Climate - Poland

Index

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• Introduction
• The coast - Gdansk
• Inland areas - Warsaw
• Mountains
• Cold and heat waves
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Poland, an Eastern European country that extends from 49 to almost 55 degrees north latitude, the climate is continental, with very cold winters, often below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F), and warm summers. The climate is milder along the northern coast, overlooking the Baltic Sea, while it becomes progressively more continental going to the south, where the distance from the sea is greater.
The country is largely flat, but in the south, on the border with Czechia and Slovakia, there are mountain ranges, the Sudetes and the Tatras (the latter are part of the Western Carpathians).

Precipitation is generally not abundant, since it amounts to 550/600 millimeters (21/26 inches) per year in most of the country, while it exceeds 1,000 mm (40 in) only in the mountainous areas.

The sun in Poland is rarely seen from November to February, while in summer, also thanks to the length of the days, it shines for a good (though not exceptional) number of hours. Generally, in the lowlands there are 1,750 to 1,850 hours of sunshine per year.



Winter, from December to February, is cold and gray throughout the country. The average temperatures in January is around freezing along the Baltic coast, and progressively decreases towards the south and the east: it ranges from about 0.5 °C (33 °F) in the north-western area to -3 °C (26.5 °F) in the north-eastern areas, on the border with Belarus and Lithuania, while it's around -1 °C (30 °F) in the southern area. In Warsaw, the capital, located near the center of the country, the average in January is -1.5 °C (29.5 °F). The ground is often covered with snow for long periods, although snowfalls are generally not abundant.
However, the weather can have different characteristics: usually, the sky is gray, the temperature is around freezing or a few degrees below, and a light snow falls. Sometimes, when the currents from the Atlantic are more intense, the temperature can rise above freezing, it can rain and the snow can melt.
On the other hand, when cold air masses from Russia reach the country, the temperature decreases by many degrees, and drops below -20 °C (-4 °F). The coldest records are around -27/-32 °C (-17/-25 °F) in the interior, and therefore in much of Poland, while they are around -20 °C (-4 °F) along the northern coast.

Spring, from March to May, is initially cold, so much so that in March it snows and freezes quite often, and in early April, there can still be late cold waves with snow showers. In April and early May, cold days alternate with the first warm days, while by mid-May, the temperature becomes pleasant in a more stable manner, with highs around 18/20 °C (64/68 °F) and sometimes above.

Summer, from June to August, is mild or pleasantly warm. The Baltic coast, which during winter was the mildest zone, becomes the coolest in summer: here, highs in July and August are around 22 °C (72 °F), while they gradually increase towards the south, reaching 25 °C (77 °F) in the center and south of the country.
Summer in Poland is the rainiest season. This is due to the fact that Atlantic disturbances can arrive even in this season, in addition, afternoon thunderstorms may occur on fine days, more frequently in inland areas, and even more so near the Sudetes and Tatra Mountains in the south.
In July, it rains on average for 10 days on the north coast, 11 days in the center-south and 12 days at the foot of the mountains in the south.
Sometimes very hot periods can occur, usually of short duration, during which the temperature can reach or exceed 35 °C (95 °F).

In autumn, from September to November, the temperatures decrease rapidly, but the first half of September is still pleasant. Afterwards, the weather becomes cold and dull.

The coast

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Gdansk

Here is the average temperature of Gdansk, located on the northern coast.

In Gdansk, precipitation amounts to 570 mm (22.5 in) per year; the rainiest period runs from June to August, while precipitation in winter is not abundant.

The Baltic Sea is very cool, if not cold, even in summer, however, the water temperature reaches 18 °C (64 °F) in August.

Inland areas

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Warsaw

As mentioned, the climate in inland areas is slightly more continental, as we can see from the average temperatures of Warsaw.

Precipitation in Warsaw is not abundant, in fact, it amounts to about 550 mm (21.6 in) per year; the driest seasons are winter and spring, while the rainiest is summer. Here is average precipitation.

Mountains

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In southern Poland, where mountain ranges such as the Sudetes and the Tatras are found, the climate is naturally colder. Winters are cold and snowy, but not much colder than in the lowlands (because of the temperature inversion, a phenomenon whereby cold air stagnates on the lowest layers of the atmosphere, which is typical of cold plains in winter). Summers are cool, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. In Zakopane, a popular tourist resort, at 850 meters (2,800 ft) above sea level, the average temperature ranges from -3.5 °C (25.5 °F) in January to 16 °C (61 °F) in July. At higher altitudes, at 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level, it ranges from -8 °C (17.5 °F) in January to 9 °C (48 °F) in July.
On the slopes of these southern mountains and in the valleys, a warm, dry wind, similar to the Foehn (the Halny in the Tatras and the Moazagotl in the Sudetes), can blow, especially in early spring and in autumn; sometimes, this wind can be strong and cause damage.
The highest peak in the country is Mount Rysy, 2,503 meters (8,212 feet) high, on the border with Slovakia.
Here are the average temperatures of Mount Sniežka, the highest among the "Giant Mountains" (or Karkonosze), located at 1,600 meters (5,300 ft) of altitude, in the southwest of the country, at the border with the Czech Republic.

Cold and heat waves

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As mentioned, from time to time, Poland can be affected by polar cold waves, coming from the Russian Arctic or Siberia.

