In Biella, there is a
humid temperate climate. Winters are with relatively cold and damp. Summers are warm to hot, and are characterized by a good amount of sunshine, but also by quite frequent thunderstorms. Due to the altitude, the climate of Biella is a bit milder and rainier than in the plain.
The city is located in north-western Italy, in Piedmont, at an altitude of 400 meters (1,300 feet), and close to the Aosta Valley. To the west we find the Gran Paradiso Alps, which are part of the Graian Alps, while to the north we find Monte Rosa, which is part of the Pennine Alps.
Here are the average
temperatures from 1961 to 1990, when the weather was a bit colder: meanwhile, the temperature has risen by a degree Celsius or two (1.8 to 3.6 °F).
Biella - Average temperatures (1961-1990) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | -0.6 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 31 | 42 | 36.7 |
|---|
| February | -0.1 | 7.4 | 3.6 | 32 | 45 | 38.6 |
|---|
| March | 3.4 | 12.1 | 7.8 | 38 | 54 | 46 |
|---|
| April | 6.7 | 16.5 | 11.6 | 44 | 62 | 52.9 |
|---|
| May | 11.1 | 21.6 | 16.4 | 52 | 71 | 61.4 |
|---|
| June | 14.4 | 25 | 19.7 | 58 | 77 | 67.5 |
|---|
| July | 17.1 | 27.8 | 22.5 | 63 | 82 | 72.4 |
|---|
| August | 16 | 26 | 21 | 61 | 79 | 69.8 |
|---|
| September | 13.6 | 22.1 | 17.8 | 56 | 72 | 64.1 |
|---|
| October | 8.3 | 16 | 12.2 | 47 | 61 | 53.9 |
|---|
| November | 4.1 | 10.9 | 7.5 | 39 | 52 | 45.5 |
|---|
| December | 1 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 45 | 39.2 |
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| Year | 8 | 16.6 | 12.25 | 46.3 | 61.8 | 54 |
|---|
is abundant and amounts to about 1,400 mm (55 in) a year. Winter is the relatively driest season. In spring and autumn, when Atlantic depressions pass over the area, the rains are abundant because the southern currents are forced to climb the Alpine foothills. In late spring and summer, thunderstorms are quite frequent (and sometimes intense) in the afternoon and evening.
Snow in Biella usually falls at least once every year. On average, 40 centimeters (15.5 inches) of snow fall per year. In the great snowfall of 13-17 January 1985, 60 cm (23.5 in) of snow fell.
Every now and then,
cold air masses from Eastern Europe can bring quite intense frosts, although the temperatures in Biella do not reach the values of the plain. In February 2012, the temperature dropped to -10 °C (14 °F), while in the plain of Piedmont it dropped to as low as -20 °C (-4 °F).
In
summer, Biella is the most livable provincial capital in Piedmont, even more than Verbania and Cuneo. However, sometimes it can get very hot. The temperature reached 34.6 °C (94.3 °F) in late June 2019, 35.7 °C (96.3 °F) in August 2017 and 35.8 °C (96.4 °F) in August 2022.
Best Time
To visit Biella, you can choose the period from mid-May to mid-June and the month of September. It must be said that there may be thunderstorms, especially in the first period.
In July and August, the heat is generally bearable, but sometimes it can be intense.