Winter Weather North & Central Portugal

[carol25singer]

Could anyone give me some idea of what weather to expect in North and Central Portugal during the winter months. I don't really want to go to the Algarve, already been there.

We can't make our minds up wether to go mid December or leave it until early Febraury (no ferries in January), we're 'treating ourselves' and going to Santander, exploring the North of Spain as well, probably on the way back home, intending to be away about 3 months or so.

I really would like to get away in the van in December, i know the nights will be cold but keep on telling myself it will be warmer than home. Am I right??

 

[Belgian]

weather

The weather should be better than in our region. (it cannot be worse )
Found this on 'BBC weather':

On the coast the winters are particularly mild. The north and the central interior of Portugal include mountains and plateaux rising in places over 1,800 m/6,000 ft; here the summers are much cooler and winters may be quite cold.

Winter is the wet season everywhere in Portugal, but autumn rain can sometimes be heavy in the north as the fine weather of summer breaks. The length and severity of the summer drought increases from north to south.
Summer sunshine and temperature and winter mildness also increase southwards.
Another favourable aspect of this region for tourists is the higher sea temperatures as compared with those on the west-facing coasts farther north, where seas are most likely to be rough.

Snow is very rare at sea level in Portugal, but it becomes more frequent inland and on the higher areas of the north. Winter rainfall is rather heavy north of Lisbon and the weather in the far north is often wet and stormy.

Most parts of Portugal are sunny. Daily hours of sunshine average from four to five in winter and ten to eleven in summer in the north.

 

[guerdeval]

We drove to Lisbon February from France ,very pleasant but did freeze once inland and dumped all the water, Lisbon was pleasantly mild but in the Algarve it rained VERY heavily for a week, good municipal site in Guarda, speaking to locals they recommended going North instead of Algarve, wish we'd listened.

 

[Pioneer]

Hi carol25singer,
been to Portugal, North (Lisbon) and South(Algarve) over the last two years during our winter period, Nov to April. The weather as been around 15 to 20deg. We had thunderstorms for around a week on both occaisions, but it was still warm.
The sun shines on most days, and is very pleasant, but gets to go colder around 4pm, so BBQ before then. Enjoy.

Happy Camping.