Plovdiv climate
Plovdiv (Bulgaria) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C58 °F, and about 661 mm26 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Plovdiv climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 744 | −228 | 236 | 612.4 |
| Feb | 949 | −131 | 440 | 481.9 |
| Mar | 1457 | 337 | 947 | 562.2 |
| Apr | 1966 | 745 | 1355 | 471.9 |
| May | 2576 | 1355 | 1966 | 672.6 |
| Jun | 2985 | 1763 | 2374 | 712.8 |
| Jul | 3290 | 1967 | 2679 | 562.2 |
| Aug | 3391 | 1967 | 2679 | 351.4 |
| Sep | 2781 | 1558 | 2170 | 502.0 |
| Oct | 2169 | 948 | 1559 | 562.2 |
| Nov | 1458 | 440 | 949 | 491.9 |
| Dec | 847 | 031 | 439 | 652.5 |
| Year | 3391 | −228 | 1458 | 66126 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 69% | 1.7 | 9:25 |
| Feb | 80% | 69% | 2.5 | 10:31 |
| Mar | 75% | 67% | 3.5 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 71% | 65% | 4.6 | 13:18 |
| May | 67% | 65% | 5.5 | 14:33 |
| Jun | 61% | 55% | 6.1 | 15:14 |
| Jul | 53% | 42% | 6.4 | 14:58 |
| Aug | 51% | 38% | 5.8 | 13:52 |
| Sep | 57% | 51% | 4.3 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 69% | 58% | 2.9 | 10:59 |
| Nov | 78% | 66% | 1.9 | 9:43 |
| Dec | 83% | 69% | 1.4 | 9:07 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Plovdiv is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows −2 °C28 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 23.8 °C42.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 661 mm26 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 29% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (71 mm2.8 in), the driest is August (35 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 51% in August to 84% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in June to 7 km/h (4 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 14 cm).
Best time to visit Plovdiv
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–June and September and October: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 47 mm1.9 in to 71 mm2.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Plovdiv
- Winter (December–February) — highs 744 to 9 °C49 °F, lows −228 to 0 °C31 °F, about 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1457 to 25 °C76 °F, lows 337 to 13 °C55 °F, about 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2985 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1763 to 19 °C67 °F, about 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1458 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 440 to 15 °C58 °F, about 52 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Plovdiv compares
Compared with Sofia, about 132 km to the northwest, Plovdiv is on average 2.8 °C5.1 °F warmer and receives 6% less precipitation (661 mm26 in vs 705 mm28 in). The difference is largest in June (3.1 °C5.6 °F warmer).
Of the 6 places in Bulgaria covered by World Climates, Plovdiv is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Bulgaria climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Edirne (Turkey, Csa), Parma (Italy, Cfa) and Skopje (North Macedonia, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Stara Zagora 80 km · 13 °C56 °F · 659 mm26 in
- Sofia 132 km · 12 °C53 °F · 705 mm28 in
- Edirne 159 km · 15 °C58 °F · 614 mm24 in
- Ruse 212 km · 13 °C55 °F · 607 mm24 in
- Thessaloníki 226 km · 15 °C60 °F · 515 mm20 in
- Burgas 227 km · 14 °C57 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Craiova 253 km · 12 °C54 °F · 674 mm27 in
- Çanakkale 262 km · 17 °C62 °F · 615 mm24 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Plovdiv?
August is the warmest month in Plovdiv, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Plovdiv?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (44 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (28 °F).
When does it rain the most in Plovdiv?
June is the wettest month with about 71 mm (2.8 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 35 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Plovdiv?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–June and September and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 442 m, while Plovdiv lies at about 163 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.8 °C3.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.