Climate of Georgia

Climate of Georgia

Where is the country of Georgia located? Georgia is a transcontinental state, geographically located for a large part in Asia and a small part in Europe. Georgia has a warm maritime climate in the lower parts and along the coastal areas of the Black Sea, and a moderate continental climate in the mountain areas. Typical of the geography of Georgia is the location of the Caucasus Mountains over the north and south of the country. These high mountains form a natural border with Russia. The Caucasus is formed by two mountain ranges: the Greater Caucasus on the northern side and the Lesser Caucasus on the southern side of the country. This mountain area has the highest peaks in Europe. The highest mountain in Georgia is Shkhara, with an estimated height of 5201 meters. This makes this top almost ten percent higher than the Mont Blanc in the Alps,

To put away

The Caucasus ensures that the long-term average temperatures of the country are brought down. In the mountains it is considerably colder than in the much lower central part of Georgia. However, the mountains also make it difficult for severe frost from Russia to reach Georgia in the winter months. The supply of cold air from central Russia is often blocked by the Greater Caucasus. That is why the low areas of Georgia have average maximum temperatures in the winter months that are between four and nine degrees. At night, an average of several degrees of frost is recorded.

In the mountains it is always colder in the winter months. The average temperatures here vary – depending on the altitude and location – at night from minus twenty to ten degrees and during the day from minus ten degrees to just below freezing. It can get even cooler on the highest mountain peaks.

Seasons

The winter period runs from December to February, after which the months of March and April have a capricious character. Sunny, warm days alternate with cool and gray days, with the chances of precipitation increasing significantly from April. In May, an average maximum temperature of twenty to twenty-five degrees is already reached in the lower areas. Night temperatures are now well above freezing, with an average of eight to fourteen degrees. The months of June, July, August and September can be called summery in terms of temperature. Temperatures that average between 25 and 30 degrees during the day ensure pleasant summer weather in Georgia. The sun shows itself quite a lot, with an average of seven to nine hours of sunshine per day. However, the amounts of precipitation also increase significantly,Tbilisi June as wettest month with 89 millimeters of rain. In the Greater Caucasus and also the Lesser Caucasus, however, these amounts are much higher. The combination of a lot of moisture with pleasant temperatures creates the beautiful mountain landscape that makes Georgia so special.

Extreme weather

Climate figures are only average values, which are measured over a certain period of time. In some summers, Georgia can get extremely hot, with temperatures hovering above 35 for weeks and peaks around or even above 40 degrees. August 2010 was extremely hot in Georgia, for example, with a heat wave that lasted for no less than five weeks. People in the capital Tbilisi have been living in a layer of smog for weeks because the much desired rain never came. Even in the predominantly wet mountain areas, there has been no rain for weeks and forest fires were commonplace. During other summers it can rain heavily, especially in the Greater Caucasus. With an average annual rainfall of more than two thousand millimeters, this area is one of the wettest areas in Europe.

Winter sports

During the winter months there can be a lot of snow in the mountain areas. The slopes of the Caucasus Mountains therefore offer many winter sports opportunities in the period from December to March. Especially in the north of Georgia you will find plenty of ski areas where you can go skiing, cross-country skiing or snowboarding. Those who love winter sports and want to visit a destination other than the well-known ski resorts in the Alps, should seriously look at the skiing possibilities in Georgia. In addition to excellent snow conditions and a beautiful landscape, you will end up in a country that is different for us Western Europeans.

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 5℃ -3℃ 3 9
February 6℃ -2℃ 4 9
March 11℃ 2℃ 5 10
April 18℃ 7℃ 6 12
May 23℃ 11℃ 7 15
June 27℃ 15℃ 8 14
July 30℃ 18℃ 9 10
August 30℃ 17℃ 8 9
September 25℃ 14℃ 7 8
October 19℃ 8℃ 5 10
November 12℃ 3℃ 4 9
December 7℃ -1℃ 3 9

Best time to visit Georgia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Georgia? 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. Georgia is a country that is nowadays more often considered part of Europe than of Asia. This is mainly due to the country’s diplomatic and economic relations with Europe. After nearly two centuries of belonging to the Russian Empire and then to the Soviet Union, Georgia is now on a pro-European course. The fascinating country is bursting with culture and above all with beautiful landscapes, partly due to the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus located further south. This creates impressive mountain landscapes that are interspersed with beautiful valleys. The differences in height within Georgia and the location on the Black Sea ensure that you cannot speak of the climate or weather of Georgia. The differences within the country are too great for that. Yet it is not so difficult to designate a best time to travel to Georgia.early May to mid June and from early September to mid October.

Beach holiday

For a beach holiday we have to designate a different period as the best travel time. Because there is a lot of rain on the coast in the autumn and the summer months are not as hot as in the interior, we would opt for a sun holiday in June or July. August is also possible, as long as you limit yourself to the northern coastal areas.

City ​​trip

If you want to make a city trip to Tbilisi, both spring and autumn are ideal as travel times. In April, May and June it is warm and quite dry. In September it is drier and with maximum temperatures around 24 to 27 degrees often very pleasant. October can still be fine, but the wind can make it a bit more unpleasant during the cooler days.

Winter sports

The combination of mountains and snow make Georgia an excellent winter sports destination. The various winter sports areas such as Gudauri and Bakuriani offer good snow conditions for skiing or snowboarding almost all winter. The months of January to March are the best time to travel for a winter sports holiday in Georgia.

Georgia