Zurich, Switzerland Climate & Monthly Averages
Zurich has an oceanic climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 77° by day; January is the coldest at 40°.
Winter sets the pace in Zurich
Snow is a defining feature of the Zurich year - it falls on about 22 days annually. Winter highs sit at 40°F (4°C) with lows of 29°F (-2°C), while July recovers to 77°F (25°C).
July
77° by day 60° at nightJanuary
40° by day 29° at nightThe cold-weather pattern in numbers
Snow falls on roughly 22 days a year, mostly November through April. Warmth peaks in July: highs of 77°F (25°C), lows of 60°F (16°C). January is the coolest month, with highs of 40°F (4°C) and lows near 29°F (-2°C). The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 95°F (35°C) and bottoms at 8°F (-13°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Precipitation concentrates in May - 5.8 inches (147 mm) on 18 days - and thins out by February.
July is the brightest month at 12.1 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 8.3 - duller than about 75% of the cities we track.
More climate facts for Zurich
- Hottest month: July - highs near 77°F (25°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 40°F (4°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 95°F (35°C) high · 8°F (-13°C) low
- Wettest month: May (18 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (12.1 h sun/day)
- Climate type: oceanic
- Annual swing: 19°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 8°C
- Snow: about 22 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 3
- Average humidity: 79%
From snow season to the warmest stretch in Zurich
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, Zurich stays on the cool side of mild: 58°F (14°C) by day, 40°F (5°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 44 of the 90 days, plus about 5 snowy days.
Summer (June through August)
Through summer, Zurich settles into easy warmth: 76°F (24°C) by day, 59°F (15°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 43 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.4 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall runs cool rather than cold here - highs near 58°F (15°C), nights near 45°F (7°C), and rain falls on around 36 of the 90 days, plus about 2 snowy days.
Winter (December through February)
Winter in Zurich stays firmly cold, with daytime highs averaging 42°F (6°C) and nights around 30°F (-1°C); rain falls on around 41 of the 90 days, plus about 15 snowy days.
The coldest and warmest values in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Planning around winter in Zurich
The easier weather window
The best time to visit Zurich is generally June to October, when warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 71°F (22°C), with rain on about 13 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in June.
Cold-weather packing
Pack for Zurich with a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter and proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here. July nights average 60°F (16°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 29° | 14 | 4.1 in | 4.9 h/day | 8.9 h | 47% | 84% |
| February | 45° | 31° | 12 | 2.9 in | 6.3 h/day | 10.2 h | 44% | 79% |
| March | 51° | 34° | 13 | 3.1 in | 8.1 h/day | 11.8 h | 41% | 75% |
| April | 58° | 39° | 13 | 4.0 in | 9.7 h/day | 13.6 h | 44% | 72% |
| May | 64° | 47° | 18 | 5.8 in | 9.9 h/day | 15.1 h | 57% | 75% |
| June | 74° | 56° | 16 | 5.2 in | 11.6 h/day | 15.9 h | 52% | 74% |
| July | 77° | 60° | 15 | 5.0 in | 12.1 h/day | 15.6 h | 48% | 72% |
| August | 76° | 60° | 12 | 5.0 in | 10.6 h/day | 14.2 h | 40% | 75% |
| September | 68° | 53° | 12 | 3.7 in | 9.4 h/day | 12.5 h | 40% | 80% |
| October | 59° | 46° | 12 | 3.6 in | 7.2 h/day | 10.8 h | 38% | 84% |
| November | 48° | 37° | 13 | 3.7 in | 5.2 h/day | 9.2 h | 43% | 87% |
| December | 42° | 31° | 14 | 3.9 in | 4.5 h/day | 8.5 h | 45% | 88% |
The route from winter to summer, month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Zurich's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 4.9 h
- Daylight
- 8.9 h
- Snow
- 7 days
February
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 6.3 h
- Daylight
- 10.2 h
- Snow
- 4 days
March
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 8.1 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 2 days
April
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 9.7 h
- Daylight
- 13.6 h
- Snow
- 2 days
May
- Rain
- 18 days
- Sunshine
- 9.9 h
- Daylight
- 15.1 h
June
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 11.6 h
- Daylight
- 15.9 h
July
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 12.1 h
- Daylight
- 15.6 h
August
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 14.2 h
September
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 9.4 h
- Daylight
- 12.5 h
October
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 7.2 h
- Daylight
- 10.8 h
November
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 5.2 h
- Daylight
- 9.2 h
- Snow
- 2 days
December
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 4.5 h
- Daylight
- 8.5 h
- Snow
- 4 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Zurich's coolest part of the year: January, December, February.
Where Zurich sits among other climates
- Zurich sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 51°F (10°C) as an annual average, 50.0 inches (1270 mm) of precipitation and 8.3 hours of sun a day.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.