Car Rentals Switzerland - Weather in Switzerland

Switzerland has something to offer travellers most times of the year. Summer (June – September) offers warm, pleasant days for outdoor adventures. This time of year can get very busy however.

The winter resorts in the Alps open around late November with the ski season getting busiest around Christmas. The weather starts warming up around April and the season for winter sports draws to an end.

The shoulder seasons of Spring (April and May) and August (September and October) are the best times to visit, with fewer people, and cheaper deals in most places. The Alps cause many climatic variations throughout Switzerland. In the higher Alpine regions temperatures tend to be low, while the lower land of the northern area has higher temperatures and warm summers.

Ticino in the south has a hot, Mediterranean climate, but most of the rest of the country has a central European climate, with temperatures typically between 20° and 25°C in summer and between 2° and 6°C in winter. There is perennial snow cover at altitudes above 3000m. Strong southerly winds, known as the Föhn, bring high temperatures and are a major cause of avalanches.