Weather locations in Romania

Romania sits in the lower Danube basin, sheltered to the west and south by the Carpathian and Balkan mountains but open to cold air from the east and north-east. The result is a continental climate with four well-defined seasons.

Main climate types

The lowland plains of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania are humid continental in type, while higher ground moves towards Alpine and subarctic conditions. The Danube delta and the Black Sea coast add a maritime influence, making summers a little cooler and winters somewhat milder than in the plains. The Carpathians, above all the Southern Carpathians, catch most of the country's rain and hold deep snow.

Temperatures

Bucharest averages about 0 degrees in January and 21 in July, with typical summer highs in the high 20s or low 30s and winter lows down to minus 5 or colder; cold waves from the east can push the temperature below minus 15 for a few days. In Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca averages about minus 2 in January and 19 in July. On the coast at Constanta, January averages near 1 degree and July near 23.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall is about 550 to 700 millimetres in the plains, rising to 800 to 1,000 on the Carpathian slopes and over 1,200 in the rainiest western ranges. The wettest months are usually June and July, when thunderstorms form over the mountains and spill onto the plains, and drier periods often fall in February and October. Snow lies for 40 to 60 days a year in the plains and much longer in the mountains.

When to go

Late May to early September is the warmest and liveliest time, especially for the Black Sea resorts and the Danube towns. Spring and autumn are pleasant and less crowded, although rain is frequent in November. For winter sports, the ski areas of the Southern Carpathians, around Sinaia, Poiana Brasov and Predeal, usually run from mid-December to early March.