Seasonality
There are two high seasons in Tyrol: winter and summer! The winter season starts in December and ends around March-April, depending on the level of snow in the resorts. It is, of course, essentially a tourism linked to winter sports. The summer season starts at the end of May or the beginning of June and ends at the end of October. This is when the natural sites (with or without entrance fees) and the long-distance hiking trails are accessible. In November and around April, many establishments take their annual vacations and some resorts, so lively in season, enter a phase of lethargy. This does not apply to the cities, of course, where hotels, restaurants, stores and cultural venues are open all year round.
Temperatures and rainfall
On the Austrian side: In Innsbruck (574 m above sea level), the average temperature is 18.1 °C in July, -1.7 °C in January. In Lienz (673 m above sea level), the average temperature in July is 17.9 °C and -5.2 °C in January, 7 °C on average per year. The annual average is 8.5 °C. In Bozen-Bolzano (260 m above sea level) we have 22 °C in July, 0.3 °C in January and 11.7 °C for the whole year. Precipitation in Innsbruck averages 896 mm per year, in Lienz 915.1 mm on the Austrian side. In Italy, it is 701.6 mm in Bozen-Bolzano. Thus, the South Tyrol enjoys much more sunshine (300 days of sunshine per year) and less rainfall than the Austrian Tyrol, and Trentino already has a much warmer, semi-Mediterranean climate. On the whole, it can be said that Tyrol has cold, wet winters with lots of snow (hence the quality of its ski resorts) and mild, temperate summers with lots of sunshine.
The climate is inspired by geography
With its typical mountain climate, Tyrol is indeed an alpine region. But there is an important difference between the Austrian and continental north of the region and the Italian south, where the influence of the Mediterranean largely penetrates the valleys. The contrast is roughly the same as that between the Savoyard climate and that of the Hautes-Alpes. On the Austrian side, thanks to harsher temperatures than on the southern side, but also than in the western Alpine regions, the snow cover is much higher at the same altitude. The Italian side of the Alps, on the other hand, can have a more Mediterranean feel, especially in the Adige Valley. Moreover, generalities are difficult to state in this type of region which knows as many variants as there are altitude curves, but also valleys: according to the exposure and the position in relation to the mountains, the valleys are more or less exposed to the winds, to the clouds...
Climate change and ecological impact
The global warming phenomenon is changing the fragile balance of ecosystems in a sustainable way. Like everywhere else, the numerous glaciers in Tyrol are gradually shrinking. It is still possible to ski on the following 5 glaciers which are open almost all year round: Kaunertaler, Sölden, Pitztaler, Stubai, Hintertux, but it is to be expected that this will no longer be the case in a few decades. Man is obviously not to blame: the ecological impact of winter tourism on the mountain ecosystem exists and the accelerated melting of glaciers is a consequence. In 2019, the NGO WWF had for example published completely unbelievable photos of shovels planing the glacier between Pitztal and the Ötztal area. The reason: to maintain the ski area..
