Climate of Moldova

Climate of Moldova

Where is the country of Moldova located? The Republic of Moldova (Moldova) is located in southeastern Europe, between Romania and Ukraine. The south of Moldova is fairly flat, the north has a hilly landscape with the Dealul Bălănești as the highest point (430 meters above sea level). Moldova has a moderate continental climate (type Dfb according to the Köppen climate system) and in some parts a warm continental climate (type Dfa). The summers are warm to sometimes hot and the winters relatively cool. Moldova is relatively dry, with an average of about four hundred to over five hundred millimeters of precipitation per month, of which a fairly large part falls in the form of snow in winter. The transition from spring to summer is the wettest; with an average of 70 to 90 millimeters of rain, June is the wettest month of the year. Autumn is generally the driest time of the year.

Warm summers

The summer months are warm and sunny. An average summer day in Moldova has 9 to 10 hours of sunshine. Days of summer weather without a cloud in the sky is no exception in the months of July and August. The temperature during the day is on average between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. Due to a stable high pressure area above the south of Russia or Ukraine, very warm air can move towards Moldova, so that the thermometers can rise a lot. A heat wave with high temperatures and sometimes weeks of drought can therefore occur almost every summer.

Autumn

The month of September often offers pleasant weather, with a late summer character. The real transition to autumn usually occurs around the beginning of October. Afternoon temperatures then drop from around 25 degrees at the beginning of September to about ten to fourteen degrees at the end of October. During the fall, the chance of precipitation also decreases. On average, in the months of September, October and November there is only six to nine days of rain per month.

Cool winters

In the mountains, winter starts in mid-November, in the south of Moldova only in December. Temperatures then drop below freezing almost every day in almost the entire country. The south and east, where the capital Chişinu is located, has the coldest months in January and February. On average, the maximum temperature is around the freezing point. This is based on the long-term averages. Within one winter, it is quite possible that temperatures will remain below freezing for weeks. In general, there is relatively little precipitation in that period, so that the amount of snow remains limited. However, the snow that falls can remain for quite a long time, especially in the hilly north, where the temperature hardly rises above freezing in the period December-March.

Spring

After a fairly long winter period, it’s not until April that it’s spring’s turn. Within about a month and a half, the average maximum temperature rises from 7 degrees in mid-March to about 20 degrees at the end of April. Slight deviations may occur locally. The warm air that reaches the country in May and June also regularly brings rain showers, increasing precipitation amounts as spring passes. Summer sets in in the course of June, after which the precipitation amounts slowly decrease again towards the end of the summer.

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 0℃ -6℃ 2 11
February 2℃ -4℃ 3 11
March 7℃ -1℃ 4 10
April 16℃ 6℃ 6 11
May 22℃ 11℃ 8 12
June 25℃ 15℃ 9 13
July 27℃ 16℃ 10 13
August 27℃ 16℃ 9 9
September 22℃ 11℃ 8 8
October 16℃ 6℃ 6 8
November 8℃ 2℃ 2 10
December 3℃ -3℃ 2 12

Best time to visit Moldova

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Moldova? 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. The Republic of Moldova is a country located in eastern Europe. It is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. The Black Sea is nearby, but there is just no connection between southeastern Moldova and the Black Sea. The moderate continental climate that most of Moldova has to deal with provides somewhat cool winters and pleasantly warm summers in which periods with hot days can occur. Moldova, like all European countries, has four seasons, with summer falling in the middle of the calendar year. Based on the weather and climate of Moldova, the best time to travel to Moldova is from May to September. If you travel to Moldova for a holiday in the sun, it is best to do so between mid-June and the end of August. The months of April and October are also suitable for a tour through Moldova.

Winter in Moldova

Winter in Moldova runs from December to February. Temperatures are around freezing during the day and mostly freezing at night. Sometimes light, sometimes more strict. The winters in Moldova are quite gloomy and fairly dry. When precipitation falls, it is arranged in the form of snow. The chance of snow is greater in the north than in the south.

Summer in Moldova

The summer months are warm to very hot. Officially, summer starts in June and lasts until the end of August. In practice you can have plenty of summer days in May. In September, a good late summer with quite a few days with 25 degrees or higher is certainly possible. The months of July and August are the hottest. Think of maximum temperatures that are on average between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, but can also regularly exceed this. The months of June and July are slightly wetter than average.

Spring and Autumn in Moldova

The two in-between seasons can be very fickle. In the spring, cool periods can be alternated with warm days and a period of drought can be replaced by a few days with a fair amount of precipitation. Statistically speaking, spring is the driest period in Moldova, so it is mainly the temperatures that can go up and down. In autumn you notice that September is still a transition month from summer to autumn and that the real autumn only starts in October. Temperatures drop, sunshine diminishes and it gets drier in October. October is a very nice month to visit Moldova for those who love nature and autumn colours.

Moldova