Weather in Kosovo – Moti ne Kosove

Kosovo is a relatively small territory. Because of the climatic position and complicated structure of the relief, Kosovo has a variety of climate systems. Kosovo lies in the south part of the middle geographical latitude of the northern hemisphere and it is affected by the Mediterranean mild climate and European continental climate. Important factors that affect Kosovo’s climate are: its position towards Eurasia and Africa, hydrographic masses (Atlantic ocean and Mediterranean sea), atmospheric masses (tropic, arctic and continental) etc. Minor factors that affect Kosovo’s climate are: relief, hydrography, plain and vegetation.

Interesting Facts About Kosovo’s Climate And Surroundings

Kosovo, while a smaller country than most, has many varying climate patterns thanks to both the European continental climate and the Mediterranean mild climate. The atmospheric masses as well as its location in relation to other countries and two separate bodies of water have much to do with its climate. Other factors also factor into this erratic climate pattern that can change abruptly from area to area.

The Ibar Valley climatic area is colder than most other areas, with heavy snowfalls during the winter with temperatures ranging from -15 degrees F to around 14 degrees F. Since the forest and mountains surround this area, there is generally heavy rainfall, up to 51 inches annually. While there is a summer season, expect it to be colder than most and extremely short in duration. This means that people there would be pretty much enjoying the winter season all year long!

The biggest factor when it comes to Kosovo’s climate is the air temperature. July is the warmest month, with temperatures on average reaching almost to 70 degrees F. Prizren is the area associated with the highest average annual temperature year round, and that is 54 degrees F. January is the coldest month, but of course temperatures range from location to location since winter seems to be the biggest variance in climate in this country. Podujevo’s average annual temperature is the lowest at 48 degrees F. Most areas besides Istok and Prizren have average January temperatures under freezing!

Diverse vegetation, landscape, humidity, water sources and more have everything to do with different climates among the different territories in Kosovo. The average summer temperature for all territories combined is approximately 72 degrees F high and 27 degrees F low. That is almost a 50 degree difference in separation, which is quite the difference! Wind exposure, direction and other various factors also have a huge impact on climatic patterns in Kosovo. And, there are two major climate subtypes: Kosovo and Dukagjin. When it comes to how widespread these two subtypes are, Kosovo covers more territory, and you’re going to see why.

The western part of Kosovo is dominated by the mild Mediterranean climate that was mentioned earlier, with plenty of rainfall and less harsh winters. This is consistent with the climate subtype Dukagjin, and the Kosovo climate subtype consists of less rainfall and much harsher winters. Now you know why with such a cold climate that the Kosovo subtype is much more dominant around the country.

While the given climate description of Kosovo is what happens the majority of the time, there is always the possibility of drastic climate changes from year to year. Some of these climate changes can be permanent, and others can be just for one year and then things are back to normal. For example, Kosovo actually had a dry and hot summer in 1992, which never happens to say the least. Higher parts of Kosovo are grouped into a D climatic type, which is representative of an average temperature below 0 for the cold months. This alpine or sub alpine climate surrounds areas like Kopaonik and the Sar Mountains and is even colder than the Kosovo subtype.