ClimavisoPamplona vs San Sebastián: which has less bad weather?
Averages over the last 7 complete years, from official warnings. Updated 26 October 2026.
An hour's drive apart and worlds apart. San Sebastián, by the sea, gets warnings mostly for rain; inland Pamplona gets more, with storms, heat and snow.
The verdict
Less bad weather: San Sebastián
San Sebastián has 43 warning days a year; Pamplona, 68. In other words, Pamplona gets a warning on about 25 more days a year. It also has fewer serious warnings: 5.7 orange or red days a year, against 15. Pamplona is mostly storms and rain; San Sebastián, rain and storms.
Head to head
| Pamplona | San Sebastián | |
|---|---|---|
| Warning days a year | 68 | 43 |
| Orange or red days a year | 15 | 5.7 |
| Red days (last 7 years) | 6 | 4 |
| Heat (days a year) | 16 | 3.3 |
| Rain (days a year) | 25 | 29 |
| Storms (days a year) | 26 | 12 |
| Wind (days a year) | 12 | 11 |
| Cold and snow (days a year) | 14 | 0.9 |
| Fog (days a year) | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Quietest month | February | February |
| Busiest month | July | June |
| Heat warning starts at | 36 °C | 34 °C |
In bold, the city with fewer warnings in each row. A day with several warning types counts in each.
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pamplona | 8.7 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 10 | 8.7 | 10 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 6.3 |
| San Sebastián | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 3.7 |
Warning days in each month, average over the last 7 years.
By season
- Winter: San Sebastián (9.3 warning days) against Pamplona (17).
- Spring: San Sebastián (7.1 warning days) against Pamplona (11).
- Summer: San Sebastián (14 warning days) against Pamplona (29).
- Autumn: Pamplona (11 warning days) against San Sebastián (13).
If you're going to live in one of them
- If you'd rather avoid heat: San Sebastián is better, with 3.3 warning days a year against 16 in Pamplona.
- If you'd rather avoid rain: Pamplona is better, with 25 warning days a year against 29 in San Sebastián.
- If you'd rather avoid storms: San Sebastián is better, with 12 warning days a year against 26 in Pamplona.
- If you'd rather avoid cold and snow: San Sebastián is better, with 0.9 warning days a year against 14 in Pamplona.
Warnings are only one part: choosing where to live depends on far more than the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better weather, Pamplona or San Sebastián?
Going by official warnings, San Sebastián: 43 warning days a year against 68 in Pamplona.
Where does it rain more, Pamplona or San Sebastián?
By rain warnings, San Sebastián: 29 days a year against 25 in Pamplona. Warnings only count heavy rain, not every rainy day.
Which is hotter, Pamplona or San Sebastián?
By heat warnings, Pamplona: 16 days a year against 3.3 in San Sebastián. Note: the yellow heat warning starts at 36 °C in Pamplona and 34 °C in San Sebastián.
When is the best time to visit Pamplona and San Sebastián?
If you want to dodge warnings, February in Pamplona and February in San Sebastián: their quietest months.
Each zone has its own thresholds: the same heat or rain can trigger a warning in one city and not in the other. A warning is a forecast that the zone's threshold will be crossed, not damage or a measurement. Here we compare how often each city was warned.