Bloemfontein straddles the meeting point of the Highveld and the semi-arid Karoo region and the city experiences a semi-arid climate, with hot summers and cold, dry winters. The city gets plenty of sunshine, but by South African standards, it experiences extreme temperatures in mid-summer and mid-winter.The average temperatures in summer, between December and February, range between 59°F (15°C) and 88°F (31°C), and in the winter, between June and August, average temperatures range between 28°F (-2°C) and 63°F (17°C).The city tends to be dry and dusty in winter, with most of the rainfall coming in the summer months. This rainfall normally arrives in the form of dramatic and short-lived afternoon thunderstorms, often serving as a relief from the heat. In winter, snow is rare, but frost is very common.The best time to visit Bloemfontein is in the shoulder seasons of spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) when the weather is less extreme, but summers can be pleasant despite the heat, particularly as the frequent thunderstorms are rather refreshing. Bloemfontein tends to empty out over the festive season, when many South Africans migrate to the coast for holidays.
