It is commonly said that
you can experience each
of the four seasons on
the same day in some
part of Turkey. During
the spring months early
tourists bask in the
Mediterranean sunshine
of the south while on
the lofty mountain tops
above people are skiing.
The Black Sea region
glistens under spring
rains while Southeastern
Anatolia still sleeps
under a blanket of snow.
In some areas the
temperature variation
over 24 hours can be as
much as 20 oC. Average
precipation from region
to region also varies
enormously. For a
country located in a
temperate climatic zone,
this variety is unusual,
and is due to the
diverse nature of
Turkeys landscape,
ranging as it does from
low-lying plains to
towering peaks, and in
particular to the
existence of mountain
ranges running parallel
to the coast.
The Mediterranean
region, to the joy of
the millions of
sunworshipers who visit
it annually, experiences
the hot, dry summers
typical of southern
Greece and Italy, and
its mild winters last
only from December to
March. The climate of
the Aegean is similar
though with lower
temperatures. The
climate of the Marmara
Sea and Istanbul,
influenced by the Balkan
Peninsula, is less
appealing. Warm, humid
summers are followed by
cool, rainy winters with
lots of grey sky but not
much snow. The Northern
slopes of the Black Sea
ranges and the narrow
strip of land bordering
the Pontus Euxine are
misted over with rain
year-round and are known
for the resulting
luxuriant green
vegetation. The summers
of the Central Anatolian
plateau are hot and dry
and the winters cold but
fairly dry. Further
east, the altitude
increases and harsh
winters with heavy snow
between October and May
are followed by blazing
hot summers. In the
Southeast a Middle
Eastern influence exerts
itself with cool dry
winters and torrid
summers.
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