Summer Weather in Switzerland

Weather in Europe is unpredictable. Weather in the mountains . . . even more so. July is generally drier, May wetter. But you could have great weather for 2 weeks in May and a lot of poor weather in July.

If you plan to hike in the Alps, the later in the summer, the better. Rain occurs all year in the moutains, but by July, all but a few isolated clusters of the snow pack will have retreated from the trails. The weather in May is too inconsistent, both in terms of precipitation and cloud cover.

The best month of the year for Alpine hiking is September. Temperatures are mild, and on average, the weather is clearer and drier. You can't rule out fog and precipitation at any time of year, but September and early October gives you the best chances for favorable conditions.

It is likely to rain at some point no matter when you go, so it makes no sense to plan to avoid it. More important is where in Switzerland do you want to go and what do you wish to do? If hiking, heed Tom's good counsel. If the cities like Zurich, all I can say is we have found it very hot and humid there whether June, July, or August. Haven't tried May as our goal is always the Alps after landing in Zurich and spending one night there.

I was once in Switzerland for May and there was still plenty of snow on the ground everywhere I went. So I wouldn't assume it will be summer.

I've been in Switzerland in winter and summer and you'll most likely have rain no matter when you go. You'd be very lucky to be there for more than a few days and experience no rain. It might be sunny in the morning and then rain for a few hours in the afternoon. It's just part of the climate in such a mountainous country. When it's close to the time of your trip you can check the forecasts, see what it's going to be like when you're there, and then adjust your activities accordingly. Or you can simply bring the proper clothes/shoes for rain and keep right on going...that's what we do!

First, kudos to Chris for sharing those remarkable images. The July 11 (2015) image brought back GREAT memories as my family and I hiked that very spot the day before that image was taken, and it looked EXACTLY the same on the Tenth. Absolutely breathtaking. Can still taste that quenching Alpenperle (beer) on the patio at Bistro Alpstubli, following hike. : )

That said -- and to Perry's earlier post -- the weather can be fickle in that region regardless of the calendar. In preparation for our trip last Summer, I looked at the almanac to see what the previous year's weather had been (with same objective, to 'time' visit just right), and it had rained on 7/10/2014. So you never know. As others have posted, go with both a positive attitude and contingency plan for inclement weather (just in case), and you'll have a marvelous time.

I found Rick's advice on mountain weather (which mirrors that of the other posters on this thread) to be invaluable:

1) Mountains make their own weather - meaning, weather in a mountain area can be quite different from other nearby areas (think microclimates).
2) The weather can change several times within a day. If it's raining now, it can be sunny in a few hours - and vice versa.
3) If the weather is nice now, take immediate advantage. If you arrive in Mürren and it's sunny, don't waste time unpacking - get going!
4) Look at the webcams for various destinations before making decisions, particularly for expensive and weather-dependent activities like the Schilthornbahn or the Jungfraujoch.
5) Have a cloudy or rainy weather backup plan; on the days with poor weather, don't be stuck with nothing to do.

I followed the advice of posters here and went in September 2014, and had mostly great weather (not perfect of course - that's where seeing the Trümmelbach Falls comes in).