Weather and Climate in Slovakia

Slovakia lies in northern moderate climatic zone. Geographical position in continental Europe, wind circulation from west and altitude are the key factors that influence climate in Slovakia. Due to landscape variations, climate in Slovakian lowlands is warmer than climate in mountains and altitude is similarly applied to climatic seasons. The warmest part of Slovakia includes Danubian Lowland and Eastern Slovak Lowland. Yearly temperature average in lowlands is around 10°C. With higher altitudes temperature decreases and amount of precipitation rises. The lowest temperature is on the mountain peaks with yearly temperature averages about -3°C, -4°C in summer and -10°C in winter. There are radical weather and precipitation changes throughout the year as well as day and night length. In general weather in Slovakia is very irregular. This is caused mostly by dry continental air influence and humid oceanic air. There are four seasons in Slovakia.

Seasons of the Year

Spring, summer, autumn and winter are four seasons of the year peculiar to Slovak climate, each lasting for three months. Dry Asian air causes dry weather, dry hot summer or very cold and frosty winter in Slovakia. On the other hand, oceanic air increases precipitation, decreases temperatures, mild winter and cold summer, fog in Slovakia lowlands and basins.  

Spring in Slovakia starts around 21st March and is at early stages characterized by chilly mornings, with average temperatures 9° C in April, 14° C in May and 17° C in June. Surely you need to count with changeable weather when coming to Slovakia in spring. Shifting into summer around 22nd June, this season of the year tends to be very hot, with tropical days, temperatures well above 30° C during the day, and warm nights. The hottest month is July and Slovakian summers can really earn heat wave, mainly in lowlands around Komárno, Hurbanovo or Štúrovo with 37° C.

Summers proceed to autumns on 23rd September and might be rainy, windy or shiny. Temperatures in autumn drop from 14° C in September to 3° C in November in Slovakia.

Final season of the year in Slovakia, winter, comes on 21st December. You can find snow especially in mountains. In lowlands, winters are often without or very little snow. Temperatures in winter go down to -5° C, extremely to -10° C. In mountains, winter is usually cold and snowy, featuring climatic inversions at mountains when cold air drops down as fog down to the valleys while the tops of the surrounding mountain ranges bathe in sunshine.

However, some regularities in weather are well tracked and many are known as proverbs, such as Medard’s drop. For it drops forty days, it marks the rainy period in the end of June and the beginning of July. Next regularity is Indian summer that everyone enjoys by the end of September and beginning of October. Dry spell with sunny days, this period is ideal for outdoor sports like hiking.

Precipitation

Landscape of Slovakia is what causes atmospheric precipitation distributed in various proportions. Mountain ranges play an important role referred to as the precipitation shade, leaving the windward sides of the ranges humid and windy since they are open to prevailing western and north-western winds and moisture from the Atlantic. Nitra is one the windy towns in Slovakia. On the other hand the leeward sides of the ranges receive very little precipitation. A sample to this phenomenon can be the region of Spiš lying in the shade of the Tatras. Significant amount of precipitation occurs in High Tatras, especially in the form of snow. Snowy winters in Slovakia are not unusual; normally snow covers mountains at high altitude, at High Tatras from November till May. With such conditions skiing in Slovakia is very popular. Lowlands are the driest parts of Slovakia with the smallest amount of precipitation.

Weather and Clothing

If you are coming to Slovakia during summer months be aware of hot days and do not forget to pack light clothes, sunglasses, and sun cream. On the contrary in winter you will need heavy coats and boots. Springs and autumns are periods in between; however, autumns can get fairly rainy, so an umbrella will be handy.