How accurate is AccuWeather?

[Mar W]

I'm arriving in St Jean on Friday and starting to walk the Napoleon route Saturday morning.
It's my second time to begin the Camino Frances and at Easter in 2016 I had to take the Valcaros route so planned a later start this time as the route should be open .
The problem is it's looks like there will be a lot of rain for the first three days ? I keep checking hoping for some change but sadly NO !
Is this forecast accurate ?
I'm Irish so well used to rain but I so looked forward to enjoying the scenery and the beautiful walk up the Pyrenees (in glorious sunshine)

 

[C clearly]

Is this forecast accurate ?

We only know if a forecast was accurate, after the event.

Will it make any difference to your plans? Maybe it is best to continue with low expectations and hope for a pleasant surprise. Buen Camino!

 

[mlsoff2c]

The best way to tell if one forecast is accurate is compare it to other forecasts. If they are the same, you have more confidence in the forecast, if not, you can just hope that the one with less rain comes true. I like the windy app because you can compare the different model forecasts to each other. Free but you can pay a subscription to access more data.

 

[Mar W]

The best way to tell if one forecast is accurate is compare it to other forecasts. If they are the same, you have more confidence in the forecast, if not, you can just hope that the one with less rain comes true. I like the windy app because you can compare the different model forecasts to each other. Free but you can pay a subscription to access more data.

Thank you and what is the windy app?
I asked this question really to see if anyone had any reason to doubt the AccuWeather app as in the forecast they gave was wrong ?
I know I'm clutching at straws but it affects what to pack as well as everything else.
Thanks for reply

 

[C clearly]

it affects what to pack as well as everything else

I can see that it would affect what you wear that day, but not what you take with you for the long walk to Santiago. For me, I would want to prepared for adverse weather elsewhere, as well.

 

[mlsoff2c]

Thank you and what is the windy app?
I asked this question really to see if anyone had any reason to doubt the AccuWeather app as in the forecast they gave was wrong ?
I know I'm clutching at straws but it affects what to pack as well as everything else.
Thanks for reply

You can go to windy.com or download it on your phone. It will show 3 hourly wind speed and rain amounts predicted my the computer model selected. Select a different model to see if the winds or precipitation amounts change. You can click anywhere on the map to get a forecast for that location. You should be prepared for rain already, and don’t worry you will dry out eventually, assuming you’re not made of sugar!

 

[CWBuff]

I asked this question really to see if anyone had any reason to doubt the AccuWeather app as in the forecast they gave was wrong ?
I know I'm clutching at straws but it affects what to pack as well as everything else.

Well I am in the suburb of Philadelphia and we NEVER doubt AccuWeather. If it says sunny - we KNOW it WILL Darn Rain (Same in the winter - if they say no snow we WILL get hit with 6' or more)...

I know it does not help your plight but then who can EVER be 100% sure of the weather?! And if you are packing for Camino - you better pack some rain gear (and chances are you'll use it... so if you have to do so straight from the gate - so be it)
Good Luck and Buen Camino!

 

[dougfitz]

Dress for the weather, pack for the climate!

I much prefer the Spanish Met Agency as a source for both. The current weather forecasts can be found here: https://www.aemet.es/en/eltiempo/prediccion
and the climate data here: https://www.aemet.es/en/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos/contenido.

You will have to navigate to the region and town you are walking through in both places. There is a map to help if you don't know the names of Spain's regions.

In odd quiet moments, I find it interesting to explore the Extreme Values pages in the climate section.

 

[Helen Avoca]

I have found the Accu app uncannily accurate in Spain, even using its hourly forecast to leave or finish early or late and to miss rain or intense heat. I have used it on the Primitivo, La Plata and Frances. Unfortunately it’s hopeless where I live in Australia!

 

[Ellann]

I am also in Australia and use Accuweather often when planning, both here and overseas. One thing I tend to pay attention to is the percentage of rain expected. The higher that percentage the more accurate it is. The percentage for for Sunday is 94% and expected rain is about 15 mm, so I feel that is pretty accurate but if you look at the following days, even though the icon shows rain, the predictions and percentages are way lower, so also feel that even if it rains it won't be much, but hey you never know. It might be an suggestion to start on Monday if you are able to spare the time. Having said all that the weather is what it is, and we only know about it when we are actually in it.

 

[David Tallan]

Dress for the weather, pack for the climate!

I think this is key. Unless your Camino is one or two days long, you don't want to count on weather reports for what to pack. The further out the prediction, the less reliable it is. Then you need to pack for the range of possibilities at that place in that season.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'm arriving in St Jean on Friday and starting to walk the Napoleon route Saturday morning.
It's my second time to begin the Camino Frances and at Easter in 2016 I had to take the Valcaros route so planned a later start this time as the route should be open .
The problem is it's looks like there will be a lot of rain for the first three days ? I keep checking hoping for some change but sadly NO !
Is this forecast accurate ?
I'm Irish so well used to rain but I so looked forward to enjoying the scenery and the beautiful walk up the Pyrenees (in glorious sunshine)

Reliability varies, but rather more so in microclimates ; and in mountain locations like the Pyrenees and the Alps, where weather can be changeable and intrinsically unpredictable. As to rain, elevation can sometimes take you above the clouds and out of the rain.

So if it's raining in SJPP, that won't necessarily be the case up there, though it might be. Or the opposite.

 

[JabbaPapa]

French weather forecasts for Friday are of alternate periods and patches of sun and rain, with a possibility of snow above 1600m -- but the highest point before Roncesvalles is 200m below that threshold.

 

[Mar W]

You can go to windy.com or download it on your phone. It will show 3 hourly wind speed and rain amounts predicted my the computer model selected. Select a different model to see if the winds or precipitation amounts change. You can click anywhere on the map to get a forecast for that location. You should be prepared for rain already, and don’t worry you will dry out eventually, assuming you’re not made of sugar!

Well I discovered I'm not made from sugar thankfully AccuWeather were extremely accurate and it rained relentlessly on my first two days crossing the Pyrenees? It was cold and wet and very slippery underfoot on the descent and I enjoyed every minute of it
I had the most amazing two weeks walking the Frances and met so many lovely people from so many different countries? More than I have ever experienced before in my seven years walking. I fell in love with beautiful towns like Navarrete and the fantastic Albergue Iglesia and the people running it who were so friendly and helpful.
From the cornfields to the vineyards it was all so beautiful and special.
I'm looking forward to next year already

 

[WalkingInGers]

I use a cross reference of MeteoBlue (meteoblue.com), weather radar And for France, Météo-France.com And WeatherCrave.