November, how bad is weather?

November is the best month for rain and floodings in Italy - last catastrophic flooding in Florence was on Nov. 4th, 1966 (a once-in-400-years event).

In the last years, due to climate change, November rain has not been so severe, but in 2023 there was serious rain in November, with a flooding at Prato. A feature of the climate change is that rain is overall less frequent, but extreme downpourings are more likely that in good old days.

So the reply is: probably in Naples and Rome there will be short rains, longer rains possible in Florence, serious downpouring can never be ruled out and acqua alta in Venice is very much possible.

Yes, August is very hot and due to climate change has become even hotter.

We went to Italy this last May, 2023, when Italy received unprecedented rain. I didn't realize that Europe had been in a drought. In Venice, it rained 48 straight hours without stopping.
My point- with changing weather trends, it's impossible to accurately predict what type of weather you may experience. You may get an idea of temperature from past history, but rainfall ???
Good luck and have a great trip!

Pat, we were in London and Paris last May/June and we didn't' get a single sprinkle the whole trip, I thought for sure we'd get several days with rain at least in London. I know we got super lucky because we heard about the Italy flooding while we were there. I guess it can be just luck of the draw because May is usually a lower rainfall month for Italy.

It is a dice roll but the other issue is that it is dark. Sunlight is limited on a good day. And the cold is not the same as Denver. It is the humidity and it is more bone chilling. Our preference would be August and deal with the heat and larger crowds.

I was in Rome the first week of December and it was light-jacket cool, not cold. We did get quite a bit of rain though.

November, expect rain.

Its Fall heading into Winter, aggressive storms not likely but, don't be surprised by a prolonged downpour. Overcast, dreary days with drizzly mornings/evenings are more likely. I visited Venice in mid-October for 3-nights back in '17, it rained just about the entire time we were there, in fact the only time it stoped and cleared was when we arrived and departed. I will say, a memorable view was taking the ferry from our side of Venice back to Ferrovia docks and admiring the clear view of the Alps in the background.

I lived in Florence until the age of 27, and after moving to the US, I used to go to Italy around Thanksgiving almost every year (my current job doesn't allow it anymore since November is our busiest month). In the about 50+ Novembers I've spent there, I'd say that the most frequent feature is rain (sometimes constant for days, sometimes short downpours) and cool to cold (even sleet, although rarely in Florence in November). Some years I was luckier and got less rain. You can check the weather averages below, but it's hard to predict exactly what you'll find, but for sure you should be prepared for the high probability of rain, and also cold temperatures (especially in Venice), Temps tend to get milder as you go south (Venice coldest, Naples mildest). Rain gets heavier as you move south (so opposite of temperatures). If you plan to visit museums, churches and stuff like that in large cities, the weather is not as relevant since you will be largely indoors, and November is less crowded with tourists. If the purpose of the trip is beach time and countryside visiting, then obviously August is the time to go.

https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/69010~71779~72429~76575/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Florence-Rome-Venice-and-Naples

We were in Italy in early to mid November of 2021. We thought it was a fantastic time to be there, since it wasn't very crowded (except for Florence).

We had mostly pleasant weather: cool mornings and evenings, warm during the middle of the day, and mostly sunny. We encountered a heavy thunderstorm with downpours one evening in Rome, plus another, brief, late-afternoon downpour. Our day in Pompeii was drizzly, and we were happy with this, because there was hardly anyone else there. We had a late-afternoon thunderstorm one day in Florence. (It lasted about half an hour, after which we were treated to a double rainbow over the city.) We had off-and-on showers the day we visited Sienna (mostly off). The weather was lovely when we were in Orvieto and in Verona. The only uncomfortably chilly day was our last day in Venice, when it was overcast and windy.

Our daughter was in Italy in mid-December in 2016. She encountered similar weather. However, she was just there again at the beginning of last month (January), and she encountered quite a bit more rain.

I don't know how typical these experiences are, but I would definitely choose to visit Italy in November again.

Both of our recent trips to Rome and Naples have been in late November, early December. Both times the weather was glorious and we ate outside. Having said that I think it’s getting more difficult to know what typical weather is in many places.