© Braunlage Tourismus Marketing GmbH, Foto: Richter

The weather in the Harz Mountains

Anticipation is the greatest joy - and so is planning a holiday.
Whether you are planning a day trip or a stay in the Harz mountains lasting several days - the weather always plays an important role when packing one’s bags.

Here you will find helpful information about the general climatic conditions of the Harz Mountains as well as current weather data of selected destinations. From Bad Harzburg in the north to Thale in the east to Nordhausen in the south, to Osterode in the west and Braunlage in the middle of the Upper Harz. Well informed you can start your holiday with the right equipment!

 

Climatic conditions

Come rain or shine the Harz Mountains have a lot to offer all-season.

In spring the animals here slowly awaken from their hibernation. On exciting walks through nature there are plants to be discovered everywhere, which slowly make their way through the dark earth to daylight.
In the summer months there are numerous warm days which allow exploring nature through a variety of outdoor activities. Historical towns, cities and their sights invite you to stroll around and cultural events let mild summer evenings come to a cosy end. Autumn entices with colourful deciduous trees and foggy forests, while in winter the Harz Mountains turn into a beautiful snowy landscape, making it a popular winter sports region.

The climatic conditions in the Harz Mountains are versatile. The wealth of plant and animal species is due to Atlantic influences in the west and continental influences in the east.
The Upper Harz is characterised by an annual average temperature of 5 ° C to 6 ° C and an annual precipitation of 1,000 mm to 1,400 mm - in the summit areas even up to 1,800 mm in the form of rain or snow. The climate in the high altitudes of the Harz National Park is extreme in all respects. In January, the temperatures of the high Harz mountains are similar to those of northern Iceland, in July to those of the northern Arctic Ocean.

Due to the backwater effect of the Brocken, the Lower Harz (Eastern parts of the Harz Mountains) lies in the rain shadow of the Upper Harz and therefore has a mild and dry climate which is more influenced by the Eastern European mainland. Temperatures are only 1° C to 2° C below those of the Harz foreland and the annual precipitation decreases towards the east up to 650 mm.

300 Days

of the year the Brocken is more or less shrouded in fog

3,5 °C

is the annual average temperature on the Brocken (average value from 1981 to 2010). So we recommend to always have a jacket on hand!

6 m

high can snowdrifts be in winter

263 km/h

was the highest wind speed measured on the Brocken summit in November 1984

It appears that you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your web browser to access our site.

For practical and security reasons, we recommend that you use a current web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, or Edge. Internet Explorer does not always display the complete content of our website and does not offer all the necessary functions.