Weather Locations in Lithuania

Lithuania Weather Overview

Home to a 99km coastline and lying north of Latvia you will find the country of Lithuania, lying on the south eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. While Lithuania does have a long coast line, only 38 kilometers of this coastline lies facing the Baltic Sea, with the rest of the coast sheltered by the Curonian sand peninsula which is a long sand barrier that separates the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon. 61 kilometres of the coast line lies along the Coronian Lagoon which is home to various sea side resorts and popular holiday destinations for residents on interior Lithuania.

At the north of the Coronian Lagoon, lying on the narrow mouth where the lagoon meets the Baltic Sea, is the warm water port of Klaipada. Klaipada is the country’s only sea port, and in recent years its popularity has been rivaled by nearby resort towns of Nida and Palanga. So much so that Klaipada’s population shrank from 1992 to 2005, from 207100 to 187, 442.

Klaipada has a temperate climate, which is moderated by the proximity to the Baltic Sea. Despite the fact it lies on the coast, it does see temperature extremes in winter and summer, with temperatures above 30 degrees or below -15 degrees no uncommon in summer and winter respectively.

The average temperature in winter is just below freezing, with December to February seeing average minimums of -2 to -3 degrees and daily maximums rarely reaching about 1 degree. During winter there are about 7 days of snow, on average, per month and 7 to 9 days of rainfall. Occasionally the city can be battered by severe snowstorms in the winter, or gale force winds as it is known to be in quite a windy location. The extremity of the winters vary from year to year, with some years hit by significant snowfall and others seeing much less.

Summers in Klaipeda are the warmest in July and August, where average maximums are 21 degrees and minimums fall to 13 degrees, the average daily temperature in June and September is 14 and 14 degrees respectively, while the average daily temp in the peak summer months is 17 degrees. June is one of the wettest months across the year, with 11 days of rainfall, while July and August only see 7 days of rainfall making them the driest months. Across the year November is known to be the wettest month, seeing 90mm of precipitation on average across the month.

Another popular seaside resort is the town of Palanga, which has been growing in popularity in recent years and has become busiest summer resort in Lithuania. It has vast sand dunes, some of which are the highest in all of Europe and an unspoiled natural environment which hasn’t been riddled by tourism masses. There are long sandy beaches, perfect for working on your tan during your summer holiday. Here August, September and November have a tendency to be the wettest months, when the westerly winds blow and the warmth of the Baltic Sea meets the cooler temperatures of the mainland and produces rainfall- so best to visit in June or July for your summer break.

Lying inland, in the south west, you will find Lithuania’s vibrant capital city of Vilnius. With just over half a million inhabitants, Vilnius is the country’s largest city. Here the climate is humid continental, with hot summers and cold winters.

Summers in Vilnius are electric, as the city has become a cosmopolitan hub of activity and the young population is extremely accommodating. Like Budapest locals, Vilnius locals have built a reputation of being extremely inviting and friendly. The bars and cafes are full in the summer months, spilling onto the streets with everyone enjoying the long warm summers days. Temperatures are frequently over 30 degrees in the height of summer, be sure to pack light cotton clothes as the humidity and the heat can sometimes be slightly uncomfortable.

Winters on the flipside are bitterly cold and the barometer rarely sees temperatures above freezing. The average high in January is -3 degrees, while the average daily minimum is -8. The cold winter lasts through until about early March, before temperatures pick up again, before reaching daily highs about 10 degrees in April.

The winters get so cold that the lakes just outside the city will freeze over completely in the coldest winters. This makes for perfect conditions for ice fishing- a popular Lithuanian pastime. Due to its inland location temperatures are not moderated by the ocean waters, so temperatures below -25 degrees are not unheard of during the coldest months of January and February.

The city is a beautiful city with extensive and intriguing architecture. At 3.2 square kilometers, the Old Town is one of the largest in Europe, and the 1500 buildings were built over a number of centuries so the architecture is representative of a variety of styles. While Vilnius is known as a Baroque city, as you stroll around the streets you can find Gothic and Renaissance buildings as well.

The former temporary capital of Lithuania, is the city of Kaunas which sits at the confluence of Lithuania’s two largest rivers, the Nemunas and the Nevis. The weather conditions here are pretty similar to Vilnius, though maybe slightly cooler due to its proximity to the rivers. Kaunas is home to the Pazaislis Monastery which is the largest monastery complex in the country and for the 3 months of summer its hosts the Pazaislis Music Festival- making it a great time of year to visit the historic city.

The Lithuanian terrain is largely flat, though there are higher points in parts. There are numerous lakes and wetlands scattered across the country and there is a mixed forest zone which covers 30% of the land.

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