 While some mountain tops are snow-capped for most of the year, near the coast snow only stays on the ground for a few minutes or hours.However, a truly exceptional cold snap swept the island in February 2004, during which period the whole island was blanketed with snow.During the Cretan summer, average temperatures reach the high 20s-low 30s Celsius (mid 80s to mid 90s Fahrenheit), with maxima touching the upper 30s-mid 40s.