for the unexpected shower. Conversely, a grim day may suddenly brighten up and turn warm. It is therefore a good idea to wear layers and pack a folding umbrella, cagoule and something to ward off chills. Another repercussion for those learning Spanish or gallego is that one will hear a lot of conversations about the weather. Gallegos are like the British in this sense (although they also like to talk about bread – another national passion!).

The Umbrella

The umbrella is a ubiquitous item here; it even has its own subculture. A popular figure from Orense was the knife sharpener and umbrella fixer, who would travel into other provinces on his bicycle. Nina Epton, an intrepid British travel writer, who made her way across Galicia Profunda (the most isolated rural areas) in the 1940s, caught wind of another character, this time entirely mythical: the old man, who hid in the mountains, and urinated on the poor inhabitants in the valley below. He was always blamed for awful weather. Nowadays, there are umbrellas with carbon bases to resist Atlantic gusts, dainty white numbers for brides, mini versions emblazoned with Disney favourites for children and, in the world of interior design, a complete selection of umbrella stands - no doubt, an utterly useless accessory in Andalucía!

Water Temperatures

Gallegos often dismiss the possibility of seeking the more inviting waters of the Mediterranean by saying that warm water is soupy, rather than invigorating like the Atlantic. Forget about sharks. Galician mothers warn their children about cortes de digestión, meaning that one should wait at least three hours after eating. (The theory being that one needs all one’s blood to digest those heavy gallego foods before placing even a toe in that water.) Nevertheless, when a warm current comes in, or a heat spell affects the sea, the beach rings with the gleeful exclamations of bathers. And an upbeat note on water temperatures is that diving and snorkelling enthusiasts claim that the cooler waters of Galicia may be murkier and make it necessary to suit up, but they are also full of marine life. Besides, an underwater session justifies a hearty meal and those cooler water temperatures are conducive to the production of fish and seafood.

Regional Variations: The Coast versus the Interior

As one approaches the interior, in the provinces of Lugo and Orense, there are higher temperatures in summer and lower ones in winter. The official site of the government of Galicia provides two maps, demonstrating the range of temperatures and precipitation, respectively:
http://www.xunta.es/xeral/cifras/galego/gtemp.htm
http://www.xunta.es/xeral/cifras/galego/gprecip1.htm

Therefore, La Coruña’s average temperature is 13.9ºC and Vigo’s, about 15º. Contrast these with Lugo’s, at 12º. In January, the average temperature in that province is 5.8º, with the lows between 1 and 2º from December to February - much cooler than on the coast. Not surprisingly In Lugo, frosts are more common. Another regional difference is that rainfall decreases as one moves from the northwest to the southeast, with the average number of rainy days dropping from about 150 to 110. This drier climate is notable along the Sil Valley, the lowlands of Orense and the higher plains around Xinzo. Here too the rainy season is shorter, running from November to March. Rainfall is more evenly distributed along the coast, although summers bring some relief. The tourist who likes the sea must therefore bear in mind that, though the beaches of the Costa da Morte, or Death Coast, are magnificent and its fishing ports are picturesque, the weather of this area may bring disappointment. It is, on average, overcast two out of three days. Nonetheless, the weather improves as one moves down the coast, because the area from Padrón to Tui (basically covering the entire seaboard of Pontevedra) enjoys a microclimate. It is the warmest coastal stretch, with the average temperature in July and August about 20º and 18º in September.

Up in the Highlands

Unsurprisingly, mountain lovers will find a harsher climate. There are much lower winter temperatures with more rain over 800m and in the peaks running across the east and southeast of Galicia (the Ancares, Caurel and Queixa, for instance). 20 days of snow are expected on average and remote villages get cut off. Pilgrims take note: the average winter temperature in Pedrafita is 3ºC and its rainfall comes to 2000mm. Here, temperature contrasts in summer are sharp, possibly going from 30º in the day to near freezing at night.

With thanks to Anita Demitroff for writing this guide