Abstract
There are three main types of climate in Slovenia: a temperate humid climate with hot summers, a temperate continental climate, and a mountain climate, each of them with several subtypes. The average annual temperature is highest along the coast, where it exceeds 12 °C. In central Slovenia these values are between 8 and 10 °C, falling below freezing only on the highest peaks. Most temperature extremes have been recorded in the interior of Slovenia, where temperature inversions are frequent in the winter; in the spring damage is caused by frost and in the summer by drought. Slovenia is well supplied with solar energy and is fairly wet, with an average annual precipitation of 1750 mm. The highest amount of precipitation is in the northwest and the least is in the northeast. The greatest precipitation in the Julian Alps in the northwestern part of the country is three times greater than that in Pannonian northeastern Slovenia. In the winter snow regularly covers the entire country except for the coastal zone. Compared to the rest of Europe, Slovenia is record-setting for the annual number of thunderstorm days, and due to its varied relief, it is not as windy. It is characterized by an overall trend of rising temperatures, and the amount of precipitation is increasing particularly in the western half of the country, although in other parts no noticeable trend diverging from long-term averages has been observed.
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Komac, B., Pavšek, M., Topole, M. (2020). Climate and Weather of Slovenia. In: Perko, D., Ciglič, R., Zorn, M. (eds) The Geography of Slovenia. World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14066-3_5
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