Montevideo enjoys a mild humid subtropical climate and it borders on an oceanic climate (Cfb). The city has cool winters, warm summers and volatile springs; there are numerous thunderstorms but no tropical cyclones. Due to its location in the southern hemisphere, its seasons are opposite to those of the Northern hemisphere; summer runs from December to March, followed by autumn in April and May; winter lasts from June to September, and spring is in October and November. Rainfall is regular and evenly spread throughout the year, reaching around a 800 millimetres (31 in).
Winters are generally wet, windy and overcast, while summers are hot and humid with relatively little wind. In winter there are bursts of icy and relatively dry winds and continental polar air masses, giving an unpleasant chilly feeling to the everyday life of the city. In the summer, a moderate wind often blows from the sea in the evenings which has a pleasant cooling effect on the city, in contrast to the unbearable summer heat of Buenos Aires.
Montevideo has an annual average temperature of 16 °C (61 °F). The lowest recorded temperature is ?5.6 °C (22 °F) while the highest is 42.8 °C (109.0 °F). Snowfall is extremely rare notably, snow fell on the city in 1980 although there have been some snows in the outer metropolitan area, and sleet is a frequent winter occurrence.
