Index
Introduction
The climate of Montenegro is
Mediterranean on the coast, with heavy rains from September to April, while moving inland it becomes progressively more
continental, with colder winters, also due to the higher altitude.
Precipitation in Montenegro is plentiful, especially in the coastal strip and in hilly and mountainous regions overlooking the sea. The rains are not very frequent, but when it rains, it rains a lot. The rainy season is long and runs from September to April; sometimes, the rains are torrential. Certain areas of Montenegro receive the highest amounts of rain of the entire European continent (see for example
Cetinje). In addition, in inland areas and mountain ranges, additional rainfall occurs in the form of afternoon thunderstorms in late spring and summer (more frequently in May and June). On the contrary, on the coast and in Podgorica, at least rainfall decreases in summer, when thunderstorms are rare.
Coast and plain
On the
coast, the climate is mild but rainy in autumn and winter, while in summer it's hot and sunny, though tempered by the breeze. Winter is mild, with average temperatures in January around 9 °C (48 °F), however, cold air masses of Russian origin may reach the coast, bringing a dry, down-slope wind which descends from the mountains and lowers the temperature down to the freezing point or even a little below. Typically, this wind does not bring snow, except in the limited areas where cold air manages to penetrate between the mountains. The Bay of
Kotor is sheltered and mild, but in the cold season the temperature drops suddenly when the
Bura blows, a cold wind coming from the interior.
Ulcinj
Here are the average temperatures of
Ulcinj, in the southern part of the coast.
Ulcinj - Average temperatures (2011-2020) Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
---|
January | 6 | 13 | 9.5 | 43 | 55 | 49.1 |
---|
February | 8 | 15 | 11.2 | 46 | 58 | 52.2 |
---|
March | 9 | 17 | 13.1 | 49 | 62 | 55.6 |
---|
April | 12 | 20 | 16.1 | 53 | 69 | 61 |
---|
May | 15 | 24 | 19.5 | 59 | 75 | 67.2 |
---|
June | 19 | 28 | 23.9 | 67 | 83 | 75 |
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July | 21 | 31 | 26.1 | 71 | 88 | 79 |
---|
August | 22 | 31 | 26.6 | 71 | 89 | 80 |
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September | 19 | 28 | 23.5 | 66 | 83 | 74.3 |
---|
October | 15 | 24 | 19.2 | 59 | 74 | 66.5 |
---|
November | 12 | 20 | 15.8 | 54 | 67 | 60.4 |
---|
December | 8 | 15 | 11.6 | 46 | 59 | 52.9 |
---|
Year | 13.9 | 22.2 | 18 | 57 | 72 | 64.5 |
---|
In Ulcinj, rainfall amounts to 1,250 millimeters (49.5 inches) per year, with a maximum of 160/180 mm (6.3/7.1 in) per month from November to February and a minimum of 20/40 mm (0.8/1.6 in) per month in July and August.
The
sea in Montenegro is warm enough for swimming from July to September, while it is a bit cool in June and October. Here are the sea temperatures in
Budva.
Budva - Sea temperatureMonth | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
---|
January | 14 | 57 | February | 14 | 57 | March | 14 | 57 | April | 15 | 59 | May | 18 | 64 | June | 21 | 70 | July | 24 | 75 | August | 25 | 77 | September | 23 | 73 | October | 20 | 68 | November | 17 | 63 | December | 15 | 59 | Year | 18.4 | 65.1 |
Podgorica
In the capital,
Podgorica, located at sea level but at some distance from the sea, the climate is still quite mild, but a little more continental than on the coast. So, winter is a bit cold, with an average in January of 5 °C (41 °F), while summer is hot and sunny, when days can be scorching. Heavy rains are possible from October to March. Here are the average temperatures.
Podgorica - Average temperatures (1991-2020) Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
---|
January | 1 | 10 | 5.7 | 34 | 50 | 42.3 |
---|
February | 2 | 12 | 7.1 | 36 | 53 | 44.8 |
---|
March | 6 | 16 | 10.6 | 42 | 60 | 51.2 |
---|
April | 9 | 20 | 14.6 | 49 | 68 | 58.3 |
---|
May | 14 | 25 | 19.3 | 57 | 76 | 66.7 |
---|
June | 18 | 30 | 23.9 | 65 | 85 | 75 |
---|
July | 21 | 33 | 26.9 | 70 | 91 | 80.4 |
---|
August | 21 | 33 | 27.2 | 70 | 92 | 80.9 |
---|
September | 16 | 27 | 21.8 | 61 | 81 | 71.2 |
---|
October | 12 | 22 | 16.6 | 53 | 71 | 61.9 |
---|
November | 7 | 16 | 11.5 | 44 | 61 | 52.6 |
---|
December | 3 | 11 | 7 | 37 | 52 | 44.6 |
---|
Year | 10.9 | 21.2 | 16.05 | 51.6 | 70.2 | 61 |
---|
In Podgorica, precipitation amounts to 1,650 mm (65 in) per year.
