Weather Locations in Poland

Poland Weather Overview

Lying in Eastern Europe, north of the Czech Republic and Slovakia and with a coast line upon the Baltic Sea, is the country of Poland- an interesting and intriguing country that has a long history which has unfortunately seen its fair share of tragic events in its long existence.

Poland gained its independence in 1918 in the aftermath of World War One, and tragically lost it again in World War Two when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, during this time the country lost of 6 million of its citizens. Present day Poland is no longer riddled by such tragedies and since 1989 the country has been able to transform into a market economy (not without its fair share of economic down turns in the process) and is now a thriving post communist country.

The country is mainly covered by a low lying rolling plain that is below 1000 feet in most parts. In the south west and in the east you will find mountain ranges which rise above 4000 feet, with the Carpathian range being the highest in the east, rising above 6000 feet in parts. It is here that snow cover will last for up to 100 days per year and winter sports are possible.

Due to much of the country being low lying, aside from the higher elevations, the weather is fairly consistent across much of the country. The climate is probably best described a continental- the interior sees more extreme conditions than then coast, with the Baltic Sea coast seeing considerably cooler summers and milder winters.

The proximity to the sea and the mountains is probably the main determinant of temperature and rain variation. The east, toward Russia, and the south are generally much colder and see more extremes. The worst conditions come when the strong winds blow from the east, which bring with them heavy rainfall, gusty winds and much colder temperatures.

Rainfall is spread fairly equally across the year, though summer has a tendency to be the wettest time of the year. In the winter months most of the precipitation falls as snow, in the north this snow cover will last for about 40 days of the year, and can reach up to 60 days in the southern parts. Though rain does fall across the whole year, recorded precipitation is actually quite low- sitting between 500 and 650mm across the year.

In the far north along the Baltic Sea, the coast line is marked with numerous spits and coastal lakes which is parts is very picturesque. The coastline itself is over 528 kilometres long and is largely smooth and straight, bar a few small lagoons and spits. 28% of the country is covered by forests and over 50% of the land is cultivated for agriculture purposes. Along Poland's western border runs one of the country’s longest rivers- the Oder River, which like the other main river, the Vistula River, runs across the country and flows into the Baltic Sea.

On the whole the climate moves from oceanic on the northern coastline to continental once you move inland. Summers see an average temperature of about 20 to 27 degrees and winters can get quite bitterly cold in parts with the north seeing average winter temps of 3 degrees and the south falling to averages of -8 degrees. In parts of southern Poland, away from the moderating influence of the coast, summer temperatures can actually reach in excess of 30 degrees, with the city of Tarnow seeing an average summer temperature of 30 degrees.

Comparisons between Warsaw and Krakow will probably be the best way to illustrate the weather differences between northern and southern Poland.

Warsaw is Poland’s largest city and also its capital- lying on the Vistula River, about 370 kilometers from the Baltic Sea and the Carpathian Mountain range. The weather in Warsaw is best described as humid continental, with winter lows falls to – 5 degrees and summer average highs rising to 31 degrees in August. Rainfall in Warsaw sits at about 680 mm across the year. January is the coldest month in Warsaw, when the daily minimums fall to below freezing at can hover around -5 and -6 degrees, and the daily highs only reach about 2 degrees. By May the conditions have started to warm up slightly

When daily highs have reached 18 degrees and lows sit at 9 degrees. From July to September the mercury can often reach above 30 degrees and the daily minimums fall to an enjoyable 16 to 18 degrees. June July and August are the wettest time of the year with average monthly precipitation being 60 to 70 mm, as compared with 20 to 30mm in December and January.

Krakow lies in the south of Poland, where conditions are slightly more extreme than the north. Lying on the southern reaches of the Vistula river, Krakow sees colder winters and colder summers- and witnesses between 23 and 58 days below freezing across the year. In the summer the city is hit by the western blowing winds in the region which bring rainfall and thunderstorms, conversely the winter sees easterly blowing winds which clear the skies and decrease precipitation. January, in the middle of winter, is the coldest months where the average daily low falls to -7 and the average high is a chilly -1 degrees. Temperatures rise gradually until June which brings highs of 21 degrees, before warming up to 23 degrees through July and August. Rainfall is considerably higher in Krakow when compared with Warsaw, with July and August each seeing average monthly precipitation of 80 to 100mm.

The best time of the year to visit Poland is probably the summer months, as daily hours of sunshine are higher, the days in general are longer and you escape the perils of the occasionally harsh winters. See here for a more in depth overview of Krakow.

back to top