The haut allier
Weather
Simply put, the Haut Allier has a climate of the "moyenne montagne"; but life is never that simple! Its climate is influenced both by the Atlantic Ocean and the European continental landmass alongside the influence of the Mediterranean and the mountains. This combines to form the extremes of the intense heat of the "Brivadois" in summer to the white-outs in Winter that sweep across the "haute plateau" and are known as the "burle".
The town of Langeac at 440m altitude enjoys a "mild" climate as do the villages along the banks of the Allier afoot the gorges. One quickly ascends, however, to the heights culminating in the "Durande" at 1299m where cross country skiing is possible in the winter.
Take a look below for the general weather pattern. Something more localised will become manifest once my weather station is installed!
The valley of the Allier is the warmest and driest part of the Haute Loire department as can been seen in the temperature averages from Meteo France :
Geography
The mountains of Margeride form a high barrier of granitic and metamorphic rocks: this barrier which is responsible for the dry and sunny climate of the Haut Allier due to the "Foehn effect" - see left.
The highlands of the central area are more complex. To the South of the "Col de Fix" (1112 mètres), the "chaîne du Devès" (1421 mètres) aligns like guards its volcanic hillocks with gentle slopes. To the North, and around Allègre is the last volcanic cone of "Mont Bar" (1175 mètres), a granite plinth manifesting itself in the "haut plateau" of La Chaise Dieu. This area with an average altitude of 1000m is wild and cold in Winter,more so than the Margeride.
Volcanoes
Yes, but they all went extinct some six million years before ...