Weather in April

[Lindsay53]

Hmm.......I put "weather + April" into the search box and ended up here......While I found the thread very interesting it does not really answer my question. If someone could give me an indication of what the weather on the Camino Frances is like in April and May it would be much appreciated.

 

[C clearly]

For better information, try searching in Google "weather april burgos" and other cities along the route. Proper weather sites will give better information (averages, etc.) than this forum, where people tend to talk about the weather they happened to get when they were on the camino.

 

[Jomas]

Good morning,
know today how the weather will be in April May 2019 is really a sorcerer of the magic shovel)).
Experts (how much they really are?) say that it will be a spring very similar to the one just passed .... so periods of rain and sun not particularly prolonged.
Having made the journey in April / May 2018 I suggest you to have with you the equipment and clothing for every weather condition: 22 days of walking I met 5/6 days of continuous rain, 7/8 of overcast skies with light rain, the remaining clear sky. I also had the chance to face a significant drop in temperature from Pontferrada to Santiago (I speak of 4/5 degrees in the morning at 6.00 / 6.30).
On rainy days it was very difficult to dry some clothes and shower towels, in time: the dryers in the albergues were taken by assault (queues up to 22.00 in the evening).
I put everything in the backpack and the next day I stopped earlier than expected so as to have time to dry the clothes.
I hope I was helpful.

ciao

 

[Telboyo]

Good morning,
know today how the weather will be in April May 2019 is really a sorcerer of the magic shovel)).
Experts (how much they really are?) say that it will be a spring very similar to the one just passed .... so periods of rain and sun not particularly prolonged.
Having made the journey in April / May 2018 I suggest you to have with you the equipment and clothing for every weather condition: 22 days of walking I met 5/6 days of continuous rain, 7/8 of overcast skies with light rain, the remaining clear sky. I also had the chance to face a significant drop in temperature from Pontferrada to Santiago (I speak of 4/5 degrees in the morning at 6.00 / 6.30).
On rainy days it was very difficult to dry some clothes and shower towels, in time: the dryers in the albergues were taken by assault (queues up to 22.00 in the evening).
I put everything in the backpack and the next day I stopped earlier than expected so as to have time to dry the clothes.
I hope I was helpful.

ciao

Is that 4/5 degrees celsius or Fahrenheit? Because to me 5 Celsius is pleasant walking weather where as 4 degrees Fahrenheit is cold.

 

[CdnDreamer]

Is that 4/5 degrees celsius or Fahrenheit? Because to me 5 Celsius is pleasant walking weather where as 4 degrees Fahrenheit is cold.

Celsius - I agree, as long as you have the right clothes the walking is nice at that temperature

 

[Donaldclive]

I tend to use the word "climate" in searches like this (not "weather") For instance if I put into google ""climate Salamanca April" I get a number of returns of which just one is: https://www.holiday-weather.com/salamanca/averages/april/

 

[Jomas]

Is that 4/5 degrees celsius or Fahrenheit? Because to me 5 Celsius is pleasant walking weather where as 4 degrees Fahrenheit is cold.

yes Celsius. but consider that in the previous weeks (mid-April) the average was 11/13 degrees celsius. There was a temperature drop in the last days of my journey.
have a good day, bye

 

[Bala]

Weatherspark.com will give you historic highs, lows, median temperatures, average precipitation, and so on, for any decent-sized town (such as Burgos or Leon), either by month or day. Very good for planning and it's free.

 

[andywild]

I walked April this year. 40 days of t shirt with about 15minutes of rain.. people two days behind me got drenched repeatedly.. regardless of forecasts/percentages I guess you need to accept it could go either way and prepare accordingly..

 

[Lindsay53]

Thank you all for your answers. In short, be prepared for anything. No problem.

 

[Dorpie]

I walked April this year. 40 days of t shirt with about 15minutes of rain.. people two days behind me got drenched repeatedly.. regardless of forecasts/percentages I guess you need to accept it could go either way and prepare accordingly..

