Climate of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Climate of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Where is the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina located? Bosnia and Herzegovina  is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. With a mainly hilly landscape, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rather fickle climate. Because Bosnia and Herzegovina meets all the characteristics of a maritime climate, almost the entire country has a moderate maritime climate (type Cfb according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification). The southwest of the country has a Mediterranean climate, type Csa. This warm maritime climate occurs in the area around the towns of Neum and Mostar, where Bosnia and Herzegovina borders the Adriatic Sea.

Statistics

If you look at the statistics, you see a fairly even progression of the precipitation amounts, a clear build-up from a cool winter to a warm summer and an almost proportional build-up in the number of hours of sunshine per day. Due to the geographical picture of the mountains and hills on the one side where the sea lies (the west) and the Pannonian plain to the north and northeast, there can be a strong supply of cold air in winter. As a result, it can become extremely cold in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with minimum temperatures well below minus twenty degrees. These periods of cold can last for a long time in a stable high pressure area over the south of Russia. In such winters, the ultimate temperatures can deviate considerably from the long-term averages on which the climate figures are based.

Summer

In the summer months, the hilly and mountainous area in the south and west of the country ensures that warm air can easily reach the country and the Adriatic Sea can only play a limited cooling role. Every summer in Bosnia and Herzegovina has periods of extreme heat, in which afternoon temperatures can rise to 35 to no less than 40 degrees. However, on average, summers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are less hot than some sources claim. The heat is a phenomenon that only occurs in periods, on average summers are mild to quite warm, with maximum temperatures in the months of July and August averaging between 24 and 27 degrees.

Winter

In winter there is a fair amount of snow in large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The area around the capital Sarajevo is therefore quite popular as a winter sports destination. Until the war broke out in 1992, Sarajevo. waseven a busy winter sports resort, which was also very popular internationally. People mainly came to ski in the ski areas Bjelašnica, Igman and Jahorina. The winter sports season here runs from approximately the end of October to April. Although the area around Sarajevo is reasonably snow-sure and has a long period when there is enough snow for decent winter sports, due to the unpredictable nature of the weather in this region it is possible that the snowfall starts later or that, due to the unpredictable nature of the weather in this region the earlier onset of spring, the season is over earlier. Even in the coolest months of December, January and February there is a chance of a period with limited snow cover or snow of poor quality according to winter sports standards.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month
January 1℃ -6℃ 2 14
February 4℃ -4℃ 3 13
March 8℃ -1℃ 4 14
April 13℃ 3℃ 5 15
May 18℃ 7℃ 6 15
June 21℃ 10℃ 7 14
July 24℃ 11℃ 8 11
August 24℃ 11℃ 8 10
September 20℃ 8℃ 6 10
October 15℃ 4℃ 5 12
November 8℃ 0℃ 3 14
December 2℃ -4℃ 2 15

Best time to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the Balkans. It has a coastal strip that is about eight kilometers in length. Behind it is a low plain that, like the short piece of coastal area, has a Mediterranean climate. More inland the landscape has a more hilly to mountainous character. The climate there is a bit more extreme and changes from a moderate maritime climate to a continental climate as soon as you are at higher altitudes. If you want to celebrate a holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the period is May to Septemberthe best travel time. If you don’t like the heat, it might be better to avoid the summer months of July and August. The average afternoon temperature is then between 24 and 30 degrees, but higher temperatures are then possible. If you want moderate temperatures, it is better to go on holiday to Bosnia and Herzegovina in June or September.

Beach holiday

Due to the limited coastline, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a popular beach destination. There are a large number of beach hotels in and around the town of Neum. The best travel time for a sun holiday on the coast of Bosnia and Herzegovina is from mid-June to mid-September. The air temperature is fine with an average of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius and the sea water has a pleasant temperature between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. From the second half of September, the weather becomes more unstable and you notice that the temperatures drop step by step.

City ​​trip

Mid-April to early October is a good travel period for a city trip to Sarajevo, Mostar or another city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the months of July and August it can be just a bit too hot, but in general there are enough days when it is sultry, but not extremely hot.

Winter sports

The combination of mountains and winter weather ensures that you can do winter sports in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the winter. The winter sports season lasts relatively long (November to April), but it is not snow-sure. You have the best chance of good snow on the slopes in the months of January and February.

Bosnia and Herzegovina