Weather locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a land of ridges and valleys running roughly parallel to the Adriatic coast, and its position between the warm Mediterranean and the continental interior gives it more than one climate. The north-west is upland and damp, the central basins are continental, and the far south, around the Neretva delta, is properly Mediterranean. Snow in winter and real heat in summer are both part of the normal year.

Main climate types

Karst and altitude shape everything. The Dinaric Alps, running diagonally through the middle of the country, force humid Atlantic air upward and produce the country's wettest conditions; some ranges catch over 1,000 mm. East of the central mountains the Atlantic influence fades and the climate turns continental, while the narrow coastal strip from Neum inland towards Mostar is hot and dry in summer and mild in winter. The high plateaus hold a subalpine climate with long snow cover.

Temperatures

Sarajevo, at about 500 metres, averages around 0 °C in January and about 18 °C in July; Mostar, some 70 metres lower and farther south, sits near 6 °C and 25 °C at the same time. Frost occurs on most winter nights in the valleys, and the highest peaks stay below freezing for much of the year.

Rainfall

Totals vary from roughly 600 mm over the driest karst fields to over 1,500 mm on the highest western slopes. Sarajevo takes in close to 900 mm a year, Mostar around 1,100 mm, with rainfall peaking in late spring and again in October. Snow accounts for a large share of the winter precipitation: Sarajevo typically has snow on 40 to 60 days each year, and the mountains around Bjelasnica and Jahorina are a reliable ski area from December to March.

When to go

Summer in the interior can reach uncomfortable heat, and the coast is the place to be in July and August. Late winter, from January to March, is the season for the ski resorts, which usually have good snow. Early autumn is the calmest, clearest time for hiking, although October storms can still be wet. Because the ranges shelter the valleys, the same month can be pleasant in the south and cold in the north-west.