Climate Information for Italy

Como, Italy experiences warm weather most of the year.

Tourists may want to take photographs of the Colosseum or the Tuscan landscape in the sun, but Italian weather is often unpredictable. Many places in Italy experience a change of seasons. Others, such as coastal areas, are relatively warm year-round. Though generally the climate is temperate, according to iExplore.com, each region of Italy has its own weather quirks.

Four Seasons

Some regions of Italy experience the extremes of cold winter weather and scorching hot summers. Places with distinct winters include Milan, Venice, Turin and Tuscany, which have damp, chilly weather. In February of 1929, the canals of Venice froze. Meanwhile, most regions of Italy--including the Alpine region, North Italian Plain and coastal areas--have warm to hot summers, with an abundance of sunshine, according to the BBC Weather website.

Rainfall

Italy's precipitation varies from region to region. Northern Italy experiences thunderstorms during warmer months, according to BBC Weather. The Alpine region along the northern border has heavy rainfall. The Pro Valley, which runs from the Alps in the west to the Adriatic Sea in the east, has precipitation during cold winters, but enjoys little rain during dry summers. Italy's wettest month is generally November.

Alpine Region

In the Alpine region just below the northern border of Italy, summers are warm and rainy and winters are mild. For instance, Como experiences ideal Mediterranean weather: sunny summers and moderate winters. Como's July temperatures are typically between 54 and 85 degrees F. The coldest month, January, has an average temperature between 25 and 55 degrees F, according to the Weather Channel.

Northern Italy

Northern inland regions of Italy have harsher climates than coastal regions, according to BBC Weather. Most notably, they have cold winters. The Pro Valley and North Italian Plain, which covers almost the entire northern area of Italy from Turin to Venice, experience some of the coldest of European winters, with frequent snow. Summers are marked by hot, sunny weather, with infrequent thunderstorms.

Coastal Climate

Many of Italy's largest cities lie along the Italian peninsula. The climate of Italy's coastal regions differs from Italy's inland climate. Coastal temperatures are temperate, with hot summers and moderate winters--and the Mediterranean climate is attractive to residents and tourists alike. However, southern cities, such as Brindisi, experience hotter, drier summers than coastal cities in the north. And summer temperatures in Rome sometimes exceed 95 degrees F, inspiring many residents to take holidays in August and escape the heat.

References

• iExplore: Italy Climate
• Libreria Solaris: Venice On Ice
• BBC Weather: Country Guide: Italy
• The Weather Channel: Monthly Averages for Como, Italy
• South Travels: Italy: Weather and Climate