GreenlyGardening in Austria: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 11 cities of Austria from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 126 days in Klagenfurt to 219 days in St. Pölten. The last spring frost comes first in Linz (around 7 April) and last in Klagenfurt (around 21 May).
Climate zones of Austria
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
| Zone | Cities | Frost-free days | Last spring frost | First autumn frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210–269 frost-free days | Linz, Vienna, St. Pölten, Dornbirn | 215 – 219 | 7 April – 17 April | 12 November – 18 November |
| 150–209 frost-free days | Wels, Salzburg, Wiener Neustadt, Innsbruck, Graz, Villach | 161 – 208 | 16 April – 29 April | 7 October – 10 November |
| Short season: under 150 frost-free days | Klagenfurt | 126 | 21 May | 24 September |
How the regions of Austria differ
The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Graz (29.9 °C) and smallest in Dornbirn (26.7 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. Dornbirn is the wettest of these cities with 1,769 mm a year, Wiener Neustadt the driest with 711 mm. The hottest summer days are in Wiener Neustadt (26.2 °C on average in the warmest month), the coolest in Klagenfurt (18.6 °C). In all 11 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Klagenfurt (November–April).
Which crops suit which part of Austria
Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing | Season long enough | Tight or too short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 7 May (St. Pölten) – 29 July (Dornbirn) | 10 of 11: Linz, Vienna, St. Pölten, Wels and 6 more | 1 of 11: Klagenfurt |
| Cucumber | 4 June (Linz) – 3 September (Dornbirn) | all 11 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 4 June (Linz) – 2 August (Villach) | 10 of 11: Linz, Vienna, St. Pölten, Wels and 6 more | 1 of 11: Klagenfurt |
| Zucchini | 4 June (Linz) – 1 September (Dornbirn) | all 11 | — |
| Pumpkin | 4 June (Linz) – 28 July (Villach) | 10 of 11: Linz, Vienna, St. Pölten, Wels and 6 more | 1 of 11: Klagenfurt |
| Watermelon | 4 June (Linz) – 13 August (Villach) | all 11 | — |
| Peas | 17 March (Linz) – 5 September (Dornbirn) | all 11 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 25 August (Klagenfurt) – end of December (Linz) | — | — |
Cities of Austria: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linz | 219 | July, 26.2 °C | January, -2.5 °C | 839 mm | February | 42 |
| Vienna | 219 | July, 24.9 °C | January, -2.9 °C | 716 mm | February | 57 |
| St. Pölten | 219 | July, 26.2 °C | January, -2 °C | 771 mm | February | — |
| Wels | 207 | July, 25.6 °C | January, -2.8 °C | 882 mm | March | — |
| Salzburg | 192 | July, 24.4 °C | January, -4 °C | 1,529 mm | February | 43 |
| Wiener Neustadt | 204 | July, 26.2 °C | January, -2.9 °C | 711 mm | January | — |
| Dornbirn | 215 | July, 24.1 °C | January, -2.6 °C | 1,769 mm | February | — |
| Innsbruck | 161 | August, 23.2 °C | January, -5.9 °C | 1,397 mm | February | 32 |
| Graz | 208 | July, 26.1 °C | January, -3.8 °C | 855 mm | January | 50 |
| Klagenfurt | 126 | July, 18.6 °C | January, -9.1 °C | 1,443 mm | January | 21 |
| Villach | 166 | July, 21.8 °C | January, -6.6 °C | 1,524 mm | January | — |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
