I know that the weather geeks cannot even predict what it will be tomorrow, so 3 months away is impossible to predict. That said…....give it to me straight....how cold is it in Granada at the end of February?

Yes, I am going to Spain the very last week of February. Friends say I am nuts; and maybe I am. They lived in Spain and say there could be snow. At least I will be in Spain, I say.

But seriously....how cold should I expect it to be? I will be in Granada for a few days…Madrid and Seville too. But I am guessing Seville will be much warmer...Madrid, kinda hit or miss. But Granada, right by the mountains…its got me a little worried.

Does anyone have any insight? I plan to spend my time eating, strolling the old quarter and drinking at bars (hey, I have kids...and they’re not going!!)...my wife smokes so that’s a bit of a bummer as I am assuming cafes are not set up outside in February. But I also don’t want her to freeze her buns off when she steps outside to smoke (I assume there is no public smoking there, right?).

Just trying to gauge what we are in for. Thanks.

BK

Well, this is my own experience when I was there in Feb 08.

It was not that cold at all. I'd say in the 50s? There are definitely outdoor seats set up for bars and restaurants in Seville; can't remember if I saw any in Granada. I didn't think it was any colder in Granada vs Seville.

For me, it made a lot of sense to visit Spain in winter, given that I live in New England. It was a nice break from winter for me. Plus, not that crowded at all!

Thanks, YK. I try to blend in and steer clear of tourist type traps.....so the winter makes sense for me too in that it'll be quiet...but I am just hoping the city isnt totally dead in winter, or buried under 6 incehs of snow.

low-mid 50s by day, low 40's by nite is kinda what I am expecting (hoping for).

First week in March I had snow flurries in Segovia and the same day it was sunny and 50 in Toledo.I spent March in Granada and was fine during the day with a light jacket over a sweater. Out at night? Maybe 2 sweaters. If you plan going up in the Alpujarras you will need something heavier. Note: It can be rainy at times so I'd pick up an umbrella on arrival.

Looking at my photos from my Feb trip,

Andalusia - jeans, wool sweater, +/-lightweight winter jacket (depending on time of day and if the sun was out)

Madrid - jeans, wool sweater, lightweight winter jacket, silk scarf

Segovia - jeans, turtleneck cashmere sweater, lightweight winter jacket, wool hat, wool gloves

Why guess---as always, go to weatherbase and find out. Granada is higher and can be cold.

c

I was in Madrid in 2000, and I felt the weather was acceptable. I wore a coat, but I didn't always bother to zip it up.

I also visited Toledo, Granada, Sevilla, and Barcelona as the month progressed. It was of course warmer as I went south. My last day in Madrid was Feb.2, a lovely sunny day with lots of entertainment in Retiro Park.

I'd go there again in a heartbeat. It's so much warmer than my town, Spokane, Washington, that it practically feels like a day on the beach.

thanks, Peg

it can be very cold anywhere in spain at that time, but mostly after the sun goes down.
there will be extreme temp fluctuations during the day mostly.. so layering clothes is important.
when the sun is out in spain, anywhere, it is pleasant, although chilly some places.

and don't think because you are coming to spain you don't need gloves and hat. if it is windy, you will glad to have them.

on the other hand, if we get a warm spell, there will be no skiing, no biting winds, and spring temps abounding.

you will know closer to the date.
last week a lot of northern spain was already under snow.there were several inches an hour outside of valencia. remember, this is the second most mountainous country after switzerland.

the snow has come earlier than ever this year.

i wouldn't worry about the smoking. there will be plenty of places for her. in fact, some bars/restaurants are "smoking" bars.. no need to even go outside to smoke.

From our experience living in the south of Spain, there is far from strict observance of the smoking laws, especially in bars. Which kind of annoys us as we are non smokers but the spanish are a bit anarchic! Which we love.

There is stricter observance of the smoking laws in places like shopping centres of course.

Have only ever been to Granada in July but where we live an hour inland from Malaga, February would be light jumper and jacket. Granada is obviously colder than there.

Seville will be milder still.

Hi, I spent two several-month stints studying in Granada, and both times was there in February.

The weather is definitely cold at night so for evenings/early mornings you'll want a warm coat (or layers), gloves, etc.

However, if the sun is shining, then by early afternoon it can feel pleasantly warm in the sunshine - sometimes even warm enough to sit outside without your jacket on.

Many cafés and bars will have tables outdoors even in February.

(I've spent many an hour sitting outside on the Paseo de los Tristes in February enjoying the views and the sunshine.)

Anyway it's a beautiful time of year to be there, and on clear days you can get wonderful views of the Alhambra and the Albaicin with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

I traveled from Madrid to Granada and Ronda in February a few years ago and saw it all -- rain, snow, sleet, hail. But every minute was gorgeous. Now I know where El Greco got his inspiration for those dramatic black skies. With any luck, you will have a day like mine at the Alhambra -- I arrived at 8:00 a.m. in a winter jacket but by 10:00 I was down to a t-shirt. A brilliant sunny day after a bleak rainy night!

So bring your hat and scarf and layer, layer, layer!

great, thanks!

I was there in January and it was chilly but bearable. If a Southern gal like me can handle it, I'm sure you can too.

There is a happy trade-off to travel in the winter, and that is Granada was delightfully uncrowded.

madferit,
We spent 41/2 days in Granada this past first week of February and were quite surprised by how mild the temps were during the day-uncharacteristically so. We had temps in the 60s during the day and at night the temperature dropped to the 40s. We wore our coats at night (but not gloves) but didn't need them while touring the Alhambra in the late morning. When having lunch on a terrace in the Albaicin, it was so sunny that I was actually quite hot in my wool sweater. One night we left the doors open on the terrace at our hotel.
You just never know. But I wouldn't hesitate to travel to Seville or Granada in February at all. In fact, we thought it was quite nice to be there off season with far fewer tourists.

thanks for the positive vibes, folks! we'll see if we can hit it right. I dont want to be driving from Granada to Arcos in a snowstorm