Typical Winter Weather in Austria

Hallstadt town in Winter

Winters in Austria can get very cold indeed, no matter where you are. Exactly how bitingly cold it gets depends on where exactly in Austria you happen to be. The country has a largely temperate climate present in much of Central Europe. Eastern and southern parts of Austria including the Danube valley enjoy a mix of Mediterranean and Eastern European continental climate. 

Average winter temperatures range from 1 degree to 4 degrees, but can deviate from this depending on where you are. Night temperatures can go below minus 20 in some places. Alpine winters are of course, the harshest and coldest winters in Austria, and the Austrian Alps are said to be colder than the Swiss or French Alps. Winters can be sunnier in the Alps than in the Alpine valleys, which can be foggier and see more rainfall in winter than the higher terrain. 

The northern part of Austria has a continental climate, and winters are characterised with generally dry and cold weather. Winters in Salzburg can therefore be expected to be much dryer and certainly colder than summer months. Temperatures can remain below freezing to the north of Austria in winter. 

The low lying region to the south and south-east, flanked by the Alps to its north, enjoys the mildest weather characterised by Mediterranean weather patterns. Winters in Graz can therefore be expected to be milder, than say, Innsbruck which is not only higher in altitude but much more to the West. The Danube valley to the east enjoys less harsh winters. That is not to say that winter months in Vienna will not be chilly, as they are very likely to be so, but the weather is milder when compared to the highlands and northern part of Austria. 

Winters in Austria tend to be cold, and temperatures linger around freezing in general.  But the intensity of the cold weather can vary depending on where you are and how high above sea level you happen to be.

Typical Summer Weather in Austria

Austria is situated in Central Europe and as such, enjoys a largely temperate Central European climate characterised by four familiar seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Winters in Austria can often be unforgiving, as is the case with most of Central Europe. This is a general overview of Austrian weather, but of course the weather patterns can be quite different in different regions of the country. 

Summers last from May until September, and peak summer is considered to be around the months of August and July. The weather during this time is typically mild and pleasant, so most holiday makers consider this the best time to visit. The temperature range is quite wide though, and average summer temperatures can be in the range of 20°C and 35°C depending on where you are. 

The Alpine region has the coldest and generally the harshest climate in Austria, and temperatures even during summer months rarely go above freezing. Rainfall can be significant in the Alps in summer, and summers generally tend to be quite short in Alpine Austria. 

The eastern part of Austria lies in a different climatic region, technically called the Continental Pannonian climate, which sees cold winters, although milder than the Alps, hot summer months and moderate rainfall throughout the year. So if you’re visiting Vienna in summer, do expect mild weather and some rainfall. 

Western Austria is more temperate and certainly milder in summer months than eastern Austria. So a visit to the Salzburg festival in July can be a highly sweaty affair. Well I must admit that’s a bit of a hyperbole, but July is peak summer, and does get rather warm. 

Although Austria largely comprises of mountains, in general peak summer months have pleasant and mild weather suitable for most holiday activities; except of course, winter sports like skiing, for which winter months work best. Austria is quite a varied terrain, and the summer weather can change as per the location and altitude.

Turn the Heating On, Darling

It is rather chilly in Austria at the moment. Snow is currently on the ground in most places, and it'll probably stay there for another month. However, there are some great signs of recovery from the winter months. First, it is starting to rain rather than snow. This means the weather is warming up, and although the ice on our hotel room window will be there for a little longer, we can see that spring is just around the corner.

With two thirds of Austria being mountainous, the weather in Austria is quite hard to predict. However, there are several things you can be sure of. November to March in Austria is rather cold. You will want to bring a spare blanket, particularly if you are staying in a city hotel. Austrian hotels are used to cold weather, but sometimes it's good to have an extra layer of warmth.

In April, it starts to warm up. You may be able to get away with wearing just a T-shirt on some days. The average temperature stays around 9 °C, or 49 °F. May is one of the best months to go cycling in Austria, as the temperature is warm without being too hot, staying around 14 °C or 58 °F.

June to September are the hotter months, with average temperatures around 20 °C or 68 °F in July and August. This is by no means too hot, and it's easy to go hiking or biking even in the middle of summer. Just make sure you have plenty of water with you to stay well hydrated.

The summer months are great for exploring cities such as Vienna, Salzburg, and Graz. Because June is normally rather wet, depending on where you are, it's always good to be prepared for a little damp weather. You can always reenact scenes from Singin' in the Rain is it starts to pour down. Of course, strangers will look at you as though you're mad.

September is a great month thanks to the various beer festivals and the run up to harvest. While it is still warm enough to go outside in a T-shirt, you'll probably want a lightweight coat for the evenings. Of course, the amount of food available at the local farmers markets means you probably won't want to move too far at the end of each day.

Whatever time of year it is, though, you need a great place to stay. Whether you want little zimmer in the middle of the Alps, a pension in Salzburg, or hotel in Vienna, why not pop over to our sister site to get a great deal.