Climate zones in Slovakia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Slovakia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 85,283 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 48,324 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 91%, C (temperate) 8.6%, E (polar) 0.2%.
Dfb, warm-summer humid continental, is the main climate of Slovakia, covering 85% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Cfa (humid subtropical) next at 6.8%. In plain terms, warm-summer humid continental means warm summers and cold, snowy winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 55% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfa (humid subtropical). The most common zone would then be Cfa (humid subtropical).
How Slovakia'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) | 14% | 8.9% | Cfa +6.8 percentage points | Dfb -6.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 37% | 30% | Cfa +29.5 percentage points | Dfb -26.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 55% | 49% | Cfa +50 percentage points | Dfb -43.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 87% | 81% | Cfa +81.8 percentage points | Dfb -74.8 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 91% | 85% | 58% | 42% | 10% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | 6.8% | 36% | 57% | 89% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 8.3% | 4.6% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | - | 1.5% | 1.7% | 0.3% | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Slovakia
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.