Frost comes to Violay more often than to 93% of mainland French towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 23.2°C on average. October is the wettest month, February the driest. Of the 53 towns of 2,500+ in Loire, it has the coolest July afternoons. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 19–23°C.
These are the figures of Météo-France’s Les Sauvages station, 9.5 km north.
A year in Violay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low in °C, at the Les Sauvages station.
What a year in Violay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Les Sauvages.
About 942 mm of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest. About 27 days a year bring 10 mm or more. 2nd wettest of 53 towns of 2,500+ in Loire.
Rain by month
Millimeters
A frosty town: 75 frosts and 35 days of 25°C a year
On about 75 nights a year the air drops to 0°C or below, and on about 25 days it stays below freezing all day. About 35 days a year reach 25°C, and 7 reach 30°C.
Day counts are Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Les Sauvages: a frost is a night of 0°C or below, a summer day (jour d’été) 25°C or more, a hot day (forte chaleur) 30°C or more.
The Météo-France station at Les Sauvages
Les Sauvages is 9.5 km north of Violay. Every figure on this page is the station’s, not a measurement in Violay itself.
| Station (Météo-France number) | Les Sauvages (69174002) |
| Distance from the town | 9.5 km north |
| Station altitude | 831 m |
| Town altitude (its center) | 795 m |
| Period | 1997–2020 (the station’s own record) |
TownRatings matches each commune to one station with at least 24 years of temperature and rain records: the nearest, counting every 100 m of height difference as 10 km, never across the sea.
How Violay compares
Against the 4,385 towns of 2,500 or more in mainland France, each read from its own matched station. The dots are the other towns of 2,500+ in Loire.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest towns of 2,500+ within 29 km, each with its own matched station.
| Town | Station | July high | January low | Rain a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violay | Les Sauvages | 23.2°C | −0.9°C | 942 mm |
| Panissières 6.8 km | Machézal | 25.4°C 2.2°C warmer | 0.5°C 1.4°C milder | 820 mm |
| Tarare 8 km | Le Breuil | 27.9°C 4.7°C warmer | −0.7°C about the same | 750 mm |
| Vindry-sur-Turdine 11 km | Le Breuil | 27.9°C 4.7°C warmer | −0.7°C about the same | 750 mm |
| Balbigny 13 km | Feurs | 27.3°C 4.1°C warmer | 0.2°C 1.1°C milder | 650 mm |
| Amplepuis 13 km | Fourneaux | 27.1°C 3.9°C warmer | 0.1°C 1°C milder | 900 mm |
| Feurs 16 km | Feurs | 27.3°C 4.1°C warmer | 0.2°C 1.1°C milder | 650 mm |
Violay weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature and rain, 1991–2020, at the Les Sauvages station.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.9°C | −0.9°C | 1.5°C | 64 mm |
| February | 4.7°C | −0.9°C | 1.9°C | 56 mm |
| March | 9.0°C | 1.7°C | 5.4°C | 58 mm |
| April | 12.8°C | 4.6°C | 8.7°C | 72 mm |
| May | 16.6°C | 8.1°C | 12.3°C | 96 mm |
| June | 21.0°C | 11.7°C | 16.4°C | 86 mm |
| July | 23.2°C | 13.4°C | 18.3°C | 85 mm |
| August | 23.1°C | 13.7°C | 18.4°C | 88 mm |
| September | 18.8°C | 10.5°C | 14.6°C | 72 mm |
| October | 13.7°C | 7.3°C | 10.5°C | 98 mm |
| November | 7.8°C | 2.7°C | 5.3°C | 93 mm |
| December | 5.0°C | 0.1°C | 2.5°C | 74 mm |
| Year | 13.3°C | 6.0°C | 9.7°C | 942 mm |
Where Violay’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Temperature, rain and day counts: Météo-France’s fiche climatologique for Les Sauvages, 9.5 km away: statistics for 1991–2020 (the station’s own years, 1997–2020, where its record is shorter).
- Which station: among stations with at least 24 of the 30 years of temperature and rain, the nearest to the commune’s population-weighted center, counting each 100 m of height difference as 10 km; mainland towns use mainland stations and each overseas département its own.
- Altitudes: the town’s from IGN’s RGE ALTI® at its population-weighted center; the station’s from Météo-France.
- Comparisons: every town of 2,500 or more in mainland France, read the same way; the dots are the towns of 2,500+ in Loire.
Météo-France fiches climatologiques · IGN RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0.
Questions about Violay’s climate
How warm does Violay get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23.2°C. About 35 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than 86% of mainland French towns, and about 7 reach 30°C.
How cold does Violay get in winter?
January nights average −0.9°C. The air drops to 0°C or below on about 75 nights a year, and about 25 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Violay get?
About 942 mm a year, more than 82% of mainland French towns. October is the wettest month (98 mm) and February the driest (56 mm).
Are these figures for Violay itself?
No: they are the normals of the Météo-France station matched to Violay, Les Sauvages, 9.5 km away. France publishes its climate normals by station, not by commune; a valley, a hill or the sea can make a difference over a few kilometers.
Where do these figures come from?
Météo-France’s fiches climatologiques: 30-year averages (1991–2020) for each of its long-running stations, published as open data since 2024. They are normals, not a forecast.
Source: Météo-France, fiches climatologiques, 1991–2020 statistics (station LES SAUVAGES, edited 15/10/2026); altitude: IGN, RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0. Today’s forecast for Violay →
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.