Climate in Lithuania

The climate in Lithuania is temperate continental. The population density is lower than in Western Europe, therefore most of Lithuania is covered by forests and agricultural pastures. While wild animals are not an everyday sight, you may be lucky enough to see rabbits, deer, elk, or wild boars on the roadsides or crossing the roads.

The Lithuanian climate (continental humid) is comparable to that in the cities such as Moscow and Toronto. In Vilnius, the average highest daily temperature in July is 22,1 C, the average lowest daily temperature in July is 12,3 C. Average highest daily temperature in January is -3,5 C whereas the lowest average daily temperature in January is -8,7 C.

Typically, there are several very hot weeks in summer (with daytime temperatures surpassing 30 C) and one or two very cold weeks in winter (with nighttime temperatures going under -20 C).

On the seaside (Klaipėda), the winters are milder and the summers are cooler, but the difference between Vilnius and Klaipėda weather does not exceed a couple of degrees.

Temperature charts for Vilnius and Klaipėda (°C). ©Augustinas Žemaitis.

Water temperature in the Baltic Sea is around 18 C in summer and is considered especially warm if over 20 C. In lakes and rivers, it gets significantly warmer.

Lithuanian terrain is extremely flat (the entire country is below 300 m), meaning there are no altitude-induced climate differences.

The precipitation is never a major issue and varies little. July is the wettest month with 77 millimeters of rain. In winter it snows but the snow cover rarely stays for more than a couple of days before melting (however, there are many such "white snow periods" every winter).

If you come from outside Europe, it may surprise you that Lithuania is quite far to the north: further north than any US, Canadian, Japanese, or Chinese major city. While the warm Gulf Stream supports its temperate climate and never allows Klaipėda port to freeze, it could not change the day/night cycle. High latitudes mean that in the deep winter, in Lithuania, the days are quite short (7 hours) whereas in mid-summer they are very long (17 hours), with nautical twilight lasting the whole night. Daylight savings time means that the sunset comes even earlier in winter, it getting dark by ~4 PM.

Total darkness ~5 PM in winter (left) and the bright Vilnius midnight in June (right). ©Augustinas Žemaitis.

That said, every season in Lithuania has its own beauty as nature paints itself in different colors. Contrary to popular belief, the winters are not perpetually white, but you have the highest chance of encountering heavy snow if you visit in January or February. The autumns are universally yellow as the leaves of every tree prepare to fall down. The springs and summers are green, although, during the summer droughts, everything may start gaining a yellow shade earlier.

The time zone for Lithuania is UCT+3 in summer and UTC+2 in winter (due to the daylight savings time).

There are no natural disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes, or tornadoes in Lithuania. Forest fires do happen, but they are minor compared to the ones raging in Australia, California, or Southern Europe. The cold in winter takes its toll sometimes but this is limited to the homeless. Heavy rains and strong winds do some damage, but, usually, only to the property and crops. Moreover, even this damage is minor compared to places like the United States with a "total destruction of homes or cars by the weather" virtually unknown in Lithuania. Historically, thunder used to be the most feared phenomenon by the Lithuanian villagers and was even considered to be the key god in Lithuanian mythology. Lightning rods changed that, however.

Four seasons in Vilnius Castle Hill and National Museum: autumn, winter, spring and summer. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.