The Armenian Highlands exhibit all the characteristic features of the subtropical climatic zone, combined with variations caused by high-altitude vertical zonation and rugged terrain. In winter, temperature inversion often occurs in the valleys.
Due to its geographic location, the angle of solar radiation in the highlands ranges from 72°–77° in summer and 25°–30° in winter. Daylight lasts 15–16 hours in summer and decreases to 9 hours in winter. Sunshine duration is greatest in the Central Highlands, reaching 2,600–2,800 hours per year, while on the outer slopes of peripheral mountain ranges, due to increased cloudiness, it is only 1,600–1,800 hours annually.
Solar radiation intensity at 3,000 m elevation, for example on Mount Ararat and Mount Sipan, reaches 1.6–1.7 kcal/cm²; in Yerevan, it is 1.4–1.5 kcal/cm²; and on the Black Sea coast, 1.2–1.3 kcal/cm². At higher elevations, ultraviolet radiation becomes stronger, causing faster sunburn. The highest daily radiation occurs at noon, and the maximum annual radiation occurs in June. The total annual radiation is 120–130 kcal/cm² in the northern highlands and 150–165 kcal/cm² in the southern regions.
The climate is influenced by temperate, tropical, and sometimes Arctic air masses. Temperate air masses enter from the west, bringing moisture and relatively mild weather. Passing over the warm waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, they produce heavy precipitation on the north-facing slopes of the Eastern Pontic Mountains (2,000–3,000 mm). In the Central Highlands, however, precipitation is lower: the annual average is 400–500 mm, and in the lowland valleys (Ararat, Urmia, etc.), it is below 300 mm.
In summer, tropical warm and dry air masses penetrate from the south, raising summer temperatures in lowland valleys (sometimes above +40°C) and causing drought conditions.
In winter, temperate and sometimes Arctic air masses dominate. Late autumn and early spring frosts are frequent. Snow persists year-round above 4,200 m. Winters in the Central Highlands are long and snowy, with snowpack thickness reaching up to 2 m on high peaks.
The climate changes with altitude: the average temperature drops 5–6°C for every 1,000 m of ascent. Mean annual temperatures remain positive up to 3,000–3,400 m, and negative above that. On the peaks of Kajkar, Ararat, and Aragats, average temperatures range from -2° to -6°C. In winter, temperatures on highland areas of Kars and Ashotsk (1,700–2,100 m) can drop below -40°C.
The hottest month is July. Average July temperatures in the lowlands reach 25–30°C, in mid-altitude mountainous zones 15–20°C, and in highlands 5–10°C. The absolute maximum temperature was recorded in the Urmia Lake basin (+46°C).
Thus, the annual amplitude between maximum and minimum temperatures exceeds 90°C, highlighting the high continentality of the Armenian Highlands’ climate.
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