Basel climate
Basel (Switzerland) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 1,062 mm42 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Basel climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 440 | −229 | 134 | 753.0 |
| Feb | 642 | −229 | 236 | 592.3 |
| Mar | 1151 | 135 | 643 | 742.9 |
| Apr | 1660 | 542 | 1151 | 753.0 |
| May | 2067 | 1049 | 1558 | 1184.6 |
| Jun | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 1054.1 |
| Jul | 2578 | 1560 | 2069 | 1074.2 |
| Aug | 2577 | 1559 | 2068 | 1104.4 |
| Sep | 2169 | 1151 | 1660 | 793.1 |
| Oct | 1661 | 744 | 1153 | 943.7 |
| Nov | 949 | 236 | 643 | 773.0 |
| Dec | 541 | −131 | 236 | 863.4 |
| Year | 2578 | −229 | 1151 | 1,06242 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 91% | 77% | 1.1 | 8:50 |
| Feb | 88% | 73% | 1.9 | 10:11 |
| Mar | 83% | 67% | 3.2 | 11:45 |
| Apr | 79% | 66% | 4.5 | 13:34 |
| May | 79% | 70% | 5.2 | 15:06 |
| Jun | 77% | 64% | 6.0 | 15:57 |
| Jul | 76% | 59% | 5.9 | 15:36 |
| Aug | 77% | 60% | 5.0 | 14:15 |
| Sep | 80% | 60% | 3.8 | 12:29 |
| Oct | 86% | 69% | 2.4 | 10:45 |
| Nov | 90% | 77% | 1.3 | 9:13 |
| Dec | 91% | 77% | 0.9 | 8:27 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Basel is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 25 °C78 °F and a low of 15 °C60 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 4 °C40 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19 °C34.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,062 mm42 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (118 mm4.6 in), the driest is February (59 mm2.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in July to 91% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in August to 8 km/h (5 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.5 hours in December to 16.0 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 15 cm).
Best time to visit Basel
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and September: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 79 mm3.1 in to 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 4 °C40 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Basel
- Winter (December–February) — highs 440 to 6 °C42 °F, lows −229 to −1 °C31 °F, about 74 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1151 to 20 °C67 °F, lows 135 to 10 °C49 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2475 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1457 to 15 °C60 °F, about 108 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 949 to 21 °C69 °F, lows 236 to 11 °C51 °F, about 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Basel compares
Compared with Freiburg, about 53 km to the northeast, Basel has practically the same average temperature and receives 16% less precipitation (1,062 mm42 in vs 1,260 mm50 in). The difference is largest in July (0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer).
Of the 6 places in Switzerland covered by World Climates, Basel is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Switzerland climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Freiburg (Germany, Cfb), Mulhouse (France, Cfb) and Besançon (France, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Mulhouse 28 km · 11 °C51 °F · 846 mm33 in
- Freiburg 53 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
- Bern 69 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,142 mm45 in
- Zürich 76 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,313 mm52 in
- Strasbourg 115 km · 11 °C52 °F · 757 mm30 in
- Besançon 122 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,216 mm48 in
- Lausanne 136 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
- Vaduz 154 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,428 mm56 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Basel?
July is the warmest month in Basel, with an average high of 25 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (60 °F).
What is the coldest month in Basel?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 4 °C (40 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Basel?
May is the wettest month with about 118 mm (4.6 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 59 mm (2.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Basel?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 563 m, while Basel lies at about 279 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.8 °C3.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.