Skopje climate
Skopje (North Macedonia) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C57 °F, and about 831 mm33 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Skopje climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 643 | −228 | 236 | 763.0 |
| Feb | 847 | −131 | 439 | 682.7 |
| Mar | 1356 | 337 | 846 | 732.9 |
| Apr | 1865 | 745 | 1355 | 662.6 |
| May | 2374 | 1254 | 1864 | 763.0 |
| Jun | 2883 | 1762 | 2272 | 572.2 |
| Jul | 3391 | 1967 | 2679 | 371.4 |
| Aug | 3392 | 1967 | 2679 | 391.5 |
| Sep | 2781 | 1458 | 2169 | 692.7 |
| Oct | 2169 | 949 | 1559 | 883.5 |
| Nov | 1457 | 440 | 949 | 973.8 |
| Dec | 745 | 031 | 338 | 853.3 |
| Year | 3392 | −228 | 1457 | 83133 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89% | 71% | 1.7 | 9:26 |
| Feb | 86% | 68% | 2.6 | 10:31 |
| Mar | 80% | 66% | 3.6 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 75% | 64% | 4.8 | 13:18 |
| May | 72% | 62% | 5.8 | 14:33 |
| Jun | 64% | 47% | 6.7 | 15:13 |
| Jul | 52% | 34% | 6.9 | 14:57 |
| Aug | 49% | 32% | 6.1 | 13:52 |
| Sep | 59% | 49% | 4.5 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 71% | 53% | 3.2 | 10:59 |
| Nov | 82% | 64% | 2.0 | 9:44 |
| Dec | 88% | 71% | 1.5 | 9:08 |
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 Skopje is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 6 °C43 °F and lows −2 °C28 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24.3 °C43.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 831 mm33 in. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 32% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (97 mm3.8 in), the driest is July (37 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 49% in August to 89% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 32%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in August to 7 km/h (4 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Skopje
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September and October: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 57 mm2.2 in to 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 6 °C43 °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 Skopje
- Winter (December–February) — highs 643 to 8 °C47 °F, lows −228 to 0 °C31 °F, about 76 mm3.0 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 1356 to 23 °C74 °F, lows 337 to 12 °C54 °F, about 72 mm2.8 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 2883 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1762 to 19 °C67 °F, about 44 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1457 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 440 to 14 °C58 °F, about 84 mm3.3 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 Skopje compares
Compared with Pristina, about 78 km to the north, Skopje is on average 3 °C5.5 °F warmer and receives 7% more precipitation (831 mm33 in vs 778 mm31 in). The difference is largest in August (3.4 °C6.1 °F warmer).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Parma (Italy, Cfa), Prizren (Kosovo, Cfa) and Piacenza (Italy, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Prizren 62 km · 13 °C56 °F · 861 mm34 in
- Pristina 78 km · 11 °C52 °F · 778 mm31 in
- Mitrovicë 109 km · 11 °C52 °F · 936 mm37 in
- Ohrid 111 km · 13 °C55 °F · 767 mm30 in
- Elbasan 149 km · 17 °C62 °F · 802 mm32 in
- Niš 153 km · 13 °C55 °F · 704 mm28 in
- Tirana 153 km · 16 °C61 °F · 872 mm34 in
- Sofia 174 km · 12 °C53 °F · 705 mm28 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Skopje?
August is the warmest month in Skopje, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Skopje?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 6 °C (43 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (28 °F).
When does it rain the most in Skopje?
November is the wettest month with about 97 mm (3.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 37 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Skopje?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and 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 745 m, while Skopje lies at about 247 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.2 °C5.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.