European capital city with the most "interesting" Winter climate.

Tyrone212

Interesting from a wild weather perspective in terms of snow and storms. I would say it is Reykjavik. While its Winter months aren't exceptionally cold like Moscow and Helsinki.

In terms of snowfall and windstorms I would think the average winter is more interesting. Moscow and Helsinki would have more days with snow on the ground but their climate would be more settled, calm and in the freezer type of set up.

If you had to choose to spend a Winter season in a European city based entirely off climatic conditions, Where would you choose and why? Also if you feel any European city better meets the criteria that I used for choosing Reykjavik please share.

Dickie10

Bucharest

Gonzo

Most European cities offer more variety in terms of weather than any Irish or UK city with the exception of maybe London. London actually gets a summer.

If I had to choose a city to live in based on the weather I would require decent warm to hot summers with alot of dry weather and some decent cold and snowy weather in the winter without it being excessively cold or long lasting.

Based on this I instantly rule out anywhere near the Atlantic and anywhere too far north or too far south. I'm not going to single out any city in particular but If I had a choice it would probably a German city like Berlin or Frankfurt, Vienna in Austria, Bern in Switzerland.

Summers would regularly get into the high 20's and low 30's, there would be decent thunderstorms during summer as well as plenty of warm an dry weather. Winters of course would get quite cold at times but not excessively cold all the time. Snow would be far more regular than any Irish or UK city and the Atlantic wouldn't be on the doorstep 365 days a year.

Nqp15hhu

Oslo to me, but would prefer a NE USA climate with slightly longer winters.

esposito

I’m leaning towards Stockholm. It generally has cold winters with some snow, plenty of dry continental air and is far away from the Atlantic. I also like the idea of living close to the sea (Baltic Sea). Summers generally good and can get quite warm at times.

Chris_5339762

Munich.

Lovely summers, low to mid 20s in general with guaranteed good conditions.

Winter does get some snow but if theres none, you're only a short train ride from loads of different parts of the Alps.

Edit: I still don't know anywhere worse than Ireland for poor summers and winters. Dublin is tolerable, they get more good weather than other parts of the country. Cork can be warmer, but suffers from terrible periods of mist and drizzle, Galway is just diabolical.

Artane2002

I'm torn between Tallinn and Helsinki, both of them get cold winters with snow and they get very decent summers, with highs averaging in the low 20s, more than enough for me (high teens preferable though). Helsinki is marginally cooler than Tallinn but Tallinn is marginally sunnier, so I would probably prefer Tallinn.

snowstorm445

Living in Brussels at the moment I’d have to say the weather is remarkably like Ireland for large parts of the year, Autumn and Spring in particular. Lots of changeable days with temperatures in the 10-14C category. In many ways Autumn in the Netherlands and Belgium is every bit as wet and damp as in Ireland, probably even moreso.

But you really notice the differences in the Winter and especially Summer. Temperatures got up to 39 and 40C last July and August, and that’s become more common in recent years. The thunderstorms are far more powerful and regular than in Ireland as well. Winters aren’t as bad, and can often be pretty mild like in Ireland but when cold weather hits like it did last week temperatures can really tumble (got down to -12C on Wednesday night). Snow isn’t that much more common than Ireland tbh, although the setup is far less marginal considering the continental landmass. Generally speaking it tends to be drier in an easterly set up than in Ireland as well considering the distance to the sea.

Overall I’m pretty pleased with it climate wise, but I suspect if you wanted more regular guaranteed cold mixed with a warm summer, you would probably want to try Munich or Vienna maybe.

snowstorm445

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Munich.

Lovely summers, low to mid 20s in general with guaranteed good conditions.

Winter does get some snow but if theres none, you're only a short train ride from loads of different parts of the Alps.

Edit: I still don't know anywhere worse than Ireland for poor summers and winters. Dublin is tolerable, they get more good weather than other parts of the country. Cork can be warmer, but suffers from terrible periods of mist and drizzle, Galway is just diabolical.

