# Italy's climate, in 1991-2020 numbers

> Italy averages 37.8°F at Passo Rolle and 64.6°F at Trapani. The WMO 1991-2020 normals, rain in opposite seasons, and one gap we cannot close.

URL: https://myitalia.it/themes/climate
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Between Passo Rolle in the Dolomites, at a mean annual 37.8°F (3.2°C), and Trapani in western Sicily, at 64.6°F (18.1°C), Italy spans almost 15°C of mean temperature, which is why a national answer about the weather is always the wrong answer.

## The numbers here are thirty year normals, not forecasts

Every figure below is a WMO Climatological Standard Normal for 1991-2020, measured at stations of the Italian Air Force weather service, of which Italy submitted 84 to the World Meteorological Organization. A month is published only when at least 24 of the 30 years pass validation.

That rule matters more than it sounds. Where a station fails it, no annual total exists at all, and any site that prints one for those places has added it up itself.

## From an alpine pass to a Sicilian airfield

Passo Rolle sits at 2,004 m (6,575 feet) and averages 37.8°F (3.2°C) over the year, with February at 24.1°F (-4.4°C) and July at 53.4°F (11.9°C). Five months of the year have a mean below freezing.

Naples Capodichino averages 62.8°F (17.1°C), Trapani Birgi 64.6°F (18.1°C), Ustica 64.4°F (18.0°C). In January the mean runs from 25.0°F (-3.9°C) at Passo Rolle to 52.5°F (11.4°C) at Trapani. In July the mean maximum runs from 61.2°F (16.2°C) at the pass to 90.1°F (32.3°C) in Florence, the hottest of the big cities because of the basin it sits in.

## Rain falls in opposite seasons north and south

The Alps take their maximum in summer: Paganella, at 2,125 m (6,972 feet), records 830.1 mm a year with 109.5 mm in July and 20.1 mm in January. Dobbiaco, an inhabited valley floor at 1,222 m (4,009 feet), peaks in July at 122.8 mm.

The south does the reverse. Trapani Birgi collects 488.9 mm a year, of which 2.9 mm falls in July and 74.6 mm in November; Ustica takes 525.7 mm on the same shape. In between, the Po plain has two maxima, one in autumn and one in late spring, and no dry season: Milan Linate spreads 722.4 mm over 73.9 days with at least 1 mm.

## One number we cannot reconcile, and we say so

Milan Linate's 722.4 mm annual rainfall in the 1991-2020 series is well below the older 1971-2000 series for the same station, which sits near 920 mm. The gap has not been explained: it could be instrument change, real decline, or different validation rules.

If you find a Milan rainfall figure near 920 mm, it is probably the older series rather than an error. Both cannot be used in the same sentence.

## What the airport stations cannot tell you

Weather stations sit at airports, so the 90.1°F (32.3°C) mean July maximum recorded at Florence Peretola understates what a July afternoon feels like inside the city. Airfields are flat, ventilated and outside the built-up core: the urban heat island is real and this dataset does not quantify it.

Two more gaps are worth naming. Palermo has no complete 1991-2020 series, so western Sicily is represented here by Trapani, 56 miles (90 km) west, and by the island of Ustica; neither should ever be labeled Palermo. And Rome Ciampino has no annual rainfall total because June, July and August fail the validity rule, so the 622.6 mm quoted for Rome is Fiumicino, on the coast, which is drier than the city. City by city numbers are on [Rome](/plan/weather-in-rome), [Venice](/plan/weather-in-venice) and [the Alps](/plan/weather-in-the-alps).

## FAQ

### What is the best month to visit Italy?

It depends which Italy. In July mean maxima run from 61.2°F (16.2°C) at Passo Rolle to 90.1°F (32.3°C) in Florence, so the same month is alpine walking weather and city furnace weather. May and October sit between the two everywhere.

### How hot does it get in Italian cities in summer?

On the 1991-2020 normals, mean July maxima are 90.1°F (32.3°C) in Florence, 87.8°F (31.0°C) in Rome, 87.3°F (30.7°C) in Milan and 84.2°F (29.0°C) in Venice. These come from airport stations, so historic centers run hotter.

### When does it rain in Italy?

It depends on latitude. The Alps peak in July and August, the Po plain has no dry season at all, and the south and islands take their rain from autumn to winter with a hard summer minimum: Trapani gets 2.9 mm in July against 74.6 mm in November.

