Kiel climate
Kiel (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C49 °F, and about 757 mm30 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kiel climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 337 | 032 | 134 | 672.6 | 16 |
| Feb | 338 | −131 | 134 | 542.1 | 15 |
| Mar | 643 | 134 | 338 | 481.9 | 11 |
| Apr | 1151 | 439 | 745 | 371.4 | 2 |
| May | 1560 | 847 | 1253 | 532.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 1966 | 1254 | 1560 | 702.8 | 0 |
| Jul | 2170 | 1558 | 1864 | 783.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 2169 | 1559 | 1864 | 833.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 1763 | 1253 | 1558 | 622.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 1355 | 847 | 1051 | 702.8 | 0 |
| Nov | 846 | 540 | 643 | 662.6 | 2 |
| Dec | 440 | 134 | 337 | 702.8 | 10 |
| Year | 2170 | −131 | 949 | 75730 | 56 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93% | 84% | 0.5 | 7:52 |
| Feb | 91% | 81% | 1.1 | 9:39 |
| Mar | 88% | 74% | 2.5 | 11:40 |
| Apr | 84% | 62% | 4.2 | 13:59 |
| May | 81% | 63% | 5.2 | 16:00 |
| Jun | 80% | 66% | 5.6 | 17:11 |
| Jul | 81% | 67% | 5.2 | 16:41 |
| Aug | 82% | 67% | 4.2 | 14:52 |
| Sep | 84% | 67% | 3.1 | 12:36 |
| Oct | 88% | 73% | 1.6 | 10:23 |
| Nov | 92% | 80% | 0.7 | 8:22 |
| Dec | 94% | 84% | 0.4 | 7:20 |
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 Kiel is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 21 °C70 °F and a low of 15 °C58 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C37 °F and lows 0 °C32 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 16.4 °C29.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 757 mm30 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 30% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (83 mm3.3 in), the driest is April (37 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 80% in June to 94% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 62%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 13 km/h (8 mph) in July to 18 km/h (11 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 7.3 hours in December to 17.2 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in January and February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in February, about 12 cm).
Best time to visit Kiel
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 21 °C70 °F with 70 mm2.8 in to 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C37 °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 Kiel
- Winter (December–February) — highs 337 to 4 °C40 °F, lows −131 to 1 °C34 °F, about 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 643 to 15 °C60 °F, lows 134 to 8 °C47 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 1254 to 15 °C59 °F, about 77 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 846 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 540 to 12 °C53 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Kiel compares
Compared with Hamburg, about 86 km to the south, Kiel has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in April (1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler).
Of the 62 places in Germany covered by World Climates, Kiel is the 54th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 29th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Germany climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Odense (Denmark, Cfb), Copenhagen (Denmark, Cfb) and Helsingborg (Sweden, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Lübeck 62 km · 9 °C48 °F · 705 mm28 in
- Hamburg 86 km · 9 °C49 °F · 753 mm30 in
- Odense 121 km · 9 °C48 °F · 700 mm28 in
- Rostock 133 km · 9 °C49 °F · 670 mm26 in
- Bremerhaven 133 km · 9 °C49 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Bremen 164 km · 9 °C49 °F · 752 mm30 in
- Oldenburg 182 km · 10 °C49 °F · 760 mm30 in
- Århus 204 km · 9 °C48 °F · 797 mm31 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kiel?
July is the warmest month in Kiel, with an average high of 21 °C (70 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (58 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kiel?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 3 °C (37 °F) and an average low of 0 °C (32 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kiel?
August is the wettest month with about 83 mm (3.3 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 37 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Kiel?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–August.
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.