I have to say having lived in Dublin and Cork, some days in Dublin can be a pure washout, but even in winter it usually comes in heavy spells and then clears up. But in Cork you can have horrible damp drizzle hanging over the city for days on end, which is much less pleasant. I think overall Cork gets about twice the rainfall amount of Dublin.

almostthere12

snowstorm445 wrote: »

I have to say having lived in Dublin and Cork, some days in Dublin can be a pure washout, but even in winter it usually comes in heavy spells and then clears up. But in Cork you can have horrible damp drizzle hanging over the city for days on end, which is much less pleasant. I think overall Cork gets about twice the rainfall amount of Dublin.

Lived in both as well and have you ever noticed how it rains a lot in the morning rush hour in Cork and continues into the afternoon but then by the time the system reaches Dublin it contains a lot less rain and doesn't hit until it's dark in winter anyway. That way at least you get to enjoy a dry day!

As for where to live in Europe, I would go with Munich for its weather!!

Btw a lot people that are from a city etc. that far inland crave the coast and the sea........my better half being one, I am always telling her inland Ireland gets warmer summer weather and colder winter weather but to no avail!!

Nqp15hhu

I would agree with that. I couldn’t stomach living far inland myself, or in a plain type landscape either.

If the criteria is the European city, on the sea, with the most interesting winter climate then the pool is massively reduced. Stockholm? Tallin? Riga?

Donegal Storm

I can't think of many places in Europe that have a winter climate I'd actually call interesting, to my knowledge at least there's nowhere comparable to NE US for snow storms or the Great Lakes for lake effect snow.

Snow and cold weather is enjoyable for me mainly because of its rareness anyway, if I had to deal with it constantly from November to March I definitely wouldn't consider it half as interesting.

I think maybe somewhere like Nice would be ideal for me, pleasant and mild but with guaranteed snow a short drive north and warm sunshine all the way from April to October in one of the most beautiful corners of the continent

Tyrone212

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If the criteria is the European city, on the sea, with the most interesting winter climate then the pool is massively reduced. Stockholm? Tallin? Riga?

Doesn't have to be a coastal city.

highdef

Munich has been mentioned a few times and that's the answer I would also like to give however it's not the capital of Germany so can't be included.

So Bern would be my choice of capital city. Far inland away from the sea so lots of calm weather (the further from the sea, the better for me), beautiful summers, cracking thunderstorms and snow every winter.

Other capitals with climates that I would like would be the likes of Vaduz, Vienna, Zagreb, etc.

loughside

Has to be KIEV

Summers with 30+ temperatures and winters with proper snow, not this wet slop we have here

webcam now---> https://www.webcamtaxi.com/en/ukraine/kiev/european-square.html

Gaoth Laidir

Milan or Bergamo. Thunderstorms in the summer, snow just a short drive away in the winter.

highdef

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

Milan or Bergamo. Thunderstorms in the summer, snow just a short drive away in the winter.

Neither fit the criteria of the OPs question though, in the same way that I wanted Munich to be my answer but it's not a capital city.

Thelonious Monk

I have family in Vienna and spent a month there when I was around 12, in July/August. There were powerful thunderstorms, really foggy humid days, plenty of sunny days in the late 20s/early 30s, torrential rain like you'd see in Asia... but mostly pleasant summer weather without being insufferably hot.
They also get snowy winters and lots of mountains nearby for skiing. It's no wonder Vienna often comes top of most livable cities.

Gaoth Laidir

highdef wrote: »

Neither fit the criteria of the OPs question though, in the same way that I wanted Munich you be answer but it's not a capital city.

In that case then Tokyo. Mild enough winters, but only a shinkansen ride away from Sapporo, the snowiest city in the world, and a short flight from Okinawa if you want winter sun.

Good chance of thunderstorms in the summer and of course always good for a typhoon.

In between, nice springs and autumns.

If you're into earthquakes too then look no further. It has everything.

Niall145

Anywhere but Dublin.

zisdead

Tbilisi for me.

8 months of the year it is gorgeous. And you will always get some snow in the remaining 4 months without it ever being anywhere near "cold".

