Weather locations in Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia ceased to exist on 1 January 1992, when it dissolved peacefully into the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia, so the climate below describes its two successor states. Together they form a landlocked belt of central Europe running from Germany and Poland in the north to Hungary and Ukraine in the south, broken by the Sudetes and the Tatra Mountains along the northern border. The climate is temperate but distinctly continental, with four clear seasons, moderately cool summers, and cold winters in which snow is normal on hill and mountain ground.

Main climate types

Most of the country belongs to a humid continental climate, with the lowlands of Bohemia and Moravia mild and the surrounding uplands cooler and wetter. The highest ranges, including the Krkonose and the Tatra, cross into an alpine grade where snow lies for much of the year. The south of Slovakia, opening towards the Hungarian plain, is the warmest and driest part.

Temperatures

Prague averages close to 0 °C in January and about 19 °C in July, while Bratislava, further south, averages roughly 1 °C in January and about 21 °C in July. Mountain stations sit several degrees colder, with sub-zero means in January well above 1,000 metres. Winters bring spells of hard frost, and while lowland cities mostly see rain, higher ground holds snow through January and February.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall is moderate and rises with altitude, roughly 500 mm in the Prague basin, about 600 mm to 700 mm in southern Slovakia, and between 1,000 mm and 1,500 mm or more on the higher mountains. Summer, especially June and July, tends to be the wettest season, and afternoon thunderstorms are common. Winter precipitation falls as snow above roughly 500 metres in the north.

When to go

Summer, from June to August, is the best season for the cities and the lowland castles, while snow-sports need December to early March in the Krkonose, the Sudetes or the Tatras.