Climate Bavaria
Bavaria's climate is temperate, transitional oceanic, becoming increasingly continental as you head east. The four seasons are clearly distinct, even if climate change is blurring the lines a little. Bavarian summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold and sometimes long, with snow lasting until the end of March. Close to the Alps, there's a typical mountain weather phenomenon: the foehn. It's a powerful, warm, dry wind. Most of the time, it makes for magnificent unobstructed views, but it can give headaches to those sensitive to changes in the weather. It may seem paradoxical, but the north of Bavaria has higher average temperatures than the south. The sunniest region in the state is Würzburg. Its warm, dry climate makes the region ideal for viticulture, with Lower Franconia being almost the only region in Bavaria to produce wine.
A climate that varies
Bavaria has a temperate climate, in transition between the oceanic climate of Western Europe and the continental climate of Central Europe. Winters are cold and harsh, often accompanied by snow. Temperatures reach negative values on average 100 days a year. Summers are usually warm and sunny. However, differences in altitude lead to climatic variations. Given the Land's size and variety of relief, many factors make weather conditions quite different from one place to another in Bavaria. The weather can also change very quickly. It also depends on altitude, whether you're in the city or the countryside... Sometimes, mist descends over the mountains, completely obscuring the view, but at the same time creating strange and fascinating landscapes. The climate becomes more capricious the further south you go. January is the coldest month and July the hottest.
Tourist seasons
Bavaria's two main tourist seasons are winter and summer. In winter, tourism benefits southern Bavaria, particularly the Alpine chain with its ski resorts and mountain sports. In summer, tourism benefits the whole state. Temperatures are good, and you can swim in Bavaria's many lakes. In September-October, Munich is particularly busy for the Beer Festival, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
The foehn
The foehn is a warm, dry wind that brings a thaw in winter. It's a common meteorological phenomenon in Alpine valleys, even if the phenomenon behind it can be found in other parts of the world. In winter, when a wind meets a relief - in our case, when cold, humid air masses from the Mediterranean collide with the foothills of the Alps - the wind cools as it rises, because pressure decreases with altitude. This drop in temperature leads to the formation of clouds, then precipitation (rain or snow). By the time we reach the summit, the air has been drained of water and is cold and dry. As it descends the other slope, the air is suddenly compressed and heated by higher pressure. This sudden shock results in a sudden softening in the middle of the cold season. As a result, there can be huge temperature differences between the two sides of the same mountain. Some claim that foehn can drive people mad, and it is accused of triggering headaches and insomnia. Although the word "foehn" comes from German, meteorologists also use it to refer to the phenomenon in general.
Global warming
One of the consequences of global warming is the gradual melting of almost all the glaciers in the Bavarian Alps: of the five Bavarian glaciers, only one, the Höllentalferner, will survive in the medium term. The Nördlicher Schneeferner and Südlicher Schneeferner have already largely melted. The effects of global warming are also being felt in Wurtzburg. Since the 1960s, temperatures have risen significantly and measured precipitation has fallen. In spring and summer, there are significantly more hours of sunshine.
