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The climate of Samothrace, an island in the north-eastern Aegean Sea, is
transitional Mediterranean (given the northern location, it is not fully Mediterranean), with relatively cold, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. The daily average temperature ranges from 7 °C (44.5 °F) in January to 25 °C (77 °F) in July and August.
Here are the average temperatures.
Samothrace - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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| January | 4.8 | 9.6 | 7.2 | 41 | 49 | 45 |
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| February | 4.8 | 10.3 | 7.5 | 41 | 50 | 45.5 |
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| March | 5.8 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 42 | 53 | 47.8 |
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| April | 8.9 | 16.2 | 12.6 | 48 | 61 | 54.6 |
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| May | 13.9 | 22.4 | 18.1 | 57 | 72 | 64.6 |
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| June | 18.1 | 27.4 | 22.8 | 65 | 81 | 73 |
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| July | 20.3 | 29.5 | 24.9 | 68 | 85 | 76.8 |
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| August | 20.7 | 29.6 | 25.2 | 69 | 85 | 77.3 |
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| September | 17.2 | 25.1 | 21.2 | 63 | 77 | 70.1 |
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| October | 13.1 | 19.4 | 16.2 | 56 | 67 | 61.2 |
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| November | 9.7 | 15.1 | 12.4 | 49 | 59 | 54.4 |
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| December | 5.3 | 10.1 | 7.7 | 42 | 50 | 45.8 |
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| Year | 11.9 | 18.9 | 15.4 | 53.5 | 66 | 59.5 |
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The island is windy in the cold half of the year, and in winter, it is subject to cold air outbreaks from the Balkan Peninsula. The interior of the island is almost entirely occupied by Mount Fengari, 1,611 meters (5,285 feet) high. The northern and eastern sides are green and covered with forests, while the western and the southern sides are arid.
Precipitation follows the Mediterranean pattern, and is more frequent from October to April; it is not abundant, since it does not reach 600 millimeters (23.5 in) per year. In summer, rainfall is rare, and occurs in the form of short showers or thunderstorms.
Here is the average precipitation.
Samothrace - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 55 | 2.2 | 10 |
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| February | 65 | 2.6 | 10 |
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| March | 70 | 2.8 | 9 |
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| April | 40 | 1.6 | 9 |
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| May | 40 | 1.6 | 6 |
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| June | 15 | 0.6 | 4 |
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| July | 20 | 0.8 | 2 |
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| August | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
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| September | 25 | 1 | 4 |
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| October | 55 | 2.2 | 7 |
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| November | 85 | 3.3 | 10 |
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| December | 95 | 3.7 | 12 |
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| Year | 580 | 22.8 | 85 |
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Winter, from December to mid-March, is pretty cold: the maximum temperature normally hovers around 10 °C (50 °F), but at certain times, it may remain below 5 °C (41 °F), in addition, a moderate or even strong wind can blow, heightening the feeling of cold. Moreover, sometimes, and not too infrequently, it can snow, and during the most intense cold waves, the temperature can remain around freezing even during the day.
Rainfall is quite frequent; the rainiest month is December. There are also mild days, with highs about 13/15 °C (55/59 °F).
Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild, but with some periods a bit cold, windy and rainy, which gradually become less frequent.
Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with rare showers. Typically, the maximum temperatures hover around 30 °C (86 °F), but there are also hotter periods, with highs around 34/36 °C (93/97 °F). Luckily, sea breezes blow.
Autumn, from September to November, is pleasantly warm at first, then gradually becomes milder. The rains gradually become more frequent, although in September, there are still entire weeks without rain. In November, and sometimes also in October, the first days a bit cold and windy begin to occur.
The amount of
sunshine in Samothrace is very good in summer, when clear skies prevail, and it is also good in May and September, while in the rest of the year, there are both sunny periods and periods when the sky is cloudy.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours.
Samothrace - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 4 | 125 | February | 5 | 140 | March | 6 | 185 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 9 | 280 | June | 11 | 330 | July | 12 | 370 | August | 11 | 340 | September | 9 | 270 | October | 7 | 215 | November | 5 | 150 | December | 4 | 125 | Year | 7.6 | 2775 |
The temperature of the
sea is still cold in May and cool in June, while it becomes acceptable for swimming from July to September, and reaches a peak in August. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Samothrace - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
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January | 13.5 | 56 | February | 13.5 | 56 | March | 13.5 | 56 | April | 15 | 59 | May | 18.5 | 65 | June | 22.5 | 73 | July | 24.5 | 76 | August | 25 | 77 | September | 23 | 74 | October | 20 | 68 | November | 16.5 | 62 | December | 14.5 | 58 | Year | 18.4 | 65.1 |
Best Time
The
best time to go to Samothrace for a beach holiday is the summer, from June to August. In June, and sometimes in early July, there may be some cool evenings, so it's better to bring a sweatshirt for the evening.
In May, not only the sea is cold, but there may also be some cool days, with highs below 20 °C (68 °F), especially in the first part of the month.
If you want to go on excursions across the island, you can choose May and September.
Back to the
North Aegean Islands.