Zürich climate
Zürich (Switzerland) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C50 °F, and about 1,313 mm52 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zürich climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 338 | −327 | 032 | 943.7 | 24 |
| Feb | 540 | −327 | 134 | 742.9 | 22 |
| Mar | 1049 | 134 | 541 | 923.6 | 14 |
| Apr | 1558 | 541 | 1050 | 913.6 | 4 |
| May | 1965 | 949 | 1457 | 1415.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 2373 | 1456 | 1864 | 1395.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2475 | 1559 | 2067 | 1445.7 | 0 |
| Aug | 2374 | 1559 | 1966 | 1465.8 | 0 |
| Sep | 1967 | 1151 | 1559 | 1034.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 1559 | 744 | 1151 | 1014.0 | 2 |
| Nov | 947 | 235 | 541 | 873.4 | 10 |
| Dec | 439 | −229 | 134 | 1024.0 | 22 |
| Year | 2475 | −327 | 1050 | 1,31352 | 97 |
“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 | 88% | 78% | 1.2 | 8:52 |
| Feb | 86% | 74% | 2.0 | 10:12 |
| Mar | 82% | 67% | 3.2 | 11:45 |
| Apr | 79% | 66% | 4.5 | 13:33 |
| May | 79% | 71% | 5.1 | 15:05 |
| Jun | 78% | 65% | 5.8 | 15:55 |
| Jul | 77% | 59% | 5.7 | 15:35 |
| Aug | 79% | 60% | 4.9 | 14:14 |
| Sep | 82% | 61% | 3.7 | 12:29 |
| Oct | 85% | 69% | 2.3 | 10:45 |
| Nov | 88% | 76% | 1.3 | 9:14 |
| Dec | 88% | 76% | 0.9 | 8:29 |
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 Zürich is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 15 °C59 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C38 °F and lows −3 °C27 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.4 °C34.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,313 mm52 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (146 mm5.8 in), the driest is February (74 mm2.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 77% in July to 88% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in August to 8 km/h (5 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 8.5 hours in December to 15.9 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at about 15 cm.
Best time to visit Zürich
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September. Average highs then reach 19 °C67 °F to 24 °C75 °F. Precipitation is 103 mm4.1 in to 146 mm5.8 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C38 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Zürich
- Winter (December–February) — highs 338 to 5 °C40 °F, lows −327 to −2 °C29 °F, about 90 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1049 to 19 °C65 °F, lows 134 to 9 °C49 °F, about 108 mm4.3 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 2373 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1456 to 15 °C59 °F, about 143 mm5.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 947 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 235 to 11 °C51 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Zürich compares
The nearest larger place is Stuttgart, about 164 km to the north. Compared with it, Zürich is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F cooler. It receives 67% more precipitation (1,313 mm52 in vs 785 mm31 in). The difference is largest in August (1.1 °C2 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 6 places in Switzerland. By annual mean temperature, Zürich is the 5th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the wettest. See all of them on the Switzerland climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Innsbruck (Austria, Dfb), Salzburg (Austria, Dfb) and Freiburg (Germany, Cfb).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Winterthur (pop. 111,840). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Zürich, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Basel 76 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,062 mm42 in
- Climate in Vaduz 77 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,428 mm56 in
- Climate in Freiburg 87 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
- Climate in Bern 95 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,142 mm45 in
- Climate in Mulhouse 101 km · 11 °C51 °F · 846 mm33 in
- Climate in Reutlingen 134 km · 10 °C50 °F · 865 mm34 in
- Climate in Strasbourg 148 km · 11 °C52 °F · 757 mm30 in
- Climate in Lugano 154 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zürich?
July is the warmest month in Zürich. Its average high is 24 °C (75 °F) and its average low is 15 °C (59 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zürich?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 3 °C (38 °F) and its average low is -3 °C (27 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zürich?
August is the wettest month with about 146 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. February is the driest with about 74 mm (2.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Zürich?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–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. The gaps are largest 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 567 m, while Zürich lies at about 429 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.9 °C1.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.