Climate - Georgia

The climate of Georgia is mild and rainy on the coast and in the western plain, while it is more continental and arid in the central and eastern inland areas. In the mountains, it is obviously colder.
A dry and warm wind, similar to the Föhn, can blow from the mountains, towards the valleys but also towards the coast.
Georgia is a country located between Europe and Asia and overlooking the eastern coasts of the Black Sea. The mountains of the Caucasus to the north separate it from Russia.

Index

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• Coast and plain - Coast, Batumi, Plain, Kutaisi
• Inland areas - Tbilisi
• Mountains - Akhalkalaki, Bethlemi
• When to go
• What to pack

Coast and plain

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Coast

Along the coast of the Black Sea (zone 1 on the map), the climate is mild and rainy, with almost oceanic characteristics.
Rainfall is abundant, since it ranges from 1,500 mm (60 in) per year in the northern part (see Sukhumi, in Abkhazia) to 2,500 mm (100 in) in the southern part (see Batumi). Besides, it is distributed fairly evenly over the seasons, albeit with a maximum in autumn and winter.
Winter along the coast is fairly mild, since the average temperature in January is about 7/8 °C (44/46 °F). The sea moderates the climate, while the Caucasus Mountains in the north partially protect this area from cold winds. However, beyond the Caucasus, we find the freezing Russian plains, and a bit of cold air can sometimes surpass the mountains and reach the coast: there are on average about ten days with snowfall per year. However, even in these cases, the temperature generally only drops to -2/-3 °C (27/28 °F).
Summer is warm or even a bit hot, with a daily average around 24 °C (75 °F) in July and August; the sun often shines, but as we mentioned, there can be rainfall as well, which in summer occurs mainly in the form of downpours or thunderstorms. On the hottest days, the temperature generally reaches 35 °C (95 °F).

Batumi

In Batumi, in the southern part of the coast, in winter and spring, the temperature can undergo sudden increases when the wind blows from the Pontic Mountains, in Turkey. In summer, this wind can bring the temperature up to 37/38 °C (98/100 °F), even though it rarely blows, perhaps only for one day.
Even though the climate is mild, it can sometimes snow in winter. The coldest record is -8.2 °C (17.2 °F) and was set in February 1950.
Here are the average temperatures.

In Batumi, precipitation reaches as high as 2,500 mm (99 in) per year, with a peak in autumn. Here is the average precipitation.

Owing to the more frequent rains, in the southern part of the coast, the sun does not shine very often even in summer.

The sea in Georgia is warm enough for swimming from July to September, and reaches 25 °C (77 °F) in July and August.

Plain

In the western plains of Georgia, east of the coast, in cities like Kutaisi, Samtredia and Senaki, the climate is similar, however it is somewhat more continental, colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. In ancient times, this area comprising the coast and the western plain was called Colchis.

Kutaisi

Kutaisi is located 80 km (50 mi) away from the coast and 150 meters (500 ft) above sea level.
In winter, there can be cold periods when it can snow and the temperature can drop below freezing.
In summer, there can be very hot periods, when the temperature can reach 38/40 °C (100/104 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation in Kutaisi amounts to 1,450 mm (57 in) per year. There is no dry season, even though the rains are a little less frequent from July to September (8/9 days a month).

Inland areas

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In the interior (zone 2 on the map), separated from the western plains by secondary mountain ranges such as the Likhi Mountains, we find valleys and plateaus lying at an altitude between 400 and 1,000 meters (1,300 and 3,300 feet).

Tbilisi

In the capital, Tbilisi, located in the valley of the Kura, at 450 meters (1,450 ft) above sea level, the climate is slightly continental, and it's much more arid than on the coast and on the western plain.
Tbilisi is a windy city, and can experience strong winds quite frequently.
During winter, snowfall is quite frequent (although it's not abundant because of the low level of precipitation), and so are cold spells. Generally the temperature drops to -10 °C (14 °F) at the worst times, however, the coldest record is -19 °C (-2 °F) and was set in February 1969. In January 2008, the temperature dropped to -15 °C (5 °F).
Summer is sunny, despite a few afternoon downpours or thunderstorms. There can also be heatwaves, with peaks around 38/40 °C (100/104 °F).
The monthly average temperature ranges from 3 °C (37 °F) in January to 25.5 °C (78 °F) in July. Here is the average temperature.

The rainfall amounts to 500 mm (20 in) per year, with a minimum in winter, even though the sky is often cloudy, and a maximum in late spring, in May and June, mainly because of afternoon instability, which can cause showers and thunderstorms and partly continues in summer.
Here is the average precipitation.

As mentioned, the sun in Tbilisi often shines in summer, apart from afternoon thunderstorms, while in winter, it is not very frequent.

Mountains

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The Caucasus Mountains (Greater Caucasus in the north and Lesser Caucasus in the south) and the secondary chains (zone 3 on the map) have an Alpine climate, more or less cold depending on altitude, with heavy snowfalls in winter; there are vast glaciers above 3,500 meters (11,500 ft), especially along the watershed of the Greater Caucasus, which is higher.
The highest peak in Georgia is Mount Shkhara, 5,193 meters (17,037 ft) high.



Precipitation is particularly abundant in the westernmost mountains: the Mtirala National Park, in the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, receives more than 4,500 mm (177 in) of rain per year.

Akhalkalaki

In Akhalkalaki, a town of 8,000 inhabitants located in the south, near the border with Turkey and Armenia, at an altitude of 1,700 metres (67 in), on the Javakheti plateau, the average temperature goes from -6.3 °C (20.7 °F) to January to 17.3 °C (63.1 °F) in August.
In winter there can be intense cold spells, while in summer, despite the altitude, it can get very hot. The coldest record is -29.6 °C (-21.3 °F) and was set in January 2008. The highest record is 37.4 °C (99.3 °F) and was set in July 2000.

In this area, precipitation is not abundant, in fact it amounts to 570 mm (22.4 in) per year. The rainiest months are May to June, due to afternoon thunderstorms.

Bethlemi

At the Bethlemi Hut, located at 3,650 meters (11,975 ft) on the slopes of Mount Kazbek (whose peak is at 5,047 meters or 16,558 ft), in the north, in the Caucasus chain, the cold record is -36 °C (-33 °F), the heat record is 16.5 °C (61.5 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,155 mm (45.5 in). Here is the average precipitation.

When to go

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The best times to visit Georgia are spring and autumn, especially from mid-May to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-October. Since autumn is very rainy in the coastal area, here, you may prefer spring.
The best period for a beach holiday, and also for hiking in high mountains, is of course the summer, from June to August, when it can get hot in Tbilisi and in inland valleys (but those who can stand the heat can choose this season to visit the whole country).

What to pack

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In winter: in Tbilisi, the plains and the coast, bring warm clothes, such as a sweater, a jacket, a hat, and a raincoat or umbrella. For high mountains, bring mountain clothing, hiking boots.

In summer: in Tbilisi, bring light clothes for the day, a sun hat, a light sweatshirt for the evening, and possibly an umbrella for the afternoon rains. For the coast, bring light clothing, a light sweatshirt for the evening, a scarf for the breeze. For the mountains, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sun hat, a sweater and a jacket, hiking shoes, and a raincoat or umbrella; for the highest peaks, bring mountain clothing.

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