Weather locations in Austria

Climate in Austria is strongly controlled by the Alps, which run across the whole western two-thirds of the country and trap damp air against their northern face. The result is a band of cool, wet upland climate, cold continental conditions on the plateau to the east, and hot, dry pockets in the sheltered basins.

Main climate types

Most of Austria is temperate without a dry season, turning continental towards the east where the Baltic influence fades. Behind the Alpine crest the rain-shadowed valleys of the south-central Alps, together with the Vienna basin, form the warmest and driest areas, taking as little as 500 millimetres of rain a year. Above about 1,500 metres the climate becomes subarctic in character, and snow lies on the highest ground from late autumn well into spring.

Temperatures

Vienna, in the lowlands, has January means close to 1 degree and July means near 20 degrees. Innsbruck averages about 0 degrees in January and 19 degrees in July, and every station is modified by its surroundings: a valley floor at 1,000 metres runs several degrees colder at night than the ridges above it. Winter in the eastern lands sometimes brings long spells of dry, gusty easterly wind.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall is modest by Alpine standards, around 700 millimetres in the lowlands and the east, rising to 1,500 to 2,000 millimetres on the northern side of the Alps and over 2,000 on some high slopes. Distinctly wetter periods come in mid-summer, when thunderstorms build over the mountains, and again in late autumn and early winter. February and March are often the driest months.

When to go

For hiking and cycling the months from June to early September are usually best, when high passes are open and snow has melted from the valley trails. Winter sports are most reliable from mid-December to late March, with the greatest snow depths on the northern limestone ranges and in the east. Spring and autumn tend to bring the most settled, sunny weather to the lowlands.