Montenegro Country Information - Climate & Weather

Despite its small size, Montenegro is divided into three climatic zones with widely varying conditions. The narrow coastal strip is characterized by a typical Mediterranean climate. This means hot, dry summers and unstable, windy, and mostly mild winters—but it also includes snow-covered coastal mountains reaching heights of up to 2,000 meters. The Jugo, Bora, and Mistral winds shape the weather here. This climate brings warm water temperatures (around 28°) to the towns along this stretch of the Adriatic coast until October. Immediately behind the coast lies a 50-kilometer-wide belt of sub-Mediterranean climate with higher seasonal temperature fluctuations. Summers are even hotter and drier, with hardly any wind in the plains around Podgorica, Nikšić, and Lake Skadar. In contrast, winters are colder, with more precipitation and snowfall. The mountainous region, which covers most of the country, has a temperate climate, with distinct seasons. In addition, there are numerous thunderstorms in summer, and winters are cold and snowy. This zone also includes the alpine climate of the high mountain regions. Some peaks (more than 120 of which are over 2,000 meters high!) are covered with snow all year round. For a very varied vacation, choose spring from May onwards: skiing in Durmitor in the morning, swimming on the coast in the afternoon!

Incidentally, Montenegro has the highest rainfall in Europe: in Crkvice in the Orjen Mountains in the southwest, 5,000-6,400 liters/m² fall annually.