I have also experienced some cracking thunderstorms there again without it being anything you could describe as a wet location.

Oneiric 3

Moscow recently:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i54EYXRRjVI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i54EYXRRjVI

My preference would be similar to Gonzo's. The older I get, the more unappealing the banal, colourless, spirit annihilating, uniform white grey maritime climate of NW Europe is becoming. Anywhere from Switzerland, southern Germany or Austria eastwards and as far away from the Atlantic, Med or Baltic as is possible is your only man.

Edit, and I know this is a capital city thread, but they don't really appeal to me.

almostthere12

highdef wrote: »

Neither fit the criteria of the OPs question though, in the same way that I wanted Munich to be my answer but it's not a capital city.

Ah sorry.....capital city.....got it.......Cork!!! :pac:

Snowbie

Vaduz in Liechtenstein of course , up in the Alps right beside my fav countries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria and catch a train to anywhere in the Alps for tons of snow.

(Non capitol) Buffalo in upstate New York just to experience real Lake effect snow and six feet of it in a few hours.

Storm 10

Athens in a Blizzard at the moment live on the link

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/ellada/atiki/athina/hellenic-parliament.html

Calibos

Storm 10 wrote: »

Athens in a Blizzard at the moment live on the link

https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/ellada/atiki/athina/hellenic-parliament.html

....and there you go. I've said it before. Feckin' Athens gets snow more regularly than Dublin. Probably the same for Ankara in Turkey.

Definitely it does. Hugely changeable weather there. End of week is 16c, next week 18c on Tuesday. It’s 1c now.

Chris_5339762

For the record

highdef

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

For the record

Why the screengrab? Looks like pretty normal weather

highdef

highdef wrote: »

Why the screengrab? Looks like pretty normal weather

8 days of rain probably isn’t normal for cork. I just googled it and it rains 146 days a year in cork. Which is 40%. Of course winter is worse than summer.

Oneiric 3

Deleted User wrote: »

8 days of rain probably isn’t normal for cork. I just googled it and it rains 146 days a year in cork. Which is 40%. Of course winter is worse than summer.

Probably not as abnormal as you might think. I doubt that graph posted would mean 8 days of continuous rain, which if it did, would be highly unusual alright.

Having said that, I think above any other city or large town in Ireland that Cork is subject to the most frequently occurring intense rains relatively speaking over the course of an average year.

Chris_5339762

Its fairly standard but thats the point. Rain every single day for a week. To use Munich as an example they have no rain forecast for a week, 9 - 17 degrees over the time. Lovely early spring weather while we have to put up with rain, misk, murk and plenty of wind by the looks of it.

Fed up of Irish weather, its awful.

Chris_5339762

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Its fairly standard but thats the point. Rain every single day for a week. To use Munich as an example they have no rain forecast for a week, 9 - 17 degrees over the time. Lovely early spring weather while we have to put up with rain, misk, murk and plenty of wind by the looks of it.

Fed up of Irish weather, its awful.

Yeh. Germany is getting proper spring next week. Much of Europe is.

I lived in Pristina, Kosovo for 18 months.
Proper snow & -20 in the winter, then that summer was 40+ degrees.
Probably not a capital city that many would choose however I

Ljubljana, Slovenia is a lovely city, snow in winter and lovely sunny summers.

snowstorm445

bubblypop wrote: »

I lived in Pristina, Kosovo for 18 months.
Proper snow & -20 in the winter, then that summer was 40+ degrees.
Probably not a capital city that many would choose however I

Ljubljana, Slovenia is a lovely city, snow in winter and lovely sunny summers.

It's one of the wettest cities in Europe though, most of Slovenia is I think. Gets more rain than Glasgow each year apparently. Went there one summer a few years ago and it was lashing throughout (still well worth a visit, quite a nice little spot).

Donegal Storm

snowstorm445 wrote: »

It's one of the wettest cities in Europe though, most of Slovenia is I think. Gets more rain than Glasgow each year apparently. Went there one summer a few years ago and it was lashing throughout (still well worth a visit, quite a nice little spot).

