Winters are cool due to its altitude, which is approximately 667 m above sea level and distance from the moderating effect of the sea. While mostly sunny, rain, sporadic snowfalls and frequent frosts can occur between December and February with cooler temperatures particularly during the night and mornings as cold winds blow into the city from surrounding mountains.

Summers are hot and sunny, in the warmest month, July, average temperatures during the day range from 32 to 34 °C (90 to 93 °F) depending on location, with maxima commonly climbing over 35 °C (95 °F) and occasionally up to 40 °C during the frequent heat waves.

Due to Madrid’s altitude and dry climate, humidity is low and diurnal ranges are often significant, particularly on sunny winter days when the temperature rises in the afternoon before rapidly plummeting after nightfall. Madrid is among the sunniest capital cities in Europe.

Precipitation is typically concentrated in the autumn and spring, and, together with Athens, which has similar annual precipitation, Madrid is the European capital with less annual precipitation. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms during the season.

At the metropolitan scale, Madrid features both substantial daytime urban cool island and nightime urban heat island effects during the hot season in relation to its surroundings, which feature thinly vegetated dry land.