Like whole Central Europe, Liechtenstein is part of the temperate zone. Located in the mountains, far away from inshore waters, the climate can also be defined as "alpine-continental". The four seasons are clearly marked in Liechtenstein with a large temperature difference between winter and summer.
The averaged maximum temperatures in the capital Vaduz reach 24°C in the summer, the mean temperature in January is about -1° C. Due to its complex topography mainly characterized by the Alps and the Rhine Valley, the temperature differences within the country itself should not be underestimated: In summer it is much cooler in the mountains than in the valleys, which heat up very strongly during sunny days. In winter, during calm, windless high pressure conditions, a so-called temperature inversion builds up. Cold air is denser and tends to accumulate in the deeper areas. In these cases valleys may experience double-digit temperatures below zero.
In Liechtenstein, the foehn wind plays a crucial role. This dry wind often provides plenty of sunshine and high temperatures, creating the basic requirements for growing wine grapes and corn. However, the foehn wind often reaches gale force intensity, so have a look at our current warnings or the foehn chart in order to be prepared.
The averaged annual precipitation in Vaduz is 1000mm, half of it occurs in the 3 summer months (June, July, August). In the mountains, the annual precipitation is approximately twice as high with about 2000mm.
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