Weather locations in Georgia

Georgia stands across the Caucasus, a narrow country wedged between the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian to the east, with the Greater Caucasus range running along its whole northern border. Two large mountain barriers and two very different seas give the country an unexpectedly varied climate: the lowlands of western Georgia are wet and subtropical, while the eastern Kura valley is dry and continental, and the high Caucasus turns everything to snow.

Main climate types

Western Georgia, including the Colchis lowland around Batumi, Kutaisi and Poti, has a humid subtropical climate that receives rain through the whole year. Eastern Georgia, the Kura and Alazani valleys around Tbilisi, is drier and more continental, falling into the semi-arid group. Above roughly 1,500 metres the Caucasus passes into a cold alpine climate with long snow cover.

Temperatures

Tbilisi averages about 1 °C to 2 °C in January and about 24 °C to 25 °C in July, showing the eastern continental pattern with a wide seasonal range. On the Black Sea coast, Batumi averages about 6 °C in January and about 23 °C in July, milder winters and cooler summers. Mountain stations sit several degrees colder, and winter temperatures below zero are normal above about 2,000 metres.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall is high in the west and low in the east. Batumi and the Colchis lowland take roughly 1,300 mm to 2,500 mm a year, and the eastern valleys only about 400 mm to 800 mm, with the rain concentrated in spring and early summer. Snow falls in the mountains from late autumn and lingers into spring, while the coastal winter is damp and overcast more often than snowy.

When to go

Late spring, from May to June, and early September bring mild weather to both halves of the country, and the coast is best in June or September when the Black Sea is warm. Winter suits the Caucasus for snow, and Tbilisi itself is clearest and driest in autumn.