Munich has a continental climate, strongly modified by the proximity of the Alps. The city's altitude and proximity to the northern edge of the Alps mean that precipitation is relatively high. Rainstorms sometimes come violently and unexpectedly. The range of temperature between day and night or summer and winter can be considerable. A warm downwind from the Alps (a f�hn wind) can raise temperatures sharply within a few hours, even in the winter.
Winters last from December to March (but still snow appears sometimes even in May). Munich experiences cold winters, but heavy rainfall is rarely seen in the winter. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of ?2.2 �C (28 �F). Snow cover is seen for at least a couple of weeks during winter. Summers in Munich city are warm with an average maximum of 24.0 �C (75 �F) in the hottest month of July. Precipitation is, on average, highest between June and August
