Weather

When to travel to Austria: weather and seasons

Austria enjoys a moderate continental climate featuring four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Summers are warm and pleasant with cool nights, and winters are sunny, with snow levels high enough for widespread winter sports. Daytime temperatures in summer can be hot but nights are cool, while winters are cold with temperatures regularly below freezing in January and February.

The climate of Austria is quite mixed in nature. In the west and northwest mountainous areas the influence of the temperate Atlantic climate is felt more strongly and there is more precipitation than in the eastern lowlands, which are generally influenced by the Mediterranean climate and are a successful vine growing region.

Vienna and other low-lying areas can get uncomfortably hot during July and August, while the mountainous regions are tempered by altitude and breezes. The weather in Austria is particularly changeable and the wind, especially in Vienna can be bitterly cold.

The Alps have high precipitation, short summers and long winters, and visitors need to be prepared for a range of temperatures depending on altitude. In most cases you can expect temperatures between 20 and 35ºC; (68 and 95ºF) in summer,8 and 15ºC (46 and 59ºF) in spring and autumn, and 1 and 4ºC (34 and 39ºF) in winter. It’s important to remember that the sun can be intense at high altitudes throughout the year. The winter ski season runs from December to April.

Cold winds from Eastern Europe and Russia can lower winter temperatures considerably, whereas summer is generally hot and dry.
Winter temperatures are low, but still comfortable, while in the summer months, the climate is hot, with long sunny days where the temperature can get well above 30C. Note that storms are commonplace in the mountains.

Average Climate for Vienna, Austria