Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are typified by cold winters and pleasantly warm summers.

But sandwiched between the Baltic Sea and the huge Asian continent, temperatures across these three countries tend to be most extreme across the eastern interior, compared with the coast.

Throughout the winter months, temperatures remain close to or below freezing, both by day and night. The most severe cold occurs when winds arrive straight from the North Pole or from Arctic Siberia. During these frigid spells, at -20 Celsius, it’s almost too cold to snow! When moister Atlantic weather systems approach from the west, the cold tends to ease. However, this is when much of the snowfall occurs.

Springtime arrives through March and April, but it’s an erratic process. Warm sunshine and wintry showers can alternate on an almost daily basis, before the thaw finally wins out. The countryside blossoms into life and, by May, daytime temperatures are rising rapidly through the high teens and low twenties Celsius, although night-time frosts can still occur, especially inland.

Through the summer months, the weather is generally kind to visitors. Days are pleasantly warm, with temperatures mostly sitting within the comfort zone of the low to mid-20s Celsius. Perfect conditions to enjoy the historic and beautiful capital cities of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Hot southerly winds do occasionally bring steamy 30-degree heat and summer thunderstorms, but these are usually fleeting.

The longer late-summer nights soon bring a drop in temperature and, by autumn, a crisp chill is returning. However, it’s not usually until late October or November that the first snow flurries of winter arrive.

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Estonia

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