Español
  Français

The Weather and Climate in Liechtenstein

You are here: Countries / Liechtenstein

For skiing enthusiasts, it’s good to visit Liechtenstein between December and April when winter temperature is below freezing point but not below -15˚C, but not in late April, May and November when alpine resorts close down. During this season, about 3 to 5-foot snow cover lasts through March especially in the valleys. For some skiers, the country is a “winter land” until the warm southerly winds called Fohn start to blow to melt it into the mountain slopes. For sightseers and hiking buffs, it’s better to travel to the country in summer between May and October or in its shorter period of June to September when temperatures range from 20˚C to 28˚C. Even if rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year, the heaviest rains are expected between June and August, with an average annual precipitation between 150mm and 1,200mm (6 in. to 42 in.) to 1,800mm (71 in.) in the alpine areas and mountainous regions.

Because of its small size of only 61 square miles, the country has a uniform weather throughout the principality that follows similar weather patterns of those of the Austrian and Swiss Alps. Winter becomes mild due to the dry and warm southerly wind but dangerous with possible avalanche in the skiing areas. Typically, however, the country’s climate is mild or less severe at the inland or elevated terrain, but it has the coolest month of January with temperatures dropping to -1˚C. The country’s proximity to the sea, geographical width and the relative positions and elevations of its natural and man-made features always are the factors that form its weather.