Winter Weather in Tuscany, in central Italy, can vary a lot depending on the area you choose to visit. If you’re planning to visit Tuscany’s Top towns and cities – Florence, Pisa, Siena, Lucca – the weather won’t be an issue as it rarely snows in these towns. But if you’re planning a road trip around different areas it’s worth knowing what you can expect. Let’s take a look.
Winter Weather in Tuscany – Climate and temperatures
Tuscany has three climate areas: Northern and Eastern Tuscany, being mountainous, are the colder areas with snow practically every year (usually from late December to February) and a greater daily thermal excursion. The coast and south-central planes are the driest and warmest of the areas where temperatures can often be as high as 10 degrees, and rarely as low as zero. Lastly there’s the hinterland – where you find the renowned Chianti and Val d’Orcia regions – which is colder in winter with the chance of a few days of snow.
= > If you’re planning to drive around while in Tuscany during Winter, remember that having snow chains in your car between November and April is mandatory.
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Average temperatures in Winter in Tuscany
It usually starts getting cold by mid December (max. 12 – min. 4), the coldest months being January and February. During these months we see less rain but lower temperatures – the average being (max. 10 C – min. 3 C ) By the end of February the climate temperatures rise a bit and by March (average temp: max. 15 – min. 6) is still cold, especially at night, but days are longer. March gets a good amount of rain.
As a general rule, consider that temperatures are always a few degrees higher on the coastal areas and lower in the mountains. In the Apuan Alps to the north and the Apennines in the West temperatures at the peaks often get down to minus 10.
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The days are shorter (sunset 4:30 around in Florence in December, January 5pm, February 5.30pm) but during the day especially on sunny days it’s still quite pleasant, while when the sun goes down temperatures drop considerably.
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Insider’s TIP => Remember that if you book accommodation for your winter holiday, the price of heating is usually not included so make sure to check. Farmhouses are notably hard to heat, and Italian houses are usually not very well insulated, so don’t expect 25 degrees in the house!
Does it snow in Winter in Tuscany?
Snow is common in the mountainous areas (Apuan alps, Apennines, Mount Amiata) from December to March (Casentino, Garfagnana and Lunigiana areas). Between late December and February it is also not uncommon to get snow in the hilly Chianti area, the Colline Metallifere, and sometimes it snow on the planes too. Florence usually doesn’t get snow, but it has occasionally happened in unusually cold years.
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Best places to ski in Tuscany
The largest ski resort is the Abetone, north of Pistoia. It has slopes for every level, from beginners through to advanced. There’s a school and the possibility for cross-country skiing. (Official site: abetone.com)
Mount Amiata, with its beautiful beech forest, is another favourite. The mountains in Garfagnana (resorts in Careggine and Casone di Profecchia) and nothern Lunigiana (Passo Due Santi) offer great scenery, but shorter slopes. (Keep in mind that these are not the Alps, so snow and altitude are limited).
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