Measuring annual rainfall purely as mm per year can be very deceptive though, a more useful metric would be days (or even hours) with rain reported, I've never really seen a comparison or league table of that though.

Continental climates get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer months than might only last an hour but drop more rain than an entire months worth of miserable drizzle in Galway. I know which one I'd prefer!

highdef

Donegal Storm wrote: »

Measuring annual rainfall purely as mm per year can be very deceptive though, a more useful metric would be days (or even hours) with rain reported, I've never really seen a comparison or league table of that though.

Continental climates get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer months than might only last an hour but drop more rain than an entire months worth of miserable drizzle in Galway. I know which one I'd prefer!

Completely agreed. I travelled from Munich to Venice by car and back by another route (basically an anti-clockwise circle route) in August 2019. The journey took a week as we stopped off in several places along the way. Everything was stunning about it. There was plenty of warm sunshine but also so many massive thunderstorms. Only got caught in the one but a handful of thunderstorms in that area could easily equate to a summers worth of rainfall in the likes of Dublin.

Same goes when I was in Sicily in September of last year. Almost completely dry at my coastal location in the south east of the island and almost unbroken sunshine except for a big thunderstorm one day however less than 10km inland, there were massive thunderstorms almost daily. Nearly every day that I spent lying out in the sun, I could hear almost constant thunder not too far away, every afternoon. I decided to drive a few KM inland one of the days to see for myself how bad the storms where. I've never seen rain as heavy before. Could not drive at all. Everyone was pulled over to the side of the road and there were torrents of rivers of water gushing down the streets. It went from dry to near zero visibility in the space of 100m. What's more, these particular massive storms were constantly fed due to convergence between the sea and land so they just sat there all afternoon, exploding with rain.

Yep, absolutely brilliant thunder storms in Europe, sure you wouldn't mind a bit of rain if it stops after a shower, not like the constant drizzle and occasional downpours on the West coast of Ireland

timmyntc

Donegal Storm wrote: »

Measuring annual rainfall purely as mm per year can be very deceptive though, a more useful metric would be days (or even hours) with rain reported, I've never really seen a comparison or league table of that though.

Continental climates get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer months than might only last an hour but drop more rain than an entire months worth of miserable drizzle in Galway. I know which one I'd prefer!

Agreed - Alpine Slovenia is usually dry and very warm in summers, with the occasional thunderstorm once a week or so. Huge downpours, and then nothing but 20+ degree heat the rest of the time.

The precipitation numbers are definitely skewed because of that, and the high snowfall in Winter across the Alps.

Wine Goddess

Istanbul is an amazing city.
Lived there in the 90s - wouldn't want to now with the political situation - but weather wise it was wonderful.
Guaranteed sun every day from April to October.
Snow came a few times in the winter.
Thunderstorms were out of this world.
Because of the moderating effect of the Bosphorus temperatures were not excessive in summer or crazy low in winter.
Really enjoyed it.

blanch152

Donegal Storm wrote: »

Measuring annual rainfall purely as mm per year can be very deceptive though, a more useful metric would be days (or even hours) with rain reported, I've never really seen a comparison or league table of that though.

Continental climates get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer months than might only last an hour but drop more rain than an entire months worth of miserable drizzle in Galway. I know which one I'd prefer!

You are right about the measuring of annual rainfall. Orlando has nearly twice the rainfall of Dublin, but you can have a two-hour downpour of a thunderstorm in the afternoon, preceded by six straight hours of sunshine.

Alun

Donegal Storm wrote: »

Continental climates get a lot of thunderstorms in the summer months than might only last an hour but drop more rain than an entire months worth of miserable drizzle in Galway. I know which one I'd prefer!

True, but the weather the rest of the time in summer is also often very humid and uncomfortable too.

zisdead

The old " but Dallas has more rain than Dublin argument"

Still know the city I would prefer. You even get wall clouds , tornadoes, and as we see now snow as well as unlimited sunshine in most months.