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Geneva weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Compressed between Lake Geneva, the Jura range and the foothills of the Alps, Geneva has an oceanic climate shaped as much by its mountain neighbours as by the Atlantic, with cool winters, the sharp Bise northeast wind, and summers warm enough to feel genuinely southern. Geneva weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, records and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

0.0°Chigh near average

17° / 7°Today
17° / 8°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+2.8°Caverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4931frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 94 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 94 in the 1940s22days above 30°C a year now (2016–2025) · 5 in the 1940sdays above 30°C · 5 in the 1940s+2.8°C vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 120 mmhigh 5°low −1°February, rain 107 mmhigh 7°low −1°March, rain 110 mmhigh 11°low 2°April, rain 114 mmhigh 15°low 5°May, rain 142 mmhigh 19°low 9°June, rain 133 mmhigh 22°low 13°July, rain 120 mmhigh 25°low 15°August, rain 128 mmhigh 24°low 15°September, rain 111 mmhigh 21°low 12°October, rain 109 mmhigh 16°low 8°November, rain 126 mmhigh 10°low 3°December, rain 126 mmhigh 6°low 0°wettest month May, 142 mm · 1,445 mm a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Mostly clear

Right now

6.9°

5°feels like
93%humidity
6°dew point
3 km/hfrom W
UV index0.3
sunrise07:48sunset18:55day length11h 07m
TodayClear17°7°
TueOvercast17°7°
WedClear22°12°
ThuMostly clear22°11°
FriClear22°10°
SatOvercast16°12°
SunPartly cloudy13°11°

On this date: October 12

Today (forecast)
17° / 7°
Average for October 12
17° / 8°

High near average · 0.0°C

  • Record high: 25.4° · 2023
  • Record low: 1.4° · 2016
  • One year ago: 18° / 10°

Every October 12 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 12 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Geneva is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 46.20°N, 6.15°E, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
46.20°N, 6.15°E
Time zone
Europe/Zurich
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

27 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +2.6°C.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

Geneva occupies the southwestern end of Lake Geneva, where the Rhône River exits the lake, nestled between three mountain ranges: the Jura to the northwest, the Vuache to the south and the Salève to the southeast. Its oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) brings cool winters, relatively warm summers and rain distributed through the year, with autumn slightly wetter than the other seasons. The lake moderates winter temperatures near the water's edge, while the surrounding mountains give the city rapid access to true Alpine conditions.

The Bise, a cold northeast wind funnelled through the Geneva basin, is a defining winter weather feature that can produce severe frost and icing. In July 2015, during an exceptional European heatwave, Geneva registered its highest recorded temperature, approaching 40°C. Set between the Jura and the Alps, the city can see its weather change rapidly within a single day.

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 24.8°C and nights around 15.1°C. In a typical recent year, around 20 days reach 30°C or more. The coolest month is January, when afternoons reach about 5.3°C and overnight lows sit around −1.5°C.

The yearly total for Geneva comes to about 1,445 mm; monthly amounts range from 107 mm in February up to 142 mm in May. A typical year brings rain or snow on around 139 days.

Comparing the record's first decade with its most recent one, Geneva now averages 2.8°C warmer than it did in the 1940s. Frost days have thinned out, from around 95 a year in the first decade to about 30 now.

Sources:en.wikipedia.orgbritannica.commeteoswiss.admin.ch

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 18°C. Wettest month: May (~142 mm). Whole year averages ~1,445 mm of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 139 rainy days a year: most in May (~15), fewest in October (~10).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 2 mm per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Geneva month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Record high/low are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightRecord highRecord low
January5.3°−1.5°120 mm128.8 h17.8° (2023)−19.7° (1942)
February7.1°−0.5°107 mm1110.1 h19.8° (2021)−19.9° (1940)
March11.1°2.1°110 mm1211.6 h23.6° (2021)−17.1° (1971)
April15.0°5.2°114 mm1213.3 h28.0° (2024)−7.1° (1956)
May19.0°9.4°142 mm1514.8 h31.8° (2009)−0.4° (1945)
June22.5°13.2°133 mm1315.6 h35.9° (2022)3.0° (1962)
July24.8°15.1°120 mm1115.2 h38.8° (2015)6.5° (1962)
August24.3°14.7°128 mm1114.0 h38.2° (2025)5.0° (1940)
September20.9°11.7°111 mm1012.3 h31.4° (1949)1.8° (1971)
October16.2°8.0°109 mm1010.6 h27.5° (2023)−6.0° (1941)
November10.0°3.0°126 mm129.2 h21.3° (1970)−11.9° (1998)
December6.2°−0.3°126 mm118.4 h17.5° (2022)−21.9° (1941)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +2.8°C.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.35°C per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.56°C per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 30°C per year: 4.6 early in the record → 22.0 recently. Frost days: 94 → 31.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

All-time high in 2015, all-time low in 1941: 38.8°C / −21.9°C.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~1,445 mm/year on average. Last decade: +3% vs that average. Long-term trend: +32 mm per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Geneva

Which is the warmest month in Geneva?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Geneva is July (mean daily temperature of about 20.2°C) and the coolest is January (about 1.8°C).
How does today's temperature in Geneva compare to the historical average?
On October 12, 2026, Geneva is forecast to reach a high of 17.0°C and a low of 6.5°C. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 17.0°C and a low of 8.3°C, so today's high is about equal to that average.
How much has Geneva warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Geneva is about 2.8°C warmer.
How much does it rain in Geneva?
Geneva receives about 1,445 mm of precipitation per year on long-term average, with May typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Geneva?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Geneva is about 11.0°C. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Geneva by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Geneva (°C, full record since 1940): January 5°/−1°, February 7°/−1°, March 11°/2°, April 15°/5°, May 19°/9°, June 22°/13°, July 25°/15°, August 24°/15°, September 21°/12°, October 16°/8°, November 10°/3°, December 6°/0°.
What is the weather like in Geneva in summer?
Summer in Geneva (June to August) is wet and pleasantly warm. Afternoons run 22–25°C and nights 13–15°C; July is the warmest month. Rain falls on about 12 days a month, adding up to around 127 mm.
What is the weather like in Geneva in winter?
In winter, December through February, Geneva is wet and cold. Expect 5–7°C by day and −1 to 0°C at night, with January the coldest month. Rain is steady at around 118 mm a month, spread over roughly 11 days.
What is the weather like in Geneva in spring?
March to May is spring in Geneva, and it is wet and fairly mild. It warms from 11°C by day and 2°C at night in March to 19°C and 9°C in May. Rain falls on about 13 days a month, adding up to around 122 mm.
What is the weather like in Geneva in autumn?
In autumn, September through November, Geneva is wet and fairly mild. September is still 21°C by day and 12°C at night; by November it is down to 10°C and 3°C. Rain is steady at around 115 mm a month, spread over roughly 11 days.
How many days a year does it rain in Geneva?
On long-term average, Geneva has about 139 days a year with at least 2 mm of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 1,445 mm.

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