Lyon climate
Lyon (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C54 °F, and about 786 mm31 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lyon climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 744 | 032 | 338 | 542.1 |
| Feb | 847 | 032 | 439 | 461.8 |
| Mar | 1355 | 337 | 846 | 542.1 |
| Apr | 1763 | 643 | 1253 | 612.4 |
| May | 2170 | 1050 | 1660 | 823.2 |
| Jun | 2678 | 1458 | 2068 | 672.6 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1661 | 2272 | 652.6 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1660 | 2271 | 662.6 |
| Sep | 2374 | 1253 | 1864 | 622.4 |
| Oct | 1865 | 847 | 1356 | 823.2 |
| Nov | 1153 | 439 | 846 | 853.4 |
| Dec | 745 | 133 | 439 | 632.5 |
| Year | 2883 | 032 | 1254 | 78631 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90% | 73% | 1.3 | 9:03 |
| Feb | 86% | 69% | 2.2 | 10:18 |
| Mar | 81% | 64% | 3.5 | 11:46 |
| Apr | 77% | 63% | 4.7 | 13:28 |
| May | 76% | 68% | 5.4 | 14:54 |
| Jun | 71% | 58% | 6.4 | 15:42 |
| Jul | 66% | 50% | 6.4 | 15:22 |
| Aug | 66% | 51% | 5.5 | 14:07 |
| Sep | 72% | 55% | 4.1 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 80% | 66% | 2.6 | 10:50 |
| Nov | 88% | 73% | 1.5 | 9:24 |
| Dec | 91% | 72% | 1.1 | 8:41 |
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 Lyon is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows 0 °C32 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.1 °C34.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 786 mm31 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is November (85 mm3.4 in), the driest is February (46 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in August to 91% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 50%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in August to 9 km/h (6 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 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 12 cm).
Best time to visit Lyon
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 62 mm2.4 in to 82 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °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 Lyon
- Winter (December–February) — highs 744 to 8 °C47 °F, lows 032 to 1 °C33 °F, about 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1355 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 337 to 10 °C50 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2678 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1458 to 16 °C61 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1153 to 23 °C74 °F, lows 439 to 12 °C53 °F, about 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Lyon compares
Compared with Turin, about 234 km to the east, Lyon is on average 1.8 °C3.2 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in August (2.6 °C4.7 °F cooler).
Of the 36 places in France covered by World Climates, Lyon is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 10th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the France climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cfa), San Marino (San Marino, Cfa) and Geneva (Switzerland, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Villeurbanne 3 km · 12 °C54 °F · 842 mm33 in
- Saint-Étienne 50 km · 11 °C51 °F · 695 mm27 in
- Grenoble 93 km · 13 °C56 °F · 857 mm34 in
- Geneva 112 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,107 mm44 in
- Clermont-Ferrand 137 km · 11 °C52 °F · 700 mm28 in
- Lausanne 162 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
- Dijon 174 km · 11 °C51 °F · 795 mm31 in
- Besançon 189 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,216 mm48 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lyon?
July is the warmest month in Lyon, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lyon?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (44 °F) and an average low of 0 °C (32 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lyon?
November is the wettest month with about 85 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 46 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Lyon?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–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 433 m, while Lyon lies at about 173 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.7 °C3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.