Weather in Lithuania

I don’t like climate in Lithuania. Good thing is that we don’t have tsunamis, tornados or earthquakes. So we can feel safe knowing that powers of nature won’t destroy our homes and probably won’t kill us. The bad things are extremes of air temperature (it can be 30°C (86°F) in summer and -30°C (-22°F) in winter), a lot of rain and lack of sun. Average rainfall in Lithuania is 600-800 millimeters a year. In London, famous for its rainy weather, it is about 740 millimeters. Sun shines about 1673 hours a year in Vilnius (Los Angeles – 3200, New York – 2680, London – 1500, Florence (Italy) – 2500, Madrid – 2500 sunny hours).

Climate in Lithuania is more maritime in the west (near the Baltic Sea, the biggest city here is Klaipeda) and more continental in the east (in the capital of Lithuania – Vilnius). So in Klaipeda it rains more than in Vilnius. Summers are warmer and winters are colder in Vilnius than in the western part of the country.

You can check weather forecast here.

When is the best time to visit Lithuania? I think it is April-September.  

 If you come in spring (April-May) you will see nature waking up, bright and pure green colour everywhere, birds singing and flowers starting to blossom. Spring is a great time in Lithuania. And it has less rainy days than any other season.

The weather in summer is unpredictable. The average temperature in July is 17°C (62,6°F). Sometimes days in summer can be cold (about  15°C (59°F)) and rainy. Sometimes very hot (over 30°C (86°F)). In the last decade summers became hotter than average. When temperature reaches over 30°C (86°F) in Lithuania, it is hard to stand the heat because of high humidity.

In summer thunderstorms are common in Lithuania. If the day is hot, you often can expect heavy rain and thunder in the evening. Unpredictable Lithuanian weather is the main reason why Lithuanians prefer resorts in Turkey, Croatia and other southern countries to Lithuanian resorts near the Baltic Sea. Once I spent a week in Lithuanian resort near the Baltic Sea called Palanga and had only one sunny day... So if you are coming to Lithuania in summer take some wormer clothes.

Despite all unpleasant surprises weather can give you, summer is definitely the best time to visit Lithuania! Because sunny days are wonderful!

The beginning of autumn usually is still quite warm in Lithuania. And parks are so beautiful and colourful!

Temperature in November already falls below freezing point and it starts snowing. But snow in Lithuania usually does not cause such chaos like in London or other cities in Europe, because we are used to it and ready for snowy winters. Public transport does not stop when it’s snowing.

Winters are long, cold and dark in Lithuania. The temperature usually ranges from 0°C (32°F) to -10°C (14°F). Some days might be very cold – below -20°C (-4°F). I would not recommend you to come to Lithuania in winter if you want to see the beauty of nature. But if you are a city guy and care more about fun, bars and clubs than outdoor activities, winter is ok! Vilnius is decorated very nicely during Christmas time.