Weather forecast
10 day weather forecast for San Sebastian, Spain, contains useful information about local wind speed, direction, and gusts, temperature, cloud coverage and precipitation based on the global GFS weathel model. All data updates four times a day with a forecast step of 3 hours. There is also a real-time wind forecast for San Sebastian, Spain, from the nearest weather station to the spot, and a live Wind Map of the region and the world.
Get the weather forecast for other best kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing spots in Spain on this website and in the Windy.app with more weather parameters.
Climate, weather, and seasons in San Sebastián
The weather in San Sebastian also known as Donostia is defined as subpolar oceanic with few temperature oscillations, it is characterized by being rainy all year round, even in summer months, it also has abundant rainfall, with a 1470 mm annual average. Humidity is always above 75%.
Winter
Winter in San Sebastián lasts from the end of December to the end of March. Winters are long, cold, wet, and windy. The average minimum temperature is 6 °C and the maximum temperature is 11 °C. It has 42 days of rain in this period (470 mm).
- It has the particularity of the foehn winds from the south that come down from the mountains of Cantabria and can generate sudden temperature rises reaching up to 20 ° C.
- As an opposite effect and given the invasion of cold air that affects some beaches in particular. La Concha Beach for example can be covered in snow and present temperatures below 0 °C.
- Winter in Donostia is the ideal season for experienced surfers, with waves reaching their highest level. The water temperature rarely drops below 11°C with a consistency of 70%. Although there can be 100% consistent waves, the weather conditions complicate the possibility of daily surfing, but since the beaches are empty, it is an ideal time to not find bathers.
Spring
Spring in San Sebastian starts at the end of March and ends at the beginning of June. Days are longer during this period, temperatures settle at 14 °C and rainfall drops to 30 days of rain on average (380 mm).
- It is an ideal time for surfers due to several factors, fewer crowds, longer days, and more pleasant water temperatures. It is an ideal period to take lessons for the same reason of spaces a little emptier than in other seasons of the year. For those who are just starting to surf here are some tips to go to the next level.
- It is a time of ideal waves for an intermediate level of experience, waves higher than in the summer but not as aggressive as those of winter or autumn. April is the most recommended month in the spring season in San Sebastian.
Summer
Summer in San Sebastian starts at the end of June and ends at the beginning of September. The weather in San Sebastian during this period is cool, given its characteristic cloudiness and fog.
- Although a couple of days could reach 35 °C, the most common is to have a maximum temperature of 22 °C in August and minimum temperatures of 15 °C on average. Rainfall is as constant as in the spring, with 35 days of rain during the season but is less torrential with 285 mm of precipitation.
- It is not the ideal season for professional or experienced surfers as the waves are low and the beaches are quite crowded. There is even a code of conduct for surfing in San Sebastian.
- It is a good season for beginners because of the calm sea, the waves do not exceed one and a half meters.
Autumn
Autumn in San Sebastian goes from the last days of September to the first days of December, with temperatures dropping from 20 °C to 10 °C. Precipitation remains at an average of 33 days but the amount of rainfall increases significantly with an average of 430 mm for the whole season.
- The preferred period for surfing, the sea wakes up after the summer session and brings with it squalls and therefore high waves.
- The proximity to France makes the cold waves the most intense in northern Spain.
San Sebastian weather forecast for surfing in Spain on the Windy.app for iOS. Photo: Christophe-faugere / Pexels
Best time to travel
The best time to visit San Sebastian if it’s for surfing will depend on your level of experience and the style you want to practice. It is a windy city but the windiest part of the year goes from October to April with average speeds of 13 km / h the rest of the year on the other hand has an average of 11 km / h. Thus, for beginners, the ideal period would be spring-summer while for an intermediate or expert level the ideal period would be autumn-winter.
It is important to keep in mind that water temperatures in San Sebastian can drop dramatically during the coldest time of the year so a wetsuit is essential.
General and travel information
San Sebastian and the whole Basque Country offer the conditions that every surfer wants to find, good wind, waves, and incredible beaches. The different beaches offer options for all levels of expertise. The three main beaches for surfers are Ondarreta, La Concha, and Zurriola.
La Concha is characterized by high tide, the waves have a peak at each end of the beach.
Ondarreta’s main characteristic is its “wall” wave. At high tide, the waves crash against the seawall and generate rebounds that give rise to powerful and hollow waves. These are options that need high tide and are perfect when the rest of the beaches are full of bathers.
Zurriola on the other hand is known for medium or low tides, has a powerful peak that opens right and left for the more experienced but in the middle comes out a long and powerful left perfect for beginners.
Official website: Sansebastianturismoa.eus.
