Austria Weather & Climate: Monthly Averages

Austria is a country with a temperate and alpine climate. It is a very mountainous country due to the Alps; only 32% of the country lies below 500 meters (1640 ft), and its highest point is 3,797 meters (12,457 ft). This makes Austria a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding from mid-November until the end of March.

What is summer like in Austria?

Summer days are generally warm, with an average maximum temperature of about 27°C (80°F) in July. Often, it is considerably cooler at night. The amount of summer rain increases greatly depending on the region. For example, Innsbruck receives 128 mm (5 in) of rain in July, while Vienna experiences considerably less, with just 63 mm (2.5 in).

In general, Austrian weather can change very easily within a day or a few days. Additionally, there can be considerable variations in weather and temperature not only within the same day but also across the country. This is especially common in the Alpine regions, where each mountain side can experience significant differences.

What is the character of the seasons in Austria?

Austria has four seasons. Winter runs from December until the end of March. Spring lasts from March through June. Summer runs from the end of June until the end of September, and autumn extends from the end of September until December.

Best Time to Go to Austria

The best time to visit Austria, aside from the winter sports season, is from May to September. If you want to experience summer weather in Austria, the peak months of July and August are ideal. However, lower areas can sometimes become scorching hot, and there is a reasonable chance of thunderstorms in mid-summer, which can be both violent and spectacular in mountainous areas.

Austria also experiences Foehn winds, which are warm, dry winds blowing down along mountain slopes. These winds can lead to unexpected and anomalously high temperature values—sometimes increasing by several degrees within an extremely short period, occurring frequently during autumn and even winter.