Climate - Mantua (Lombardy)

The climate of Mantua (Mantova) is moderately continental, with cold, damp winters and hot, muggy summers.
The city is located in northern Italy, in the southeast of Lombardy, at 45 degrees north latitude. About 30 km (18 mi) to the north is Lake Garda, while 10 km (6 mi) to the south flows the river Po.
Due to its position in the center of the Po Valley and to the presence of water (the river Mincio, which crosses the city, widens into real lakes), Mantua has a particularly humid climate, foggy in winter and oppressive in summer. However, being the furthest from the mountains, Mantua is also the driest city in Lombardy.



Winter, from December to February, is cold, humid and dull. Temperatures can remain around 0 °C (32 °F) even during the day, especially in December and January, and the sky remains overcast for many days.
Fog, which in the past was fairly frequent, has become rarer in recent decades, to the point that now, it only occurs in periods when the Atlantic high pressure system dominates.
Snow in Mantua is rarer than in the rest of Lombardy, both because it is further away from the mountains and because, during cold spells, it can receive the bora, the cold but dry wind from the north-east. On average, about 15 cm (6 inches) of snow fall per year. However, in January 1954, 85 cm (33.5 in) of snow fell in two days, while snow depth reached 50 cm (19.5 in) in January 1985 and 40 cm (15.5 in) in January 1987.
During cold spells, which are becoming rarer due to global warming, the temperature can drop to -10 °C (14 °F) or below. In February 1929 it dropped to -19 °C (-2 °F).

Summer, from June to August, is hot and muggy, and generally sunny.
The air feels hotter because of humidity and poor ventilation, conditions typical of the Po Valley.
During heat waves, which are becoming more frequent, the temperature can reach 36/37 °C (97/99 °F) or above. The highest record is 40 °C (104 °F) and was set in July 2015 and in late June 2019.
Sometimes there may be some rainy days even in summer, or thunderstorms may break out in the afternoon or in the evening.

Best Time

The best times to visit Mantua are spring and early summer, particularly from mid-April to mid-June. September is also a good month. However, some rainy days must be taken into account in both periods.
Summer can be very hot, although it can give some acceptable days, especially in June. You have to take into account, in summer and sometimes in May, some afternoon or evening thunderstorms.

Mantua - Climate data

In Mantua, the average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 3.0 °C (37.4 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 24.6 °C (76.3 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
In Mantua, precipitation amounts to 635 millimeters (25 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 40 mm (1.6 in) in the driest month (February) to 70 mm (2.8 in) in the wettest one (October). Here is the average precipitation.
In Mantua, there are on average around 2370 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.