Hardly any mainland French towns wake to more frost than Montbel
Sunny July days climb to about 22.2°C. Of all months, November brings the most rain and March the least. Of the 4 towns of 2,500+ in Lozère, it has the coolest July afternoons. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to May, when means dip under 10°C.
These are the figures of Météo-France’s Grandrieu station, 22 km north.
A year in Montbel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low in °C, at the Grandrieu station.
What a year in Montbel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Grandrieu.
About 850 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and March the driest. About 26 days a year bring 10 mm or more. 3rd wettest of 4 towns of 2,500+ in Lozère.
Rain by month
Millimeters
Sunshine by month
Hours of sunshine at Mende
A frosty town: 126 frosts and 28 days of 25°C a year
On about 126 nights a year the air drops to 0°C or below, and on about 29 days it stays below freezing all day. About 28 days a year reach 25°C, and 3 reach 30°C.
Day counts are Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Grandrieu: 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 Grandrieu
Grandrieu is 22 km north of Montbel. Every figure on this page is the station’s, not a measurement in Montbel itself.
| Station (Météo-France number) | Grandrieu (48070004) |
| Distance from the town | 22 km north |
| Station altitude | 1,163 m |
| Town altitude (its center) | 1,223 m |
| Period | 1991–2020 |
| Nearest station of any kind | 5.7 km |
| Sunshine measured at | Mende, 22 km away |
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 Montbel 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 Lozère.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest towns of 2,500+ within 29 km, each with its own matched station.
Montbel weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature and rain, 1991–2020, at the Grandrieu station; sunshine at Mende.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.2°C | −3.4°C | −0.1°C | 61 mm | 95 |
| February | 3.8°C | −3.8°C | 0.0°C | 50 mm | 120 |
| March | 7.6°C | −1.3°C | 3.2°C | 45 mm | 170 |
| April | 10.4°C | 0.8°C | 5.6°C | 72 mm | 185 |
| May | 14.7°C | 4.4°C | 9.6°C | 86 mm | 213 |
| June | 19.2°C | 7.9°C | 13.5°C | 78 mm | 254 |
| July | 22.2°C | 9.8°C | 16.0°C | 61 mm | 293 |
| August | 22.2°C | 10.0°C | 16.1°C | 76 mm | 281 |
| September | 17.3°C | 6.6°C | 11.9°C | 79 mm | 210 |
| October | 12.6°C | 4.2°C | 8.4°C | 86 mm | 150 |
| November | 6.9°C | 0.1°C | 3.5°C | 92 mm | 88 |
| December | 4.2°C | −2.4°C | 0.9°C | 65 mm | 98 |
| Year | 12.0°C | 2.7°C | 7.4°C | 850 mm | 2,157 |
Where Montbel’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Temperature, rain and day counts: Météo-France’s fiche climatologique for Grandrieu, 22 km away: statistics for 1991–2020.
- 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.
- Sunshine: the nearest station with at least 10 years of sunshine records, Mende, 22 km away.
- Comparisons: every town of 2,500 or more in mainland France, read the same way; the dots are the towns of 2,500+ in Lozère.
Météo-France fiches climatologiques · IGN RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0.
Questions about Montbel’s climate
How warm does Montbel get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 22.2°C. About 28 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than 93% of mainland French towns, and about 3 reach 30°C.
How cold does Montbel get in winter?
February nights average −3.8°C. The air drops to 0°C or below on about 126 nights a year, and about 29 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Montbel get?
About 850 mm a year, more than 70% of mainland French towns. November is the wettest month (92 mm) and March the driest (45 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Météo-France station that records sunshine, Mende (22 km away), averages 2,157 hours of sunshine a year.
Are these figures for Montbel itself?
No: they are the normals of the Météo-France station matched to Montbel, Grandrieu, 22 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 GRANDRIEU, edited 15/10/2026); altitude: IGN, RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0. Today’s forecast for Montbel →
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.