🐻 Berlin Weather

Where oceanic and continental climates meet

Berlin sits in a transition zone between the mild, maritime air of Western Europe and the colder, drier continental climate to the east, and its weather reflects that tug-of-war. Compared with cities nearer the Atlantic, Berlin has warmer summers, colder winters, and a bit less rain — four clearly defined seasons on relatively flat, sandy ground.

Cold, grey winters

Winters are cold and often overcast, with January highs around 37°F (3°C) and lows below freezing. Snow falls several times a season but rarely lasts long, and the bigger story is the short days and persistent grey skies typical of northern continental Europe in winter.

Warm summers, occasional heat

Summers are pleasantly warm and the sunniest part of the year, with July highs around 75°F (24°C) and long daylight. Continental heat waves can push temperatures past 95°F (35°C), and summer thunderstorms occasionally break the warmth with brief, heavy downpours.

Berlin is relatively dry for Northern Europe, averaging about 22 inches (570 mm) of precipitation a year, with a modest summer peak. Spring and autumn are changeable, and the flat surrounding plains leave the city open to whatever air mass prevails.

When to visit, and the grey months

Berlin's best weather runs from late May through September, when long days, warm afternoons, and the city's lakes and beer gardens come into their own. Midsummer daylight stretches past 9 p.m., a legacy of its northerly latitude.

The flip side is the winter gloom: from November to February the sun barely climbs, and stretches of flat, sunless grey are the norm rather than deep cold. Locals prize any bright winter day. Spring and autumn are changeable and best met with a layer and an umbrella, as passing Atlantic fronts keep conditions unsettled.