Italy is not a very large country, but the weather in the north and south of the Apennine peninsula can differ very dramatically at the same time of the year. The vagaries of the weather are explained both by the length of the country from North to South, and differences in the relief between the regions. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare for the trip in advance, having studied the conditions in that particular area that you are going to visit.
As we have already said, the weather in Italy largely depends on the time of year, the region and the particular terrain you are visiting. So, Northern Italy - the valley of the Po and the Alps - are characterized by a temperate continental climate. A slight minus temperature is the norm for winter in this region, and snowfall is not uncommon even in the valleys.
In the Alps, snow lasts all winter, regularly falling from October to May. Summer, by contrast, is hot and dry. The highest rainfall in northern Italy falls in the spring and fall.
Weather in the Central and Southern regions is determined by the Mediterranean type of climate. Summer is hot and dry, rains are a rarity. The hottest months are July and August with temperatures reaching 35C.
Winters in the central and southern regions of Italy are mild, but with high rainfall. To the south of Rome, subzero temperatures in winter are more likely an exception than a rule, although frosts occur at night to the latitudes of Naples.
In order not to go into details that are of little interest, but at the same time give a clearer understanding of weather in Italy, we conditionally divided the country into three zones and reduced the averaged data on temperature and the number of rainy days depending on the month.
The cities that we have chosen represent the North (Milan), Center (Rome) and South (Palermo) of the country, which will allow you to get a better idea of the weather at the estimated time of your vacation.
Weather in Milan (Northern Italy)
Month | Medium High (C) | Medium Minimum (C) | Number of rainy days |
January | 7 | -4 | 8 |
February | 8 | -3 | 9 |
March | 13 | 1 | 8 |
April | 17 | 4 | 6 |
May | 21 | 9 | 5 |
June | 25 | 13 | 4 |
July | 28 | 16 | 1 |
August | 28 | 16 | 2 |
September | 24 | 12 | 5 |
October | 18 | 7 | 8 |
November | 11 | 1 | 11 |
December | 7 | -3 | 10 |
Weather in Rome (Central Italy)
Month | Medium High (C) | Medium Minimum (C) | Number of rainy days |
January | 13 | 4 | 6 |
February | 13 | 4 | 7 |
March | 15 | 6 | 7 |
April | 17 | 8 | 8 |
May | 22 | 12 | 8 |
June | 25 | 16 | 9 |
July | 28 | 19 | 6 |
August | 28 | 19 | 7 |
September | 26 | 17 | 5 |
October | 22 | 13 | 8 |
November | 17 | 8 | 10 |
December | 14 | 6 |
Weather in Palermo (Southern Italy)
Month | Average high (C) | Medium Minimum (C) | Number of rainy days |
January | 15 | 11 | 12 |
February | 15 | 11 | 8 |
March | 16 | 11 | 8 |
April | 18 | 13 | 6 |
May | 21 | 16 | 3 |
June | 25 | 20 | 2 |
July | 28 | 23 | 0 |
August | 29 | 24 | 2 |
September | 27 | 22 | 4 |
October | 23 | 19 | 8 |
November | 19 | 14 | 8 |
December | 16 | 12 | 10 |
Photo by Giampietro Italy