southwest, the city is also expanding into the surrounding hills which were first occupied in the Neolithic period. The whole city is affected by the presence of groundwater, the level of which varies by up to a metre, being at its highest in spring due to snow melting in the mountains inland. The city is very close to the mountains, and the ski slopes of Passo Lanciano it only takes a 30 minutes drive. Climate Pescara has a borderline Mediterranean climate (Csa) and humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Since its driest month has of precipitation, the city cannot be solely classified as Mediterranean. Not to mention, although there is a dry tendency in early summer, August (late summer) is wetter than the winter month of February, which is unusual for the Mediterranean pattern. The average temperature is around in the coldest month (January) and in the warmest month (July). The lowest temperature recorded in the city was on 4 January 1979. The highest was registered on 30 August 2007 at . Precipitation is low (around per annum) and concentrated mainly in the late autumn. Pescara is a coastal city, but its climate is influenced by the surrounding mountains (the Maiella and the chain of Gran Sasso). When the wind is southwesterly, Pescara experiences a Foehn wind that often reaches , causing a sudden increase in temperature and decrease in relative humidity, and for that reason winters with temperatures that exceed almost daily are not unknown. Under northeasterly winds Pescara suffers precipitation which is generally weak, but can be much more intense if accompanied by a depression. Also from the north east comes winter weather from Siberia that, on average, brings abundant snowfalls every 3–4 years. In summer the weather is mostly stable and sunny with temperatures that, thanks to the sea breeze, rarely exceed 35 degrees unless a southwesterly Libeccio is blowing. Particularly in summer, but also in winter, the high humidity leads to morning and evening mist or haze. History Pescara's origins precede the Roman conquest. It was founded to be the port of Vestini and Marrucini tribes to trade with the peoples of the Orient, a supporting role that was held for centuries. The name of both the town and the river was Aternum (in Greek Άτερνος), it was connected to Rome through the Via Claudia Valeria and the Via Tiburtina. The main