Agostini's Farmhouse - Tuscany by the owner

forecast and climatology of Tuscany
arsia.toscana
weather.yahoo
cnn.com/weather/forecast

To talk of the ‘weather in Tuscany' is to generalise somewhat. Tuscany encompasses many diverse terrains and landscapes and the rules change from one zone to the next. Recently the weather has gone a little bit mad ( just like anywhere else in the world, hasn't it ? ) : June can be hotter than August, December can be as warm as April. There can be snow in the Pistoian mountains until the end of April, but it is also quite common to have beautiful sunny days at the beginning of March. In 2003 the Summer was very very dry , in 2005 it has been quite wet. In a few words, we can say that
1.Whenever you come, a sunny day is more probable than a rainy day, but a storm in August won't last more than one hour, whereas at the end of November it can be rainy all the night along.
2. We cannot talk about a really "cold" period, even though there can be occasionally strong winds and the temperatures can go a few degrees below zero, expecially during the first weeks of the year.
3. It can be hot during the summer, and the humidity does't help. Anyhow, there are several escapes : the fresh forests of the Pistoian mountains are a short ride away, just like the breezy sandy beaches of Versilia. If you don't feel like driving, the shadow of a tree in the garden can be your best friend ! Or you can just dive into one of the several open air swimming pools in Pistoia. Until noon and after 4 pm, it is never too hot, and you can walk in the historical centers and visit museums. During the night you can fully enjoy the outdoor Italian life :the squares are crowded by locals and tourists and you can have a dinner al fresco or enjoy a music festival!
Let's try to have a better idea of the fours seasons in Tuscany:
SPRING always seems to come quickly : March is azalea and camelia time, whilst in April and May all the country is in bloom. No doubt it is one of the nicest period to visit Italy :the temperatures are generally very comfortable.A proverb says :"Marzo, tempo pazzo", which means : "March, crazy weather". As a matter of fact, the weather can be pretty changeable during springtime : after a shower, the air is pure and clear and the panoramas of the hills around Pistoia is wonderful. You can also climb a hill and try to see the Cupola of the Duomo of Florence , far in the distance at the end of the valley. Also the countryside is beautiful : bright green fields dotted with colourful roses and flowers. The days are beginning to lengthen, and in fact during the month of May one can expect about 10 hours of daylight. The average temperatures for this season are between 65° and 75°.
SUMMER You can be sure that summer in Tuscany will be warm and sunny , even though some showers are possible in any period of the year.This situation is supposed to break around the day of Ferragosto in the middle of August, when temperatures start slowly to decrease, though September can still be very hot. The average summer temperature varies between 80° and 90°, sometimes reaching the 100° mark, but the evenings are usually comfortable.
AUTUMN is a beautiful season to have an Italian holiday. The weather up until the end of October and sometimes into November is lovely. The grape harvest is done in this season and seeing the vineyards in "full bloom" is really a treat. There is less toursim than in the summer months and the average temperatures of 75° to 70° is very comfortable for those who enjoy a more active type of vacation like walking or trekking. The autumn light is beautiful although the daylight hours are only about 8 to 9 hours a day. Early autumn is usually fairly dry - the wetter season starts around mid-November,when night-time temperatures begin to drop and the crisp Autumn days accompany the main olive harvest throughout Tuscany.
WINTER is a good time to visit Florence and Italy. Although Florence can get cold - the average winter temperature is around 50° - this season is sometimes wet, but one can also expect many lovely sunny days. There are many advantages to visiting Tuscany in the winter. Lines for the museums in Florence are generally non-existant . In December you can have a great shopping the enlightened historical centers.You can try the new olive oil, which has a much stronger and intense smell if compared to the one sold abroad a few months later. The mushrooms from the Pistoian mountains ( funghi porcini ) are divine and there are several festival dedicated to a particular seasonal product, like the one about white truffles in San Miniato . There are not many hours of daylight in December, but by February the days have lenghened considerably .