Driving Over the Massif Centrale - 16.11.2013

[mike Meehan]

We started off from Capestang about 1330 hours today and after an hour had reached the viaduct at Millau.

The journey started off overcast with some rain which gradually cleared as we headed north. Still cloudy at Millau but it had died out and we had a temp of 13C.

After about a further 50 miles or so the sky cleared greatly to leave us with stunning views of the sunlight on the rocks,fields and woods.as we progressed further and rose in height to the 1000 metre level we started to see patches of snow in the fields and at the temperature started to drop, upper single figures when we first hit the snow patches, then down to 5C and as it did the extent of the snow increases. It wasn't deep, say about 2 cms. It was still great to see in the sunlight and as we got to the 1100 metre contour it was more wide spread but alas soon after that we ran into fairly dense fog and a temp of +1C. I wondered whether the fog would just be restricted to the snowfields but no, it continued after we dropped below 900 metres and the visibility on really improved below the 600 metre mark and by the lifting into stratus, but still cold. As we descended the other side it did warm up to +4C but it had the typical appearance of a miserable cold November day in England.

And it was only last Wednesday we were walking around the village with the temp in the low 20's.

Roll on Spring - my old bones can't take it any more, though I must say the snow looked lovely.

[Jax]

We started off from Capestang about 1330 hours today and after an hour had reached the viaduct at Millau.The journey started off overcast with some rain which gradually cleared as we headed north. Still cloudy at Millau but it had died out and we had a temp of 13C.After about a further 50 miles or so the sky cleared greatly to leave us with stunning views of the sunlight on the rocks,fields and woods.as we progressed further and rose in height to the 1000 metre level we started to see patches of snow in the fields and at the temperature started to drop, upper single figures when we first hit the snow patches, then down to 5C and as it did the extent of the snow increases. It wasn't deep, say about 2 cms. It was still great to see in the sunlight and as we got to the 1100 metre contour it was more wide spread but alas soon after that we ran into fairly dense fog and a temp of +1C. I wondered whether the fog would just be restricted to the snowfields but no, it continued after we dropped below 900 metres and the visibility on really improved below the 600 metre mark and by the lifting into stratus, but still cold. As we descended the other side it did warm up to +4C but it had the typical appearance of a miserable cold November day in England.And it was only last Wednesday we were walking around the village with the temp in the low 20's.Roll on Spring - my old bones can't take it any more, though I must say the snow looked lovely.

Enjoy

[mike Meehan]

Continuing the next leg of the journey, Issoire to Rouen - the journey continued cold cloudy with hill fog with visibility down to 50 metres in places above 500 metres but on the approach to Rouen the sky started to clear and temperature rose to a balmy 7 C.

I agree with you about the way things change with height - I have had some interesting driving through the Pyrenees and as height is gained the vegetation changes as does the farming and in the Spring and early Summer part of what were the deepest Winter snows are about.