Slovakia Climate

Climate of Slovakia

Slovakia lies between continental and temperate climate zones. It is characterized by warm summers and cool and wet winters. Due to the great variety of terrain, the weather in the north of the country, where there are mountainous areas, differs from that in the south.

The south of Slovakia (a lowland area, including Bratislava) is the warmest of the regions, with daily temperatures in summer that can reach 20°C - 25°C. Winters are usually mild (around 0°C), although frosts also occur. Precipitation is usually sparse (500 mm to 750 mm per year), and droughts often occur in the lowlands, so artificial irrigation is widely used.

The north of Slovakia (the foothills, the Eastern Carpathians and the Western Carpathians) is much cooler than the lowland regions in the south. There is a mountain climate characterized by climatic pietrowism, where the weather in an area depends on its altitude above sea level. The higher it is, the harsher the climate and the lower the temperatures. Summer temperatures in the foothills and mid-mountain regions are 15°C - 18°C, while in the higher parts of the mountains the bar of the mercury drops below 10°C. Fog and violent storms are also common. Winters, on the other hand, tend to be cold (with temperatures as low as -10°C) and with heavy snowfall, which lingers on the slopes from November/December to April/May. The north of the country is also wetter than the south. Annual precipitation ranges from about 900 mm in the highlands to 1,000 mm - 2,000 mm in the high mountains.