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Spring in Piemonte - March, April or May?

joe

1000+ Posts
Our planned 13 day trip to Piemonte this October has had to be cancelled (for happy reasons), and we have decided to re-schedule for spring 2024. Our past trips there have always been in the autumn, ranging from the middle of September to the beginning of November. Harvest time is a great season to be there.

So now we're a bit in terra incognita, not knowing what to expect, especially concerning weather. I'd love to go in May and catch the flowering of wild orchids and other spring flowers, but from what I understand May can be quite rainy, and we love being outdoors all day. So a high priority is as many days as possible with weather that enables us to enjoy the scenery. Daily highs of anywhere between 15 and 25 C. would be ideal, but we can deal with colder days as well.

It seems that the last two weeks of April might be a good time. But I'd be willing to consider March as well. The area I'm referring to covers Torino-Pinerolo-and the Alta Langa, more or less.

Would be interested to hear impressions from those who have been there in one of these months, concerning weather, seasonal events, seasonal produce in the markets, and whatever might be special about each month in that area. Thanks!
 
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We have been in the Alta Langa for the past two weeks, with some days exploring the Bassa Langa, the Monferrato area and Torino as well. I don't know if we are experiencing typical weather or not. The daily highs have been between 20C and 25C. We have had only a few crystal clear days where the Alps came into clear view. Mostly there has been some haze which obscures them. The days have been mostly sunny, but late in the day (or overnight) some showers or a thunderstorm have appeared on some days. Rain has not interfered with any of our activities. The wildflowers are in bloom so that has been nice.
 
April/May would be my personal preference, as much for the longer days as for the temperature (which can be a little more variable than Sept/Oct IME). March in Torino was perfectly good, though I recall we did chance on an unseasonably hot April one year.

Seasonal produce? The tiny wild / alpine strawberries would be in season across those months, and they have wonderful strawberry/violet intensity. Nespole aren't local to the area, but they'll be available in Torino for sure, and we love them (and found a supplier local to us this year!!). There will also be mushrooms, not as many as in September / October, but they'll be worth hunting down, including some boletus, which I recall us buying in Cuneo one spring. On top of that, the early season fruits can be very good indeed, and I fondly remember kiwi fruit that tasted like sherbet kiwi, from a shop that's sadly now closed. Again expect April/May to offer more than March, but March itself isn't barren.

As for visiting wineries, This should be a better time than Sept/Oct, as there's no harvest to get in the way.

One final consideration. Sometimes there's a local festival or event that appeals, and we've certainly adjusted our dates to hot one or more of these in the past, as they're often enjoyable.
 
Thank you both, @Ian and @Penn251 - all useful info! We can live with a few days of rain and fog in 14 days, but more than that will certainly disappoint us a bit.
I am waiting for flight schedules to come out for the months of April and May - I suppose that prices of flights will also influence my decision. Also, I don't want the trip to include the Easter holiday in Italy - the last days of March next year.
 
Thank you both, @Ian and @Penn251 - all useful info! We can live with a few days of rain and fog in 14 days, but more than that will certainly disappoint us a bit.
I am waiting for flight schedules to come out for the months of April and May - I suppose that prices of flights will also influence my decision. Also, I don't want the trip to include the Easter holiday in Italy - the last days of March next year.
I am currently working on next report in Pienza, but eventually we'll make it around to Piemonte! We were there just after Easter and departed on April 25th Liberation Day. A lot of places are closed on the 25th but transportation was not an issue.
 
@BEERMAN, thanks in advance for any reports about Piemonte in May.
Answering my own post, I just came across a good site that deals (among other things) exactly with this question - Mom in Italy. Her recommendation is May, but she spells out the advantages and disadvantages of each month. Still hard to decide.....
 
We have been in the Alta Langa for the past two weeks, with some days exploring the Bassa Langa, the Monferrato area and Torino as well. I don't know if we are experiencing typical weather or not. The daily highs have been between 20C and 25C. We have had only a few crystal clear days where the Alps came into clear view. Mostly there has been some haze which obscures them. The days have been mostly sunny, but late in the day (or overnight) some showers or a thunderstorm have appeared on some days. Rain has not interfered with any of our activities. The wildflowers are in bloom so that has been nice.
Its been a horrible spring all over italy. Cold and wet. Even in the heel of the boot it hasnt gotten into the 60's. The locals are complaining so you know its unusual.
 
Its been a horrible spring all over italy. Cold and wet. Even in the heel of the boot it hasnt gotten into the 60's. The locals are complaining so you know its unusual.
As against in the UK, where if the locals are complaining, you know it's usual ;) ;)
 
Its been a horrible spring all over italy. Cold and wet. Even in the heel of the boot it hasnt gotten into the 60's. The locals are complaining so you know its unusual.
Thanks for the input @Mary Hanson.

Hard to get consistent info, as specific local weather data does not exist - all records are from airports, that may or may not reflect well the situation at places that are in a different sub-region.
Our hostess has written us saying that this May has been much more rainier than usual - but that this is good news for them, as they have been having a drought there in Piemonte.

I suppose that in any case it will be difficult to rely on historical weather patterns, as these are fluctuating significantly with climate change.
I am now leaning towards two weeks in March, or the first two weeks of April.

"Enjoying" 41 C. today here.....
 
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I am now leaning towards two weeks in March, or the first two weeks of April.

"Enjoying" 41 C. today here.....
Joe, it's a crap shoot. Just pick the best dates for you and go for it. My wife and I have fun regardless of the weather. A week before we leave I look at the forecasts and we pack accordingly.

Hey, you're in Italy, no matter the weather, it's better than being anywhere else! ;)
 
Joe, it's a crap shoot. Just pick the best dates for you and go for it. ....
Hey, you're in Italy, no matter the weather, it's better than being anywhere else! ;)
All true @NoSpin. We will be pleased in any case. Italy is a gem.
Still, the "planner" in me always tries to research things as much as possible, especially since our travels abroad are not that frequent. Sometimes even research about mundane matters such as weather can uncover interesting nuggets of info. Came across an excellent site called Weatherspark, with tons of weather data, both present and past, albeit only from airports.
Learning about something beforehand can sometimes be almost as interesting as experiencing it when the time arrives....:)
 
One time I was in Piemonte, I went to Torino and then Aosta to visit Courmayeur. This was in late May or early June.

The cable cars were shutdown because of avalanche risk.

OTOH, I visited a town near the Swiss border, the other side of Zermatt and that place was completely empty, few places were open yet.

Seems like some of these mountain locations don't really open up for summer until late June.
 
Rain was predicted most days during our 2 weeks, usually in the 50 percent range, only one day with measurable rain. I think we saw sunshine every day, even the one wettest day ended with a great sunset. I wouldn’t worry about rain averages, pick your dates and don’t sweat it!
 
Thanks @BEERMAN for the reply, all good thoughts.
Actually, I should have been more precise : rain, clouds and cold (or heat) don't worry me as much as haze and fog. These latter spoil scenic views and vistas. I guess I remember too well our first trip to Piemonte, when we travelled in late October and early November. The contrast in scenery between dismal foggy days and clear days was so strong, that it completely changed how we enjoyed the trip. Trying to ensure that this time these "worse" days will be minimalized.
 

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