City in Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich
Switzerland's largest city, in the lowlands north of the Alps, with cold winters and occasional snow.
Zurich snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Zurich pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Zurich?
- Canton
- Zurich
- Country
- Switzerland
- Elevation
- 422 m
- Population
- 452,421
When does it snow in Zurich?
In Zurich, snow falls on about 6 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from November to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 days | 4 days | 2 days | 2 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 2 days | 4 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Zurich month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 | 29% | −2 to 4 °C (28 to 39 °F) |
| February | 4 | 16% | 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F) |
| March | 2 | 9% | 1 to 11 °C (34 to 52 °F) |
| April | 2 | 12% | 4 to 15 °C (39 to 59 °F) |
| May | <1 | 0% | 9 to 18 °C (48 to 64 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 14 to 24 °C (57 to 75 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 12 to 20 °C (54 to 68 °F) |
| October | <1 | 0% | 7 to 15 °C (45 to 59 °F) |
| November | 2 | 12% | 3 to 8 °C (37 to 46 °F) |
| December | 4 | 22% | 0 to 5 °C (32 to 41 °F) |
Snow in Zurich in November
In November, Zurich gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 12% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 3 to 8 °C (37 to 46 °F).
Snow in Zurich in December
In December, Zurich gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 22% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 5 °C (32 to 41 °F).
Snow in Zurich in January
In January, Zurich gets snow on about 6 days, and the month brings about 29% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −2 to 4 °C (28 to 39 °F).
Snow in Zurich in February
In February, Zurich gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 16% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F).
Snow in Zurich in March
In March, Zurich gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 9% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 11 °C (34 to 52 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Zurich?
Of the last ten winters in Zurich, 2020/21 was the snowiest, about 73% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 63% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 14 January 2021.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 76% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 129% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 115% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 37% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 173% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 115% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 62% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 109% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 73% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 110% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Zurich
Does Zurich have snow at Christmas?
Zurich had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 3 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 2 of those years.
Does Zurich have snow at New Year?
Zurich had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 2 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 6 of those years.
Does Zurich have snow in mid-February?
Zurich had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 2 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 6 of those years.
Does Zurich have snow at Easter?
Zurich had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Zurich?
It snows on about 20 days a year in Zurich, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 6 days.
What is the snowiest month in Zurich?
January is the snowiest month in Zurich, bringing about 29% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Zurich?
Of the last ten winters in Zurich, 2020/21 was the snowiest, about 73% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 63% below average.
How cold does Zurich get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Zurich, with average daily lows of −2 °C (28 °F) and highs of 4 °C (39 °F).
Snow forecasts near Zurich
Nearest ski resorts to Zurich
EngelbergLaaxAndermattGrindelwaldArosa LenzerheideDavos Klosters
Sources: Zurich on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates