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B-
Would get an A if:
- winters would be a bit colder by about 4 degrees to give more chance for snowy days
- summers few degrees cooler (26C is my favorite high summer temperature and 18C for low)
- wetter summers (7-8 precipitation days instead of 3-4)
On average, there are 19 snowy days per year in Istanbul but this really depend on the years. In 2012, 25 snowy days have been recorded. The year before, less than 10. So can't really say a lot about the subject since Istanbul has a very unpredictable and variable weather. What I can say, is however:
Most of the snow Istanbul gets is a heavy See-Effect snow through the Black Sea, pretty much the same as the Lake- Effect Snow in the Great Lakes area. Cold dry wind from Siberia comes through the warmer Black Sea and gets enough humidity to cause snow on the shores of the Black Sea and the northern shores of Marmara Sea (Istanbul is located at the junction of the two). Even under intense conditions, which happen quite frequently (20.4 cm snow had fallen in 3 days last December 2013), snow rarely stays on the ground for more than 2-3 days. Istanbul is also almost as cloudy as Seattle is (based on mgm.gov.tr and wkipedia source).
But as Istanbulmert said, Istanbul has many micro-climates, that is, in Ataturk Airport, where official climate data for the city of Istanbul are recorded, there is usually less snow. On the Asian side of Istanbul, it usually snows more but is warmer in summer. On the European side, it is usually drier but colder. Istanbul is also trending to be warmer with time because of the concrete- island effect.
I hope I answered well!
Are You kidding me? or what. 19 days of snow per year on average. Hımm Where. I really wonder whether we are talking about the same city or not.
19 days of snow per year on average is impossible even for Çatalca Region where ıts known coolest place of Istanbul.It is only possible for extreme winters like 1929.
In 2012 we didnt have 25 snowy days. Officially we had 11 snowy days in 2012 winter 1 in december 4 in january and 6 in february.(You can google it)
Last december 2013 only northern part of the city experienced snow with no accumulation of 20,4cm only higher and inner part of Sarıyer region reported 5 cm of snow fallen and also where I live didnt snow.That snow also wasnt a lake- effect snow.Cold directly came from balkan penissula and caused to drop temperatures rapidly although 850hpa temperatures were high.
Officially On average snowy days for city center is 7 days(you can google it) 5 days for Şile region(which is another a micro-climate)
Snow staying on the ground days is between 0 to 15 days officially
Official climate data for the city of Istanbul isnt Atatürk Airport, it is Kartal station(Anatolian side)
Warmest place in summer is Bakırköy region
Warmest place in winter is Kartal region, Kadıköy region and Bakırköy region.(Almost no difference between those locations in winter where one of them is snowy than another is also snowy)
Are You kidding me? or what. 19 days of snow per year on average. Hımm Where. I really wonder whether we are talking about the same city or not.
Ok I understand your point but there is no need to go too emotional.
I agree with the fact that different parts of Istanbul do not get the same amount of snow.
But the data I got, were from the UN in Bonn, GER (I have access to climate reports and studies in the ZEI library because of my work on global warming).
So based on what I saw and read, Istanbul has 19 days of snow (4 in Dec, 6 in Jan, 6 in Feb, 3 in Mar). The data collected were from 1950 onward, those are the results for ATA airport/ Florya (left column = year; right column = nbr of snowy days):
1950 25
1951 5
1952 10
1953 28
1954 29
1963 30
1964 14
1965 17
1966 7
1967 NA
1968 11
1973 23
1974 20
1975 15
1976 26
1977 19
1978 11
1979 20
1980 33
1981 18
1982 15
1983 22
1984 14
1985 19
1986 14
1987 37
1988 9
1989 10
1990 7
1991 26
1992 30
1993 25
1994 12
1995 13
1996 30
1997 17
1998 17
1999 8
2000 20
2001 14
2002 17
2003 34
2004 20
2005 NA
2006 16
2007 3
2008 12
2009 3
2010 12
2011 4
2012 25
2013 9
In the 50s, the average number of snowy days was 20. In the 2000s, it went down to 15, that is already a decrease of 5 days in half a century.
The number of snowy days also includes the days where it snowed during one day but there was no constant cover/accumulation (referred to as 0.0cm).
Whether data are correct or no, I DO NOT KNOW. I just answered the question and thought it might help others. I cannot comment on how true those measurements are, neither I can assess it. I am just stating here what the UN adopts in the WMO.
I dont know how reliable your sources are but what i know the data u given about snowy days in 90s is wrong between 1991 and 1999 2 snowy days observed one in 1997 november and onether one in 1995 april. The numbers in my post is official numbers
I dont know how reliable your sources are but what i know the data u given about snowy days in 90s is wrong between 1991 and 1999 2 snowy days observed one in 1997 november and onether one in 1995 april. The numbers in my post is official numbers
It's a big city with lots of micro climates, maybe those stats are from the snowy part of town.
Anyway a lot less snow than Ankara
Here are the current wikipedia stats; A-, near perfection. If the summer nights were cooler it'd surely have to be A+.
This wiki charts do not represent istanbul's real climate because those stats were taken from northern part of the city(far away from the city centers). For proper stats you have to look at Kartal region, Bakırköy region Beyazıt region or Kadıköy region where most of people live there and, are known as city centers.
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