Climate

Burgundy is at the crossroads of three different types of climatic influence – oceanic, continental and Mediterranean. To the west, it has a semi-oceanic climate. Across the central axis, however, things are more complicated. The Morvan has a mid-mountain climate, with high rainfall, cold winters and cool summers. In the mountains and plateaus (500–600m), the climate is colder and drier than in the Morvan. At lower altitudes, the different influences interact according to the location. To the east, in the Saône plain, the Mediterranean influence is felt as far as Dijon, particularly in the wine-growing area. Further north, a semi-continental climate prevails.

The plains and valleys of Franche-Comté have a wet, semi-continental climate, with rainfall of around 1000mm (up to 1200mm the nearer one gets to the Vosges and Jura mountains), evenly distributed across the year. From the north of the region to the south, the average temperature varies from 1 to 2.5°C in January and 19 to 20.5°C in July. The first and second plateaus of the Jura have a wet, low mountain climate. Annual rainfall can reach 1300 to 1600mm. Winters are cold but snow cover varies considerably from year to year. The High Jura has a very wet climate with significant snowfall in winter. Summers are little more than tepid to cool, and there are frequent storms.