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Weather in January
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Weather in January in Switzerland

Are you planning a trip a to Switzerland in January and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in Switzerland in January?

The weather in Switzerland in January can be quite varied, with temperatures that range from very cold to cold and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. During January, winter is in full swing.

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Arolla at -7°C to cold in Balerna at 7°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 0°C in Balerna and -15°C in Arolla. On average, January is the coldest month of the year in Switzerland. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.

For specific regional insights in Switzerland, refer to the map provided below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snowfall in Sta Maria Val Müstair with an average of 59 mm to high snowfall in Adelboden with 155 mm.

Average sunshine

Most cities witness limited sunny days, expect roughly 86 hours of sunlight in Zermatt. This low amount of sunlight is perfect for those who lean towards dimmer, cloudier weather rather than intense sunny days.

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our Switzerland climate page.

Where to go in Switzerland in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Switzerland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Weather conditions Weather
Temperatures
Precipitation
Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit Switzerland, check out our Switzerland's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in Switzerland?

Zermatt

In January Zermatt generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -15°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zermatt
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
4°C 
-5°C 
1,685 hours 
1767 mm 
210 days 
poor 
January January
-7°C 
-15°C 
86 hours 
101 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
-5°C 
-14°C 
104 hours 
93 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Zermatt

Grindelwald

In January Grindelwald generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -11°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Grindelwald
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
7°C 
-2°C 
1,580 hours 
1984 mm 
214 days 
poor 
January January
-4°C 
-11°C 
66 hours 
136 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
-2°C 
-10°C 
78 hours 
131 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Grindelwald

Nendaz

In January Nendaz generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -13°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Nendaz
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
8°C 
-3°C 
2,171 hours 
1631 mm 
191 days 
poor 
January January
-4°C 
-13°C 
95 hours 
128 mm 
15 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
-1°C 
-12°C 
132 hours 
121 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Nendaz

Zürich

In January Zürich generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zürich
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
15°C 
6°C 
1,705 hours 
1350 mm 
183 days 
tolerable 
January January
5°C 
-1°C 
61 hours 
92 mm 
15 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
7°C 
-1°C 
88 hours 
90 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Zürich

Davos

In January Davos generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -13°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Davos
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
7°C 
-3°C 
1,740 hours 
1538 mm 
210 days 
poor 
January January
-4°C 
-13°C 
112 hours 
90 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
-2°C 
-12°C 
122 hours 
89 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Davos

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Switzerland.

Is January the best time to visit Switzerland?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to Switzerland with often poor weather in Zermatt.

On average, the best time to visit Switzerland is in August with generally unpleasant weather in Zermatt.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Switzerland.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Switzerland? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Switzerland.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.