Climate Georgia Asia
Georgia’s climate is warm and pleasant and Mediterranean-like on the Black Sea coast. The warm climate of Georgia is determined in big part by the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, which keep cold northern winds away from Georgia. Winters are short and mild, and also high mountain regions offer a lot of sun.
The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation’s small size. There are two main climatic zones, roughly separating Eastern and Western parts of the country. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating Georgia’s climate and protects the nation from the penetration of colder air masses from the north. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south as well.
Much of western Georgia lies within the northern periphery of the humid subtropical zone with annual precipitation ranging from 1000–4000 mm. (39–157 inches). The precipitation tends to be uniformly distributed throughout the year, although the rainfall can be particularly heavy during the autumn months. The climate of the region varies significantly with elevation and while much of the lowland areas of western Georgia are relatively warm throughout the year, the foothills and mountainous areas (including both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains) experience cool, wet summers and snowy winters (snow cover often exceeds 2 meters in many regions). Adjara is the wettest region of the Caucasus, where the Mt. Mtirala rainforest, east of Kobuleti receives around 4500 mm (177 inches) of precipitation per year.
Eastern Georgia has a transitional climate from humid subtropical to continental. The region’s weather patterns are influenced both by dry, Central Asian/Caspian air masses from the east and humid, Black Sea air masses from the west. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by several mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. Annual precipitation is considerably less than that of western Georgia and ranges from 400–1600 mm (16–63 inches). The wettest periods generally occur during Spring and Autumn while Winter and the Summer months tend to be the driest. Much of eastern Georgia experiences hot summers (especially in the low-lying areas) and relatively cold winters. As in the western parts of the nation, elevation plays an important role in eastern Georgia where climatic conditions above 1500 meters are considerably colder than in the low-lying areas. The regions that lie above 2000 meters frequently experience frost even during the summer months.
The relatively small territory covers different climatic zones, which are determined by distance from the Black Sea and by altitude. The climatic zones range from humid subtropical to the eternal snow and glaciers.
West Georgia: Along the Black Sea coast, from the Russian to the Turkish border, and in the region known as the Colchic Lowlands, inland from the coast, the dominant subtropical climate features high humidity and heavy precipitation, which allows several varieties of palm trees to grow there. Midwinter average temperature here is 5 C and the midsummer average is 22C.
East Georgia: The plains of eastern Georgia are shielded from the influence of the Black Sea by the Likhi Mountains that provide a more continental climate. The average temperature in summer here is 20-24 degrees of Celsius, in winter 2-4 degrees of Celsius. Humidity is lower.
Alpine and highland regions in the east and west, as well as the semi-arid region on the Lori Plateau to the southeast have distinct microclimates. Alpine conditions start at 2,100 meters above sea level and above 3,600 meters year-round snow and ice is present.
Georgian Tourist Board for more information, see internet site
www.georgia.travel