Climate zones in Kosovo, 1991 to 2020
Share of Kosovo's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 17,230 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 10,895 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 58%, D (cold (continental)) 42%.
Kosovo has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Cfa (humid subtropical), covers only 45% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Dfb (37%) and Cfb (9.8%). 5 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, humid subtropical means hot, humid summers and mild winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 46% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical).
How Kosovo's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 39% | 25% | Cfa +24.1 percentage points | Dfb -23.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 38% | 20% | Cfa +21.8 percentage points | Dfb -17.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 46% | 26% | Cfa +28 percentage points | Dfb -21.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 65% | 34% | Cfa +23.5 percentage points | Dfb -31.5 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 21% | 45% | 67% | 73% | 69% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 61% | 37% | 20% | 16% | 5.6% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 11% | 9.8% | 3.8% | 0.2% | - |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 6% | 4.8% | 1.7% | 0.5% | - |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.7% | 3% | 7.4% | 10% | 24% |
| ET Tundra | 0.3% | - | - | - | - |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | - | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | - | - | - | - | 0.1% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | - | - | 0.6% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Kosovo
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Dfb. See data sources and licences.