Weather and climate in Cosenza (Calabria)

The climate of Cosenza can be defined as Mediterranean, since it has mild, quite rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. However, there are some continental characteristics, since the summer is very hot, while in winter it can sometimes get cold.
The city is located in southern Italy, in the Calabria region, at an altitude of 240 meters (785 feet), in the valley of the Crati river. To the west we find the coastal chain, with mountains 1,000/1,200 meters (3,300/,3900 ft) high, while to the east we find the Sila, which reaches 1,928 meters (6,325 ft) in Mount Botte Donato.
The winter, from December to February, is mild, and characterized by sunny periods alternating with rainy periods. However, due to the location of the city in a valley closed between the mountains, in certain situations, cold air tends to stagnate. In periods of stable weather, fog can form at night, and the minimum temperature can drop to 0 °C (32 °F) or slightly below.
During cold waves, snow can also fall. In fact, Cosenza is one of the snowiest cities in southern Italy, probably the snowiest below 300 meters (1,000 ft). In March 1971, 50 cm (20 in) of snow fell, while in December 2007, 40 cm (15.5 in) fell. On other occasions, the snow reached 25/30 cm (10/12 in) in height.
In these situations, with snow on the ground, the temperature can drop by several degrees below freezing. In December 2001 and January 2004, the temperature dropped to -7 °C (19.5 °F), while in January 2017 it dropped to -8.5 °C (16.5 °F).



The summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with rare rainy days and some thunderstorms coming from the Apennines.
Cosenza is a particularly hot city, as the coastal range blocks the sea breeze. In July and August, on the hottest days, the temperature usually reaches 38 °C (100 °F). In July 2007 and August 2017, it reached 41 °C (106 °F).

Best Time

To visit Cosenza, you can choose the periods from mid-April to mid-May and from mid-September to mid-October, since in summer it can get very hot. It must be said that in both periods there may be rainy days.

Cosenza - Climate data

The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 7.9 °C (46.3 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 25.7 °C (78.3 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Precipitation amounts to 940 millimeters (37 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 20 mm (0.8 in) in the driest month (July) to 140 mm (5.5 in) in the wettest one (November). Here is the average precipitation.