Podgorica - Average precipitationMonth | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
---|
January | 165 | 6.5 | 10 |
---|
February | 165 | 6.5 | 10 |
---|
March | 165 | 6.5 | 9 |
---|
April | 140 | 5.5 | 10 |
---|
May | 100 | 3.9 | 8 |
---|
June | 60 | 2.4 | 6 |
---|
July | 45 | 1.8 | 4 |
---|
August | 50 | 2 | 4 |
---|
September | 145 | 5.7 | 7 |
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October | 175 | 6.9 | 9 |
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November | 270 | 10.6 | 11 |
---|
December | 225 | 8.9 | 11 |
---|
Year | 1700 | 66.9 | 99 |
---|
On the coast and in Podgorica, the amount of sunshine is very good in summer, when the sky is usually clear, while in winter it is not very high, however, some clear days can occur even in this season.
Podgorica - Sunshine hoursMonth | Average | Total |
---|
January | 4 | 120 | February | 4.5 | 125 | March | 5.5 | 170 | April | 6.5 | 195 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 9 | 275 | July | 11 | 340 | August | 10 | 315 | September | 8.5 | 250 | October | 6.5 | 195 | November | 4 | 125 | December | 3.5 | 110 | Year | 6.8 | 2475 |
Inland areas
Nikšic
Nikšic, the country's second city, is located at 650 meters (2,100 feet) above sea level, and has a moderate continental climate. Winters are cold, with snowfalls and frosts during cold spells, while summers are generally pleasant, with highs around 28 °C (82 °F), but with possible hot days, during which the temperature goes above 30 °C (86 °F).
Niksic - Average temperatures (1991-2020) Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
---|
January | -1 | 6 | 2.6 | 30 | 44 | 36.7 |
---|
February | 0 | 7 | 3.4 | 31 | 45 | 38.2 |
---|
March | 2 | 11 | 6.3 | 36 | 51 | 43.3 |
---|
April | 6 | 15 | 10.4 | 42 | 59 | 50.6 |
---|
May | 10 | 20 | 14.8 | 49 | 68 | 58.7 |
---|
June | 12 | 25 | 18.6 | 54 | 77 | 65.5 |
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July | 15 | 28 | 21.7 | 59 | 83 | 71.1 |
---|
August | 14 | 28 | 21.2 | 58 | 82 | 70.2 |
---|
September | 10 | 22 | 16.2 | 50 | 72 | 61.1 |
---|
October | 7 | 16 | 11.7 | 44 | 62 | 53.1 |
---|
November | 4 | 12 | 7.8 | 39 | 53 | 46 |
---|
December | 0 | 8 | 3.8 | 32 | 46 | 38.9 |
---|
Year | 6.6 | 16.6 | 11.55 | 43.9 | 61.9 | 53 |
---|
In Nikšic and in the interior, the amount of sunshine is slightly lower than that of the coast.
Niksic - Sunshine hoursMonth | Average | Total |
---|
January | 3.5 | 115 | February | 4 | 120 | March | 5 | 150 | April | 5.5 | 170 | May | 7 | 215 | June | 8 | 240 | July | 10 | 310 | August | 9 | 285 | September | 7.5 | 225 | October | 6 | 190 | November | 4 | 115 | December | 3.5 | 110 | Year | 6.1 | 2240 |
Continuing inland, the climate is even colder, so that in the far north, on the border with Serbia (see
Bijelo Polje,
Pljevlja), at a given altitude, the temperature is similar to that of the Alps, and during the most intense cold waves, the temperature can drop to -25/-30 °C (-13/-22 °F).
In Montenegro, there are mountains exceeding 2,000 meters (6,500 feet). The highest peak,
Zla Kolata, is located in the south-east at the border with Albania; it reaches 2,534 meters (8,314 feet) and is located in the group of the Prokletije (or Albanian Alps), which are part of the Dinaric Alps.
UpWhen to go and what to pack in
Montenegro