Climate zones in Austria, 1991 to 2020
Share of Austria's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 144,630 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 83,756 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 82%, C (temperate) 11%, E (polar) 7.4%.
Dfb, warm-summer humid continental, is the main climate of Austria, covering 62% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Dfc (subarctic (boreal)) next at 20%. In plain terms, warm-summer humid continental means warm summers and cold, snowy winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 67% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical).
How Austria's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 25% | 18% | Cfb +10 percentage points | ET -6.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 48% | 32% | Cfa +19 percentage points | Dfb -19.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 67% | 43% | Cfa +33.9 percentage points | Dfb -23 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 96% | 66% | Cfa +62.3 percentage points | Dfb -38.4 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 65% | 62% | 43% | 39% | 24% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 21% | 20% | 15% | 11% | 5.8% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | 10% | 19% | 13% | 7% |
| ET Tundra | 14% | 7.4% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | 0.9% | 20% | 35% | 63% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Austria and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Cfb Temperate oceanic | Cfa Humid subtropical |
Zones found in Austria
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Dfb. See data sources and licences.