Warm afternoons come to Petite-Forêt less often than to 84% of mainland French towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 1.3°C on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 23°C. Its yearly rainfall falls short of 71% of mainland French towns. Expect about 46 frosty starts a year, nights when the air falls below freezing.
These are the figures of Météo-France’s Valenciennes station, 5 km south.
A year in Petite-Forêt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low in °C, at the Valenciennes station.
What a year in Petite-Forêt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Valenciennes.
About 694 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and April the driest. About 17 days a year bring 10 mm or more. 134th wettest of 200 towns of 2,500+ in Nord.
Rain by month
Millimeters
Sunshine by month
Hours of sunshine at Lille-Lesquin
46 frosts and 37 days of 25°C a year
On about 46 nights a year the air drops to 0°C or below, and on about 5 days it stays below freezing all day. About 37 days a year reach 25°C, and 8 reach 30°C.
Day counts are Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Valenciennes: 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 Valenciennes
Valenciennes is 5 km south of Petite-Forêt. Every figure on this page is the station’s, not a measurement in Petite-Forêt itself.
| Station (Météo-France number) | Valenciennes (59606004) |
| Distance from the town | 5 km south |
| Station altitude | 50 m |
| Town altitude (its center) | 41 m |
| Period | 1991–2020 |
| Sunshine measured at | Lille-Lesquin, 35 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 Petite-Forêt 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 Nord.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest towns of 2,500+ within 29 km. Where a neighbor uses the same station its figures are the same: the differences you’d feel over a few kilometers aren’t in the normals.
| Town | Station | July high | January low | Rain a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petite-Forêt | Valenciennes | 24.0°C | 1.3°C | 694 mm |
| Anzin 2 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
| La Sentinelle 2.4 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
| Raismes 2.4 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
| Beuvrages 2.5 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
| Hérin 2.7 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
| Valenciennes 3.1 km | same station | 24.0°C about the same | 1.3°C about the same | 694 mm |
Petite-Forêt weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature and rain, 1991–2020, at the Valenciennes station; sunshine at Lille-Lesquin.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.4°C | 1.3°C | 3.9°C | 54 mm | 62 |
| February | 7.6°C | 1.4°C | 4.5°C | 47 mm | 74 |
| March | 11.4°C | 3.3°C | 7.4°C | 51 mm | 127 |
| April | 15.1°C | 5.0°C | 10.1°C | 42 mm | 176 |
| May | 18.8°C | 8.4°C | 13.6°C | 58 mm | 196 |
| June | 21.9°C | 11.4°C | 16.6°C | 63 mm | 202 |
| July | 24.0°C | 13.5°C | 18.7°C | 66 mm | 210 |
| August | 24.0°C | 13.2°C | 18.6°C | 68 mm | 197 |
| September | 20.4°C | 10.7°C | 15.5°C | 52 mm | 155 |
| October | 15.5°C | 8.0°C | 11.7°C | 60 mm | 115 |
| November | 10.2°C | 4.4°C | 7.3°C | 64 mm | 62 |
| December | 6.9°C | 2.0°C | 4.5°C | 69 mm | 53 |
| Year | 15.2°C | 6.9°C | 11.0°C | 694 mm | 1,627 |
Where Petite-Forêt’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Temperature, rain and day counts: Météo-France’s fiche climatologique for Valenciennes, 5 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, Lille-Lesquin, 35 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 Nord.
Météo-France fiches climatologiques · IGN RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0.
Questions about Petite-Forêt’s climate
How warm does Petite-Forêt get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24.0°C. About 37 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than 84% of mainland French towns, and about 8 reach 30°C.
How cold does Petite-Forêt get in winter?
January nights average 1.3°C. The air drops to 0°C or below on about 46 nights a year, and about 5 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Petite-Forêt get?
About 694 mm a year, less than 71% of mainland French towns. December is the wettest month (69 mm) and April the driest (42 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Météo-France station that records sunshine, Lille-Lesquin (35 km away), averages 1,627 hours of sunshine a year.
Are these figures for Petite-Forêt itself?
No: they are the normals of the Météo-France station matched to Petite-Forêt, Valenciennes, 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 VALENCIENNES, edited 15/10/2026); altitude: IGN, RGE ALTI®. Licence Ouverte 2.0. Today’s forecast for Petite-Forêt →
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.