Climate Map

What is the climate of Austria like?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bounded on the north by Germany and the Czech Republic, on the east by Hungary, on the south by Slovenia and Italy, and on the west by Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Austria is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. Most of the western, central, and southern parts of the country are made up of the Eastern Alps, which stretch uninterrupted from Switzerland and Italy. In Austria, the higher peaks rise to over 3,700 meters (12,000 feet) and are snow-capped year-round. However, the Alps are cut by deep valleys, so that very different climate and weather conditions occur over quite short distances. The most extensive lowland of Austria is found north and east along the Danube valley from Linz to Vienna and east of Vienna where the country becomes almost flat along the Hungarian border. The southeast of the country lies south of the main Alps, and here in the lower valleys and around the lakes summers can sometimes experience almost Mediterranean warmth and aridity.

The pattern of weather throughout the year varies little from one part of the country to another. The weather can be changeable at any time of the year. Everywhere, the summer months are the wettest, but summer precipitation tends to be heavy and thunderstorm-like and therefore of shorter duration. Winters are fairly cold everywhere, and during prolonged cold spells temperatures can be lowest in the valleys and flatlands. The coldest conditions in winter usually occur with east-northeast winds bringing very low temperatures from Eastern Europe and Russia. The character of summer or winter can vary from year to year. The average sunshine is higher than in north-western Europe, but lower than in the Mediterranean countries. They range from nine to ten hours a day in July to between two and three in January.

Austria can be divided into three climatic regions: the Alps, the Danube Valley and the Vienna Basin, and the south-east including Styria and Carinthia.

The Alps

Including the regions of Tirol, Salzburg.

In winter, the high alpine ski resorts are much sunnier than the valleys, where it is often cloudy and foggy and temperatures last for several days. Although temperatures can be lower in the mountains, calm and sunny conditions can feel warmer. The opposite is true in summer when the mountains can become cloudy during the hotter part of the day while the valleys remain sunny.

In certain Alpine valleys, especially in the south-north direction, there is a very warm, dry wind: the föhn. This can blow twenty to forty days a year. It is a warm air mass generated as air descends down the mountainsides, raising temperatures up to 10°C (18°F) in a short period of time. The föhn is most common in fall and spring when it can melt snow at amazing rates. Then it is dangerous because it can trigger avalanches on the mountain slopes. The air can become so dry during the föhn that wooden buildings pose a serious fire hazard. The source of the warm air is south of the Alps, but it is warmed and dried as it crosses the mountains and descends on the north side. A typical example of the climate and weather in this area is that of Innsbruck.

Climate data for Innsbruck (1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	3.6 (38.5)	6.4 (43.5)	11.8 (53.2)	16.3 (61.3)	21.4 (70.5)	23.8 (74.8)	26.0 (78.8)	25.1 (77.2)	20.8 (69.4)	16.0 (60.8)	8.6 (47.5)	3.8 (38.8)	15.3 (59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.0 (30.2)	0.8 (33.4)	5.4 (41.7)	9.6 (49.3)	14.6 (58.3)	17.2 (63.0)	19.2 (66.6)	18.4 (65.1)	14.4 (57.9)	9.9 (49.8)	3.9 (39.0)	−0.1 (31.8)	9.4 (48.9)
Average low °C (°F)	−4.0 (24.8)	−2.8 (27.0)	1.0 (33.8)	4.7 (40.5)	9.1 (48.4)	12.0 (53.6)	13.9 (57.0)	13.6 (56.5)	10.2 (50.4)	6.1 (43.0)	1.0 (33.8)	−2.7 (27.1)	5.2 (41.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	42 (1.7)	41 (1.6)	57 (2.2)	58 (2.3)	84 (3.3)	115 (4.5)	136 (5.4)	130 (5.1)	80 (3.1)	59 (2.3)	60 (2.4)	51 (2.0)	911 (35.9)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	25 (9.8)	28 (11)	12 (4.7)	3 (1.2)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	11 (4.3)	21 (8.3)	99 (39)
Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics

The Danube Valley and the Vienna Basin

Including the regions of Vienna, Upper Austria.

