Piedmont, Aosta Valley and the Dolomites: a mountainous climate
The richness of the Piedmontese landscape makes the region a pleasant destination all year round, although spring remains the best time to go to Turin. Summer, on the other hand, can reach very high temperatures, easily exceeding 30°C. During the winter, from December to early March, it is not uncommon for the city to be covered in snow. The Langhe and Monferrato hills are an explosion of colour in autumn, during the grape harvest season.
Precipitation ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 mm per year in the Alpine area of Valle d'Aosta and the Dolomites. The winter climate is characterized by extreme cold and heavy snowfall. For winter sports in the ski resorts of the Aosta Valley or the Dolomites, the best season is from December to March. In spring, precipitation is often the highest of the year. With a few more falls in March, the snow disappears from April onwards. The frosts cease at the end of April, or even at the beginning of May in some places. Temperatures rise again: 16 to 17 °C for the maximums in April, 21 to 22 °C in May (but it is necessary to count three degrees less at the foot of the Alps). In summer, the temperatures are relatively mild, but sometimes accompanied by heavy rain (end of August-beginning of September), during big storms, especially in the high mountains, so be careful! It is a good season to visit the Aosta Valley (around Courmayeur) and the Dolomites, which are ideal for cooler hikes.
Milan and Lombardy: a continental climate
The Lombardy climate is a continental climate on the plain (hot in summer, cold and foggy in winter, rainy in autumn and spring). However, the Po Valley has a unique climate: the absence of a summer dry season, which is typical of continental climates. In fact, a quarter of the region's annual rainfall falls here in summer. The vegetation is green, thanks to the waters of the Po and the humid climate. Milan's climate is continental, cold in winter and hot in summer. In a year, there is an average of 120 days of good weather, 100 days of overcast and about 145 days of variable weather. The temperature in winter varies between -6 °C and +3 °C. In summer it can exceed +35 °C. However, the seasonal averages are much milder, +2 °C in winter and +27 °C in summer. The temperature differences are not very pronounced as the temperature normally rises at dawn and then falls slowly after 2pm. In summer, the heat is very humid, which results in a phenomenon called afa (heat wave). In winter, this same problem of humidity is at the origin of frequent and dense fogs. In fact, with an average humidity of 60-76%, fog is a characteristic of the Padana plain and Milan. When you wake up on winter mornings, you will find a white coat covering the grass and the streets, another typical element of the Milanese climate, the brina (frost).
The lakes: a more Mediterranean region
Winter in the Great Lakes region - Lakes Maggiore, Garda and Como - is mild and dry. Even though these lakes are of glacial origin and reflect the snow-capped peaks of the Alps above them until spring, the climate is influenced by the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea. A frost-free winter allows the cultivation of olive trees, palm trees and citrus fruits, unlike the Milan area. The ideal time to visit the lake district is from April to June. The temperature is very pleasant (between 12 and 21 °C).