### Is northern Italy colder than the south in winter?

By a lot. Mean January temperature is 37.8°F (3.2°C) at Milan Linate, 45.5°F (7.5°C) at Rome Ciampino, 48.6°F (9.2°C) at Naples and 52.5°F (11.4°C) at Trapani. At Passo Rolle, on the Dolomites, it is 25.0°F (-3.9°C).

### Where do these Italian climate figures come from?

From the WMO Climatological Standard Normals for 1991-2020, measured at Italian Air Force weather stations. Italy submitted 84 stations. A monthly value is published only if at least 24 of the 30 years are valid, otherwise it does not exist.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| I dati climatici italiani citati in questo file sono NORMALI CLIMATICHE trentennali del periodo 1991-2020 (WMO Climatological Standard Normals), calcolate sulle stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare e trasmesse dall'Italia all'Organizzazione Meteorologica Mondiale; l'Italia ha inviato 84 stazioni. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Le normali 1991-2020 quantificano l'ampiezza climatica italiana: fra Passo Rolle (2004 m, media annua 3,2 °C) e Napoli Capodichino (17,1 °C) corrono quasi 14 °C; a gennaio si va da -3,9 °C a Passo Rolle a +11,4 °C a Trapani; a luglio le massime medie vanno da 16,2 °C a Passo Rolle a 32,3 °C a Firenze. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Passo_Rolle_16021.csv); [doc 2](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Napoli_Capodichino_16289.csv); [doc 3](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Trapani_Birgi_16429.csv); [doc 4](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Firenze_Peretola_16170.csv); [doc 5](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Milano_Linate_16080.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Alta montagna alpina: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Passo Rolle (Dolomiti, Trentino) (2004 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 3.2 °C; mese piu' freddo feb (-4.4 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (11.9 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Passo_Rolle_16021.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Dobbiaco (Alto Adige, 1222 m), normali 1991-2020: media annua 6,5 °C, con gennaio a -3,8 °C (minima media -7,7 °C) e luglio a 16,6 °C; il fondovalle alpino ha inverni piu' freddi delle citta' di pianura ma estati fresche e non afose. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Dobbiaco_16033.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Sulle Alpi il regime pluviometrico si inverte rispetto al Mezzogiorno: il massimo cade in estate. La Paganella (2125 m) registra 830,1 mm annui nel 1991-2020, con massimo a luglio (109,5 mm) e minimo a gennaio (20,1 mm); Cortina d'Ampezzo (loc. Gilardon, 1216 m) arriva a 1135,3 mm annui secondo ISPRA. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Paganella_16022.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Per la Sicilia occidentale le serie WMO 1991-2020 complete piu' vicine a Palermo sono Trapani Birgi (7 m; media annua 18,1 °C, 488,9 mm) e l'isola di Ustica (242 m; media annua 18,0 °C, 525,7 mm): entrambe mostrano il regime mediterraneo estremo, con luglio a 2,9-3,9 mm di pioggia. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Trapani_Birgi_16429.csv); [doc 2](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Ustica_16400.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Milano Linate, normali 1991-2020: 722,4 mm di precipitazione annua distribuiti su 73,9 giorni con almeno 1 mm; massimo a novembre (104,2 mm), minimo a gennaio (37,1 mm), con un secondo massimo primaverile-estivo. Non esiste una stagione secca. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Milano_Linate_16080.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Milano: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Milano Linate (108 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 14.2 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (3.2 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (25.1 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Milano_Linate_16080.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Roma: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Roma Ciampino (129 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 15.8 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (7.5 °C di media), mese piu' caldo ago (25.4 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Roma_Ciampino_16239.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Per Roma la serie WMO 1991-2020 di Ciampino non ha un totale annuo (giugno, luglio e agosto sono sotto la soglia di validita'); la stazione di Roma Fiumicino, completa, indica 622,6 mm annui con massimo a novembre (98,9 mm) e minimo a luglio (12,3 mm). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Roma_Fiumicino_16242.csv); [doc 2](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Roma_Ciampino_16239.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Napoli: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Napoli Capodichino (90 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 17.1 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (9.2 °C di media), mese piu' caldo ago (26.2 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Napoli_Capodichino_16289.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Firenze: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Firenze Peretola (44 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 15.5 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (6.6 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (25.4 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Firenze_Peretola_16170.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Venezia: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Venezia Tessera (aeroporto Marco Polo) (2 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 13.9 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (3.7 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (24.4 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Venezia_Tessera_16105.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/theme.mare.1600.jpg
Author: Luigi Eletto. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S.Vito,frazione_di_Polignano_a_mare.jpg

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