In February 1956, the longest postwar cold spell in many European countries, the temperature dropped to -31 °C (-24 °F) in Wroclaw and Kielce, -30 °C (-22 °F) in Gdansk and Katowice, -29 °C (-20 °F) in Lublin and Szczecin, -27 °C (-16.5 °F) in Lodz, and -26 °C (-15 °F) in Warsaw.
In January 1963, the temperature dropped to -31 °C (-24 °F) in Lublin and Lodz, -29 °C (-20 °F) in Bialystok, -28 °C (-18.5 °F) in Warsaw, -27 °C (-16.5 °F) in Wroclaw, -26 °C (-15 °F) in Katowice, and -24 °C (-11 °F) in Gdansk.
In January 1985, the temperature dropped to -31.5 °C (-24.5 °F) in Jelenia Gora, -30 °C (-22 °F) in Wroclaw, -28 °C (-18.5 °F) in Bialystok and Gdansk, -26 °C (-15 °F) in Krakow, -25 °C (-13 °F) in Poznan and Warsaw, -24 °C (-11 °F) in Bialystok and Katowice, and -20.5 °C (-5 °F) in Szczecin and Swinoujscie.
In February 1985, the cold returned, and the temperature dropped to -27.5 °C (-17.5 °F) in Lodz, -27 °C (-16.5 °F) in Krakow, -26.5 °C (-15.5 °F) in Lublin, -26 °C (-15 °F) in Katowice, -24 °C (-11 °F) in Gdansk, Lublin, Poznan and Warsaw, and -19.5 °C (-3 °F) in Szczecin.
The cold wave of January 1987 was in Poland, and in some areas of northern Europe, the worst after the war, at least in intensity. The temperature dropped to -34.5 °C (-30 °F) in Bialystok (in the north-east), -32 °C (-25.5 °F) in Lublin (in the south-east), -31 °C (-24 °F) in Jelenia Gora, Katowice and Warsaw, -30 °C (-22 °F) in Krakow, Gdansk, Lodz and Szczecin, -29.5 °C (-21 °F) in Wroclaw, and -28.5 °C (-19.5 °F) in Poznan.
In January 2006, the temperature dropped to -30 °C (-22 °F) in Lodz, -29 °C (-20 °F) in Katowice, -27.5 °C (-17.5 °F) in Lublin, -27 °C (-16.5 °F) in Krakow and Warsaw, -26.5 °C (-15.5 °F) in Poznan, -26 °C (-15 °F) in Bialystok and Szczecin, -22.5 °C (-8.5 °F) in Wroclaw, -21 °C (-6 °F) in Gdansk, and -20 °C (-4 °F) in Swinoujscie.
In January 2010, the temperature dropped to -25 °C (-13 °F) in Lublin, -24 °C (-11 °F) in Katowice, -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in Warsaw, -22 °C (-7.5 °F) in Krakow and Lodz, and -21 °C (-6 °F) in Wroclaw.
In February 2012, the temperature dropped to -30 °C (-22 °F) in Bialystok, -28 °C (-18.5 °F) in Jelenia Gora, -27 °C (-16.5 °F) in Gdansk and Katowice, -25 °C (-13 °F) in Szczecin, -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in Krakow and Warsaw, and -22 °C (-7.5 °F) in Swinoujscie and Lodz.

In summer, Poland is not particularly prone to heat waves, due to its high latitude, however there can sometimes be hot periods, usually lasting a few days, in which the temperature can reach 33/34 °C (93 °F) or even more. In recent decades, these situations have become more frequent due to global warming. The most affected area is generally the western one (see Wroclaw, Poznan), the least exposed is the Baltic coast.
Between the end of July and the beginning of August 1994, the temperature reached 38 °C (100.5 °F) in Szczecin, 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) in Lodz and Swinoujscie, 37 °C (98.5 °F) in Wroclaw and Poznan, 36 °C (97 °F) in Jelenia Gora and Warsaw, 35.5 °C (96 °F) in Bialystok, 35 °C (95 °F) in Gdansk and Katowice, and 34 °C (93 °F) in Lublin.
In August 2013, the temperature reached 37 °C (98.5 °F) in Krakow, Katowice, Lodz and Warsaw, 36 °C (97 °F) in Wroclaw, 35 °C (95 °F) in Lublin, 34.5 °C (94 °F) in Swinoujscie, and 34 °C (93 °F) in Szczecin.
In August 2015, the temperature reached 38 °C (100.5 °F) in Wroclaw, 37 °C (98.5 °F) in Poznan and Warsaw, 36 °C (97 °F) in Krakow, Jelenia Gora and Szczecin, 35 °C (95 °F) in Katowice and Lublin, 34.5 °C (94 °F) in Bialystok, 34 °C (93 °F) in Swinoujscie, and 33 °C (91.5 °F) in Gdansk.
Between the end of June and the beginning of July 2019, there was a very short and early heatwave, which brought 38 °C (100.5 °F) in Poznan and Swinoujscie, 37 °C (98.5 °F) in Wroclaw, 36 °C (97 °F) in Krakow and Warsaw, 35 °C (95 °F) in Katowice, Lublin and Szczecin, and 34 °C (93 °F) in Gdansk.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Poland is summer, from June to August, however, you can generally go in the warm season, from mid-May to mid-September. The temperatures are usually cool at night and mild or pleasantly warm during the day, however, there can be cool and rainy days, but also hot and sunny days.
In the mountains, it's still possible to ski at Easter, while at Christmas, it can be very cold, and the days are short. In February, it's cold as well, but at least the days are a bit longer.

What to pack

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In winter: bring very warm clothes, a fleece, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, a scarf, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In summer: bring light clothes, t-shirts, but also long pants, a jacket and a sweater for the evening or for cool days; a raincoat or umbrella.

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