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The climate of Armenia
Armenia used to be a powerful country and it used to be much larger
than it is today. In 100 BC it bordered the Caspian Sea on the east
and it bordered the Mediterranean Sea on the west. Nowadays Armenia
has a surface area of a little under 30,000 square kilometres. Large
parts of Armenia are at an elevation of between 1,000 and 2,500
meters. Half the country has an elevation of at least 2,000 meters.
Only 3% of the country lies lower than 650 meters above sea level. The
mountainous landscape and differences in altitude are responsible for
a varying climate. This also makes for different types of landscape
because of the large diversity in plant and animal life. Armenia has a
moderate climate (type Dfa) and a high mountain climate (type EH) in
the highest regions. Differences in temperature are much larger here
and more snow falls here.
Dry summers
Summers in Armenia are dry and sunny. Summer starts in June and ends
in the second half of September. During this period daytime
temperatures are between 22-37 degrees Celsius; depending on the
altitude. Because humidity figures are low during these periods of
heat temperatures seem lower than they actually are. When hot air from
Russia reaches Armenia temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius are not
uncommon; with the exception of areas above 1,500 meters. With a
UV-index of 10-11 (the highest figure) the sun shines exuberantly.
UV-indexes here are virtually the same as in the Caribbean.
Short autumns
From the second half of September temperatures drop rapidly. Autumn in
Armenia only means dropping temperatures, unsettled weather is
uncommon in Armenia. This means that the amount of sunshine per day is
equal to the amount of daylight. Precipitation figures slightly rise
during October and November in comparison with September. However,
during the autumn heavy rainfall is uncommon.
Cold winters
After a relatively short autumn Armenia has a fairly cold winter. In
the capital of Jerevan maximum temperatures are around zero degrees
Celsius on average. During the night minimum temperatures are between
-6 and -10 on average. Jerevan is situated at an altitude of between
900 and 1,200 meters. Because air gets colder when you travel higher
temperatures are much lower at an altitude above 2,000 meters. Some
parts of the mountains hardly get any sunshine during the winter.
Large parts of the northern part of the mountains are in the shadow
for a large part of the day. During the day temperatures of -10 to -20
degrees Celsius are not uncommon. During clear nights temperatures may
even drop to -30 degrees Celsius. Armenia is ideal for winter sports
because of its cold and snowy winters. The best time for winter sports
in Armenia is February. However from December till April there will be
enough snow for winter sports.
Little precipitation
Armenia is a relatively dry country. During the winter precipitation
falls in the form of snow. After the winter precipitation falls in the
form of rain. In the southern part of Armenia along the Aras River
only 250-350 millimeters of rain falls on a yearly basis. In the
higher regions the total amount of precipitation may be 800
millimeters on a yearly basis. This is much less than the wettest
parts of the neighboring country of Georgia.
Climate figures
The figures below are based on long term weather and climate
records. They are an average for the capital of Yerevan:
Please, note that local deviations may occur
More climate information
Climate tables are useful but they don’t give an overall picture of
the climate and possible weather conditions during a period of time.
How high the chances are of hot or cold weather or hurricanes can
often not be found in these tables. This is why we offer extra climate
information per month. The information below is an average for
the capital Yerevan.
Disclaimer
The information at this site was carefully composed from climate data collected by meteorological services, meteorological offices, climate experts and other sources. “More climate info” is based on statistics, climate data and personal experience. No rights can be derived from this site. Weather has no memory and gives no guaranties. Nothing is as changeable and unpredictable as the weather. The authors of this site feel in no way responsible for any damages caused by misinterpretation or other circumstances that may influence your holiday or trip to a certain destination. We provide information, it’s up to the reader to use it to it’s benefit.
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= 0-5 mm ●
= 6-30 mm ●
= 31-60 mm ●
= 61-100 mm ●
= 101-200 mm ●
=
over 200 mm
