the reserve is one of the wettest and coldest parts of belgium. it is frequently shrouded in mist and low cloud. it has a subalpine climate with strong winds and fierce winters, which are occasionally subarctic. the fagnes plateau intercepts clouds brought by the prevailing atlantic winds, and this results in copious precipitation, with an average of of rain per year. however, beneath the fragile composition of the overlying soils are rocky beds and clay that prevent infiltration of water and thus create the conditions for wetlands, marshes and bogs.