Page "Crete" Paragraph 26

Crete straddles two climatic zones, the Mediterranean and the North African, mainly falling within the former.

As such, the climate in Crete is primarily temperate.

The atmosphere can be quite humid, depending on the proximity to the sea, while winter is fairly mild.

Snowfall is common on the mountains between November and May, but rare in the low lying areas.

While mountain tops remain snow-capped year long, near the coast snow only stays on the ground for a few minutes or hours.

However, a truly exceptional cold snap swept the island in February 2004, during which period the whole island was blanketed with snow.

During the Cretan summer, average temperatures reach the high 20s-low 30s Celsius ( mid 80s to mid 90s Fahrenheit ), with maxima touching the upper 30s-mid 40s.