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The climate of Potenza is temperate, with quite cold winters and warm summers.
The city is the capital of the Basilicata region and is located in southern Italy, in the Apennines, at 800 meters (2,600 feet) above sea level.
The
average temperature of the coldest months (January, February) is of 4.5 °C (40 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 22.5 °C (72.5 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Potenza - Average temperatures (1991-2007) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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| January | 2 | 7 | 4.6 | 36 | 45 | 40.4 |
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| February | 2 | 7 | 4.4 | 35 | 45 | 39.9 |
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| March | 4 | 10 | 6.8 | 38 | 50 | 44.2 |
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| April | 5 | 12 | 8.9 | 42 | 54 | 48.1 |
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| May | 10 | 18 | 14.2 | 51 | 64 | 57.6 |
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| June | 15 | 23 | 19 | 59 | 74 | 66.2 |
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| July | 17 | 26 | 21.8 | 63 | 79 | 71.2 |
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| August | 18 | 27 | 22.6 | 64 | 81 | 72.8 |
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| September | 14 | 22 | 17.9 | 57 | 72 | 64.2 |
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| October | 11 | 17 | 13.9 | 51 | 63 | 57 |
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| November | 6 | 11 | 8.7 | 43 | 52 | 47.6 |
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| December | 3 | 8 | 5.6 | 38 | 46 | 42.1 |
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| Year | 9 | 15.9 | 12.4 | 48.1 | 60.6 | 54.5 |
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amounts to 615 millimeters (24.2 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 25 mm (1 in) in the driest month (July) to 75 mm (3 in) in the wettest (November). Here is the average precipitation.
Potenza - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
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| January | 55 | 2.2 | 8 |
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| February | 65 | 2.6 | 9 |
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| March | 50 | 2 | 9 |
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| April | 65 | 2.6 | 9 |
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| May | 45 | 1.8 | 6 |
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| June | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
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| July | 25 | 1 | 3 |
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| August | 35 | 1.4 | 4 |
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| September | 45 | 1.8 | 5 |
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| October | 60 | 2.4 | 8 |
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| November | 75 | 3 | 9 |
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| December | 65 | 2.6 | 8 |
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| Year | 615 | 24.2 | 82 |
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The
winter, from December to February, is quite cold, and characterized by sunny periods alternating with rainy periods.
Temperatures are typically above freezing, but the city is exposed to
cold air masses from the northeast, which can lead to periods of snow and frost. Snowfalls can also be abundant. On average, almost one meter (40 inches) of snow falls per year. Snow can also fall in March, and occasionally even in April.
The coldest record is -12 °C (10.5 °F), recorded in January 1968. On other occasions, the temperature reached -9 °C (16 °F) in December 1957 and in December 1961, -10 °C (14 °F) in January 1962, -11 °C (12 °F) in January 1963, -9 °C (16 °F) in January 1979, -9.5 °C (15 °F) in January 1981, -9 °C (16 °F) in January 1985 and in January 1993, and -10 °C (14 °F) in February 1993.
In March, the temperature dropped to -7.5 °C (18.5 °F) in 1956 and in 1962, -9 °C (16 °F) in 1963, -7 °C (19.5 °F) in 1971, -8 °C (17.5 °F) in 1977, and -7.5 °C (18.5 °F) in 1987.
The
summer is warm to hot and sunny, with some rare thunderstorms.
Generally, the weather is definitely more pleasant than in the plains of southern Italy, also because the humidity is not high.
Sometimes, however, there can be hot periods, during which the temperature can reach and exceed 33/34 °C (91/93 °F). In July 1988 and in August 2017, it reached 37 °C (98.5 °F).
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Best Time
To visit Potenza, you can choose the period from mid-May to mid-June and the month of September. In July and August, the heat is generally bearable, but sometimes it can be intense.