Lausanne climate
Lausanne (Switzerland) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 1,175 mm46 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lausanne climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 541 | −229 | 235 | 923.6 |
| Feb | 643 | −229 | 236 | 712.8 |
| Mar | 1051 | 236 | 643 | 903.5 |
| Apr | 1560 | 643 | 1151 | 813.2 |
| May | 1967 | 1050 | 1558 | 1265.0 |
| Jun | 2474 | 1558 | 1966 | 1144.5 |
| Jul | 2678 | 1661 | 2170 | 1154.5 |
| Aug | 2577 | 1660 | 2169 | 1204.7 |
| Sep | 2170 | 1253 | 1762 | 813.2 |
| Oct | 1763 | 846 | 1355 | 943.7 |
| Nov | 1051 | 338 | 744 | 903.6 |
| Dec | 643 | −131 | 337 | 1014.0 |
| Year | 2678 | −229 | 1152 | 1,17546 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85% | 76% | 1.4 | 8:58 |
| Feb | 84% | 74% | 2.2 | 10:15 |
| Mar | 81% | 70% | 3.4 | 11:46 |
| Apr | 77% | 69% | 4.4 | 13:31 |
| May | 78% | 73% | 5.1 | 14:59 |
| Jun | 75% | 66% | 6.0 | 15:48 |
| Jul | 72% | 59% | 6.0 | 15:28 |
| Aug | 72% | 60% | 5.2 | 14:10 |
| Sep | 76% | 60% | 4.0 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 79% | 68% | 2.6 | 10:48 |
| Nov | 84% | 75% | 1.5 | 9:19 |
| Dec | 84% | 76% | 1.1 | 8:35 |
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 Lausanne is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 26 °C78 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C41 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.4 °C35 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,175 mm46 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (126 mm5.0 in), the driest is February (71 mm2.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in July to 85% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 6 km/h (4 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 8.6 hours in December to 15.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Lausanne
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are September: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 21 °C70 °F with 81 mm3.2 in to 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C41 °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 Lausanne
- Winter (December–February) — highs 541 to 6 °C43 °F, lows −229 to −1 °C31 °F, about 88 mm3.5 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 1051 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 236 to 10 °C50 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2474 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 1558 to 16 °C61 °F, about 116 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1051 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 338 to 12 °C53 °F, about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Lausanne compares
Compared with Geneva, about 51 km to the southwest, Lausanne is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler and receives 6% more precipitation (1,175 mm46 in vs 1,107 mm44 in). The difference is largest in August (0.8 °C1.5 °F cooler).
Of the 6 places in Switzerland covered by World Climates, Lausanne is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd 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: Besançon (France, Cfb), Freiburg (Germany, Cfb) and Ljubljana (Slovenia, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Geneva 51 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,107 mm44 in
- Bern 79 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,142 mm45 in
- Besançon 94 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,216 mm48 in
- Basel 136 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,062 mm42 in
- Mulhouse 147 km · 11 °C51 °F · 846 mm33 in
- Dijon 152 km · 11 °C51 °F · 795 mm31 in
- Villeurbanne 159 km · 12 °C54 °F · 842 mm33 in
- Lyon 162 km · 12 °C54 °F · 786 mm31 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lausanne?
July is the warmest month in Lausanne, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lausanne?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (41 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lausanne?
May is the wettest month with about 126 mm (5.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 71 mm (2.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Lausanne?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are 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 1,056 m, while Lausanne lies at about 453 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.9 °C7.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.