Weather in Alps in July ??

Mowag

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Hi Guys ,
Question for you what weather should my wife and I expect on the bike from early July in the Alps only been there in September.
best to know for packing .
Cheerrs !:aidan
 
Difficult question to answer that one. Depends on where the weather’s coming from and the altitude. Likely to be in the high 20’s to 30’s in the valleys, could be hotter. At the top of the cols could still be warm, could be freezing. Snow’s not unknown at the top although I think closed passes at that time of the year would be unusual.

Pack for warm weather but take a warm mid layer as back up would be my strategy.
 
Four seasons in one day potentially, so who can advise. Like htc says take some layers, then make sure your suit is watertight. If in doubt or using leathers a wally wet over-suit.

Remember they had floods in Alpbach last summer & quite often cold drops bring heavy snow on the tops, so watch the forecasts & Alpenblick on TV each morning before you get too committed. Believe me it aint much fun getting caught up the GG road iwhen the hail turns to sleet & then snow, as an early breakfasting group of riders in our Hotel found out last summer.
 
Your frighting me now :blast O I should have went back to pyrnees
Joking .
You are right Layers and waterproofs if required hard packing two up even do we pack light
Cheers Guys and Tks ..
 
I just wear all season jackets & trousers, preferably with vents and Goretex, and take a jumper and a fleece jacket. You may need either jumper or fleece in the evening anyway but handy if it rains or gets cold at altitude. Most likely it will be warm in the day and a spectacular thunderstorm as it cools in the evening. These are great as long as you are back in your hotel beforehand as they cool everything down so you have a relaxed evening. Many Alpine hotels other than France serve free coffee & cake from 4pm to 6pm which is a good time to get back to the hotel to avoid getting wet. Get your freebie then retire to your room for a shower before pre-prandial beverages as the rain falls. When the rain stops, go find your restaurant.
 
I have had some of the worst weather in July in all Alpine regions

July can be an unstable month ....either Pissing rain for a solid 7-10 days and another time snow in the Dolomites or sunshine

Now I go in Sept as the weather can be more 'stable'
 
We had snow in Cortina one August; woke in the tent bloody freezing; but as quick as it came; it was gone and normal service was resumed. Just make sure you pack a mid layer somewhere; and if you dont need it; all well and good.:beerjug:
 
Mowag said:
Hi Guys ,
Question for you what weather should my wife and I expect on the bike from early July in the Alps only been there in September.
best to know for packing .
Cheerrs !:aidan
Click to expand...


We have had 30c in valleys and snow flurries in passes within the same day many times. Most memorable was the 3rd week of July in 2011, when we left Grenoble one fine morning riding towards Brianzon and we had 26c in the valley followed by a snowstorm with -4c near thE top of Galibier 20 minutes later and settling snow which made us quit and u-turn.

Overall i d say its more sweat than chill, and I have often regretted my full on Rukkas, to the extent that I nowadays prefer to ride in summer Forceair type of gear and waterproof overtops in case of extreme rain. And we tweak route depending on weather. Or do wine tasting days off bike in case of a day too bad... lol.
 
If you are just riding, then don`t worry about the rain, fog, sleet and snow on the tops, because you won`t be in it for long and it will be boiling in the valleys.....The thunderstorms in the evening are brilliant though, especially when they get trapped and keep on going around.
 
Thanks guys for all the replies . Much appreciated I wil go for the summer gear and waterproofs plus a snug under Jacket if it gets cold..

Cheers !!:friday
 
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If the weather on the north side is persistently bad, have a look at the forecast for the south side. And vice versa. The weather on the two sides is often contrary. It can be worth crossing over.
 
June 6th 2009 Fluella Pass Switzerland
 

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July was lovely there last year, and hoping it is the same for 1st two weeks in July this year. I was sweltering in my all season suit, so going mesh jacket, riding jeans and rain suit this year.
 
Weather variable in Picos and Pyrenees recently. 9.5C at the top of a Pico and 33C riding from Pamplona to Leon. Mesh jacket + EDZ fleece + EDZ (paper-thin) wind-blocker+rain jacket was a good combination.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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