Kitzbuhel is a world famous ski resort area situated high in the Alps, in Austria, about 100 km east of Innsbruck. The small, Tyrolean style village is a skierâs delight, featuring more than 150 days of downhill thrills a season. It is also the home to the World Cup ski races on the famous and challenging Streif slope. Outdoor lovers also find plenty of sports action during the warmer months when the snow on the lower elevations is gone and is replaced with summer grass.
Climate
The village of Kitzbuhel is at 1,400m elevation and is surrounded by higher mountains. It has an alpine climate, with the ski season starting in December and lasting until April. The highest lift carries skiers up to 2870m. Although the area gets a lot of precipitation, the resort operators also use snow cannons to make sure the slopes are groomed to meet their high standards. During the summer months, the weather warms up enough so visitors can enjoy the sun without worrying about having to endure a heat wave.
Winter
The ski season officially kicks off in December. The average temperature is -2C, with an average high of 0C and a low of -4C. The average humidity is 70%, as December gets 70mm of precipitation with 2 rain days. Visitors will have plenty of daylight though to enjoy the slopes, with the sun shining an average of 10 hours a day.
The snow continues to fall and the thermometer continues to drop in January. With an average temperature of -3C, the high temperature averages -1C and the low -5C. Visitors will not see any drastic changes in the humidity from last month, with the January average still at 70%. Kitzbuhel is known for having consistent snowfall with average for this month at 60mm. Thereâs an average of 3 days of rainy weather. On a typical day, the sun shines 10 hours.
February is the coldest month. The average temperature drops to -4C. The average high temperature reaches -2C and the low is -5C. Another 90mm of precipitation falls to help keep the slopes in top shape, with 1 full day of rain on average. The humidity increases to 75%. The sun will be out an average of 10 hours a day.
Visitors will find March a little warmer, but will still see more snow. The average temperature warms up slightly to -1C, with an average high of -2C and a low of -3C. The precipitation increases to 110mm, which adds to the more than 2.5m of snow that falls in the valley every year. It rains, on average, 3 days this month. The humidity goes up to 80%. Skiers can expect to spend more time on the slopes though, with the sun shining 11 hours a day.
April is a time of transition, when the ski season ends and thereâs more rain than snow. The average temperature increases to just above freezing at 1C, as the average high temperature moves up to 3C with the low averaging -1C. There is an average of 120mm of precipitation, with 5 days of rain. The average humidity is 80% with an average of 12 hours of sunshine.
Spring
The warmer weather continues into May, as the average daily temperature climbs to 7C. The average temperatures stay well above freezing, with a high of 10C and a low of 4C. Look for the rain to increase. The average for the month is 130mm with 9 rainy days. The humidity drops slightly though to 75%. The sun will shine 11 hours a day on average.
The spring season is a short one in the alpine mountains, as the weather continues to quickly warm up in June. The average temperature is 10C, with the average high getting up to 13C and the low at 7C. Rainfall total for the month averages 160mm, and visitors can expect to see 11 rainy days as the humidity climbs back up to 80%. Even though it is warmer, thereâs only an average of 10 hours of sunlight a day.
Summer
Tennis fans head to the valley in July for the start of the Austrian Open. It is the warmest month of the year, as the daily average temperature climbs to 12C. The average high is 15C and the low 8C. There is an average of 180mm of rain for the month of July. Visitors may want to keep their umbrellas handy for the 11 days of wet weather. The humidity remains unchanged from the last month, averaging 80%. The sunshine drops to an average of 8 hours per day.
The warmer weather continues into the last full month of summer in the high mountains. Look for the average temperature to be 10C, as the expected high drops to 12C and the low hovers at 7C. The rainfall tapers off to an average of 160mm with an average of 11 rainy days for the month. The humidity stays at 80%. Thereâs less sun in August, on average, than any other time in the valley, with only 7 hours of sunshine a day.
Autumn
September is another month of changes with the weather cooling off. The average temperature is 8C. The average high temperature is 10C with an average low of 5C. Visitors will see less rain, as the average precipitation is 120mm for a total of 9 rainy days. The average humidity remains unchanged at 80%. The average amount of sun increases by an hour to 8 hours a day.
Visitors to the valley in October will need to bring their warmer clothes. The average temperature drops to 5C, with an average high of 7C and a low of 3C. The weather is drier though, with the average monthly rainfall dropping to 60mm. Thereâs an average of 6 rainy days and 75% humidity. Thereâs 9 hours of sunshine daily on average.
The freezing cold usually starts in November. The average daily temperature is 0C, with the average high getting up to 2C and the low dropping to -2C. The rain remains constant for another monthly average of 60mm, with 4 days of rain and the humidity at 75%. The amount of sunlight increases though, to an average of 10 days of sunshine a day.