Lake Como weather is humid subtropical (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification). In winter, the lake helps to maintain a higher temperature in the surrounding region. Average daily temperatures range from ~ in January to in July, according to historical weather data from Como. Water temperatures can reach an average of in July. Snowfall is erratic and is mainly at higher elevations. Rainfall is heaviest in May and lowest during the winter months. Tourism As a tourist destination, Lake Como is popular for its landscapes, wildlife, and spas. It is a venue for sailing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. In 1818 Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Thomas Love Peacock: "This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty, with the exception of the arbutus islands of Killarney. It is long and narrow, and has the appearance of a mighty river winding among the mountains and the forests". In the area surrounding Lake Como there are several farms which produce goods such as honey, olive oil, cheese, milk, eggs and salamis. Visitors can find lists of these farms and typically visit the farm itself in person to make their purchases. In 2018, the Italian luxury label Dolce and Gabbana held a fashion event on Lake Como. Lakeside villas The lake is well known for the attractive villas that have been built there since Roman times, when Pliny the Younger built the Comedia and the Tragedia resorts. Many villas on the lake shores have admirable gardens that benefit from the mild climate induced by the stabilizing presence of of lake water and can sustain many subtropical and Mediterranean plants. Villa Carlotta was built for the Milanese Marquis Giorgio Clerici in 1690 and occupies a site of over at Tremezzo, facing the Bellagio peninsula. An Italian garden (with steps, fountains, and sculptures) was laid out at the same time. The villa was later sold to powerful banker and Napoleonic politician Giovanni Battista Sommariva. Stendhal was his guest in 1818, and his visit is recalled at the start of La Chartreuse de Parme. In 1843 it was purchased by Princess Marianne of Nassau as a wedding present for her daughter Carlotta, after whom the villa is now named. The latter, together with her husband Georg II of Saxen-Meiningen, laid out the woodland landscape park in Romantic style. The villa today includes a museum of agricultural implements as well as important works of sculpture by Sommariva's friend