In general, the eastern part of the country receives less rain than the west. Winter snowfall is rarely deep, but snow can last for a few weeks during cold winters. In general, the conditions here are very similar to those in southern Germany all year round. The climate here is represented by Vienna.

Climate data for Vienna (1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	3.2 (37.8)	5.2 (41.4)	10.3 (50.5)	16.2 (61.2)	21.1 (70.0)	24.0 (75.2)	26.5 (79.7)	26.0 (78.8)	20.6 (69.1)	14.6 (58.3)	8.1 (46.6)	3.6 (38.5)	14.9 (58.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	0.3 (32.5)	1.5 (34.7)	5.7 (42.3)	10.7 (51.3)	15.7 (60.3)	18.7 (65.7)	20.8 (69.4)	20.2 (68.4)	15.4 (59.7)	10.2 (50.4)	5.1 (41.2)	1.1 (34.0)	10.4 (50.7)
Average low °C (°F)	−1.9 (28.6)	−1.0 (30.2)	2.4 (36.3)	6.3 (43.3)	10.9 (51.6)	14.0 (57.2)	15.9 (60.6)	15.7 (60.3)	11.9 (53.4)	7.3 (45.1)	3.0 (37.4)	−0.8 (30.6)	7.0 (44.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	38 (1.5)	40 (1.6)	51 (2.0)	45 (1.8)	69 (2.7)	70 (2.8)	70 (2.8)	72 (2.8)	61 (2.4)	38 (1.5)	49 (1.9)	48 (1.9)	651 (25.6)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	18 (7.1)	17 (6.7)	8 (3.1)	1 (0.4)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	6 (2.4)	17 (6.7)	67 (26)
Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics

The Southeast

Including the regions of Styria, Carinthia.

This region has weather very similar to that of the northern lowlands, but with a tendency for heavier summer precipitation, often as a result of severe thunderstorms. But in some of the sheltered valleys in this part of Austria, summers are noticeably warmer and sunnier. Here the seasons are mild, winters can be shorter (lower amounts of snow) and summers last five months. Winters can still be cold though. A typical example of the climate and weather in this area is that of Graz.

Climate data for Graz (1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	2.8 (37.0)	5.8 (42.4)	10.7 (51.3)	15.3 (59.5)	20.5 (68.9)	23.4 (74.1)	25.3 (77.5)	24.7 (76.5)	20.4 (68.7)	14.6 (58.3)	7.7 (45.9)	3.6 (38.5)	14.6 (58.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.0 (30.2)	1.0 (33.8)	5.1 (41.2)	9.6 (49.3)	14.6 (58.3)	17.7 (63.9)	19.5 (67.1)	18.9 (66.0)	14.7 (58.5)	9.4 (48.9)	3.7 (38.7)	0.1 (32.2)	9.4 (48.9)
Average low °C (°F)	−3.8 (25.2)	−2.9 (26.8)	1.0 (33.8)	4.9 (40.8)	9.5 (49.1)	12.7 (54.9)	14.7 (58.5)	14.3 (57.7)	10.6 (51.1)	5.9 (42.6)	0.9 (33.6)	−2.3 (27.9)	5.5 (41.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	23.9 (0.94)	30.4 (1.20)	44.1 (1.74)	49.0 (1.93)	86.0 (3.39)	117.8 (4.64)	125.1 (4.93)	113.0 (4.45)	81.1 (3.19)	61.7 (2.43)	51.9 (2.04)	34.9 (1.37)	818.9 (32.25)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	12.8 (5.0)	15.6 (6.1)	6.5 (2.6)	2.3 (0.9)	0.1 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.1)	9.1 (3.6)	15.5 (6.1)	62.1 (24.4)
Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics

When is the best time to visit Austria?

With cold winters and delightful summers, June-September are the best months for warm-weather touring. December-April is an ideal time for a winter sports vacation.

References

• E. A. Pearce, ‎Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
• Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
• Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press