Greece Weather

Greece Weather Patterns

Greece weather patterns can be put in categories or climate regions. Northern Epiros and northern Macedonia have very hot and humid summers and freezing winters, but Crete, the Attica Peninsula, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the eastern and central Peloponnese have a Mediterranean climate which means dry, hot, summers and milder winters.

Snow covers the mountains of Crete and Peloponnese in the winter, and Athens can get a couple of snowfalls during those months. July and August are the warmest months. It’s not uncommon to experience days when it is over 100?F in the shade across the country. The storms that arrive in July and August bring the meltemi, which is a strong northerly wind that whips across the eastern coast of Greece and the Aegean Islands. The wind is caused by the air pressure differences between North Africa and the Balkans. The locals considered the wind a mixed blessing because it reduces the annoying humidity, but it does create havoc with ferry schedules and beach umbrellas.

The western Sterea Ellada, western Peloponnese, the Ionian Islands, and southwestern Epiros miss the fierce winds and these regions don’t experience severe winters like northern Greece, but they do get a lot of rain, Halkidiki, the Pelion Peninsula, and the Northeastern Aegean Islands have a climate similar to northern Greece, and the regions that experience Mediterranean climates. Crete is warm from mid-April to November.

The rain starts in mid-October in most areas, and it stays wet and cold through January, but even during the winter months there is plenty of sunshine and beautiful blue skies.

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