Andy's right, it's unfortunately a time of year when seasons are changing so you need to be prepared for a variety of conditions, or have a budget to react to the weather you find. To my mind rather than buying every imaginable item for all possible weather conditions and lugging those items all the way across Spain it's better to just be ready to purchase items as and when you need them, things aren't particularly expensive in Spain and there are plenty of shops along the CF.

I had zero rain on my April/May walk in 2015 and it was regularly pushing 30c though there were some cold nights at altitude.

Buen Camino,

Rob.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Weatherspark.com will give you historic highs, lows, median temperatures, average precipitation, and so on, for any decent-sized town (such as Burgos or Leon), either by month or day. Very good for planning and it's free.

Weatherspark is my favorite, too.

 

[Dsavid Keyte]

Hmm.......I put "weather + April" into the search box and ended up here......While I found the thread very interesting it does not really answer my question. If someone could give me an indication of what the weather on the Camino Frances is like in April and May it would be much appreciated.

Normally this is probably the best time to do caminos as it is not too hot, however there still could be snow on the higher parts,I have always walked towards the end of April, and have never encountered bad weather

 

[GraemeHall]

Yes, be prepared for anything. This is my arrival at Foncebadon on 10 April this year.

 

[t2andreo]

I have done the CF twice from late April to late May / early June. Plan for rain, perhaps every other day. Get the Eltiempo.es+ app for your smartphone. It has the most comprehensive weather status and forecast information for Spain and Portugal.

Basically the weather during this time can be cold and raw in the early morning. If you are lucky, the sun pops out and warms things up to where you can take off outer layers of clothing.

In my experience, and using this app for forecast information, if the probability of rain is under 40%, there will be not appreciable precipitation, though the day might be cloudy and blustery. If the probability is from 40% to 60% there may be a shower or two. However, if the probability is over 60%, plan for significant rain during the day. The weather app has hour-by-hour forecasts.

Also, plan to encounter light but wet snowfall at altitudes over about 700 meters ASL. This includes the Napoleon Pass, Alto de Perdon, Cruz de Ferro, O'Cebreiro, and any other peak higher than about 700 meters. I have walked past Cruz de Ferro three times from mid to late April to mid-May (2013, 2014, 2016). I have experienced snow, to some degree, every time.

On my last walk through O'Cebriero (2016), I found myself in the midst of a brief but furious snow squall with a whiteout for about an hour. One could not see 30 meters ahead. The snow was gone as soon as I walked down a hundred meters or so, after the peak...go figure...

Pack layers. Add and subtract layers as needed. You warm up as you walk. As long as you keep your feet dry, and your head and hands warm, you will be fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[C clearly]

The funny thing is that the same advice applies for any month of the year. Only a couple of items would change in your backpack!

 

[Luther]

Hi Lindsay! If we only knew what the weather will be! April 20 - May 20, 2016 had some snow remnants in the Pyrenees, though not much. It rained lightly and overcast the first week, had 10 days of sun on the Messeta, overcast and light rain after the Messeta and foggy mornings in Galicia. The mornings were cold, often times below freezing, almost the entire month. It snowed heavily at the Cruz de Ferro the day after I was there. I made the mistake of not bringing gloves, and bought a pair at a little store after Roncesvalles, and wore them every morning all the way to Santiago. We only had one afternoon that was actually hot, and shorts weather. Buen Camino!

 

[Iriebabel]

I can tell you that I started in St Jean on 1 April. It rained for 2 weeks straight then a couple days of sunshine rain every day except for when it snowed. Morning and evening below freezing sometimes., wind rain and mud during the day.

I suggest layers and good rain gear weather it’s poncho, rain pants , gaiters , gortex boots or socks and sandals. Be prepared but not overzealous. Towards the middle May was very sunny most days in Galicia but had a cold hail storm in Santiago around 15may. So as you can see the weather is unpredictable.

 

[John Hawke]

And I started on April 18th and found it quite pleasant. Some rain days and a few where severe with temps that made walking quite pleasant. As T2Andreo said pack with layers, I started each day with a shirt a cover, a vest and a jacket. The jacket usually was off within the 1st hour and the vest by noon. Rarely did I get down to only the shirt. Good Luck and Buen camino

 

[Thegreyfoxfromoz]

We started March 10, 2018 in Pamplona. Finished April 6. Snow, strong wind, cold. But a week after we finished, floods. Have layering options. Get more experience in walking outdoors. Synthetic layering options gives you flexibility to handle all weather and keeps your pack light

 

[Cicada]

Hmm.......I put "weather + April" into the search box and ended up here......While I found the thread very interesting it does not really answer my question. If someone could give me an indication of what the weather on the Camino Frances is like in April and May it would be much appreciated.

Walked in April May June 2017 42 days blessed with the weather only 3 days wet and no blisters. This year there were floods so next year who knows? Take it as it comes pasa a pasa
Buen camino

 

[Vacajoe]

Walked April & May 2018 through snow, rain, sleet, fog, thunderstorms, hail, and also plenty of sunshine! In short, who knows about April 2019?!??

Be prepared, but don’t overpack: stores exist in Spain, especially along the CF. Pack in layers that will quick-dry overnight.

 

[Former member 2537]

Please, can we stop talking about *weather* a year from now! We don’t know what the *weather* is going to be 10 days from now. We *can* talk about climate. And what somebody experienced last year, or five years ago, in terms of weather is completely irrelevant to the future. Please see:

https://www.americanpilgrims.org/internet-resources#weather

and find the climate tables. (Or the weather links if you’re interested in what’s going to happen tomorrow!)

 

[Susan Peacock]

Certainly the weather is unpredictable and part of the experience. I have walked twice in April/May, both times starting in SJPdP on April 14th. In 2016, I had a lot of rain and walked in white-out snow at Cruz de Fero (May 12th) , in 2018 I didn't have one day of rain, only a few snow flurries at Cruz de Fero: that is not to say that pilgrims a week before me or behind me didn't have totally different experience. My advice for this time of year would be to take layers, your preferred rain gear, a beanie and gloves as you most definitely will have some cold days (my preferred walking weather). While it is true that you can find gear in some towns, there are sections where you won't find any. I found myself totally surprised by the snow without gloves and a hat and certainly couldn't buy them in Foncebadon. I was very happy to have them this year!

 

[JaipurDan]

We must think alike Lindsay as that was going to be my question! I am also walking the Camino Frances mid April. Good to get a sense of what to expect and about the cold temperatures. A lot of packing lists i had read were more geared towards the warmer weather and i too wanted to get a sense of what temperatures we are talking about. I'd figured layers were the way forward but didn't want to come with too little due to keeping the weight down and finding myself cold....I hate being cold! Thanks everyone for your answers.

 

[Lindsay53]

We must think alike Lindsay as that was going to be my question! I am also walking the Camino Frances mid April. Good to get a sense of what to expect and about the cold temperatures. A lot of packing lists i had read were more geared towards the warmer weather and i too wanted to get a sense of what temperatures we are talking about. I'd figured layers were the way forward but didn't want to come with too little due to keeping the weight down and finding myself cold....I hate being cold! Thanks everyone for your answers.

Hi JaipurDan, most of what I read was geared toward the summer as well. We may end up freezing (or roasting) together.

 

[Susan Peacock]

Definitely two different packing list. My pack this time of year weighs a good 3-4 lbs more due to clothing and my sleep sack that I made by sewing on a down throw to one side of my silk liner (kept this to 1 lb.)

 

[amocatnerak]

I walked the first three weeks* in April this year (2018) and was glad I had all of my layers! It was cold and wet, raining, sleeting, and snowing a lot of the time. The coldest days were of course Cruz de Ferro and O’Cebreiro. The last few days into Santiago were beautiful. I would be prepared for cold days, wet days, and muddy trails. Also, I was glad I brought my sleeping bag as there were a few very cold nights in albergues.

*skipping parts in the middle

 

[Susan Peacock]

I would like to add that it is a beautiful time of year to walk, so don’t let some potential cold and rain scare you off. Just pack a little differently than you would in the summer or early fall.