Switzerland weather in January

Many people wonder what kind of weather they can expect in January in Switzerland. Is this month a good time to go to Switzerland? To answer that question we created this page with all the information you need.

What is the weather like in Switzerland in January?

The weather conditions in Switzerland in January are generally poor. It is a winter month.

During January in Switzerland, the average maximum temperature varies from very low in Klosters with -5°C (24°F) to low in Besazio with 5°C (41°F). Minimum nighttime temperatures generally drop to -1°C (29°F) in Besazio and -10°C (14°F) in Klosters. On average, it is the coldest month of the year in Switzerland. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.

Precipitation in January varies from moderate in Schaffhausen with an average of 62mm (2.4 inches) of snow/rainfall to heavy in Küblis with 165mm (6.5 inches). It is also generally a less sunny time of year with an average of 86 hours of sunshine in Zermatt during the entire month.

We invite you to have a look at the map below to discover more about the various weather conditions around Switzerland.

Where to go in Switzerland in January

Find the average weather conditions in January for the most popular destinations in Switzerland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20-29ºC / 68-84ºF and not too much precipitation (less than 90mm / 3.5inches a month).

Popular destinations in Switzerland

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

Average weather in Zermatt

In January Zermatt generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C (37°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -4°C (25°F) and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zermatt
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
4°C / 39°F 
-3°C / 27°F 
83 hours 
108mm / 4.2" 
13 days 
poor 
3°C / 37°F 
-4°C / 25°F 
86 hours 
93mm / 3.7" 
12 days 
poor 
4°C / 40°F 
-3°C / 26°F 
104 hours 
76mm / 3" 
11 days 
poor 
Climate in Zermatt

Average weather in Grindelwald

In January Grindelwald generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -1°C (31°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -6°C (21°F) and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Grindelwald
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
0°C / 33°F 
-5°C / 23°F 
51 hours 
170mm / 6.7" 
16 days 
poor 
-1°C / 31°F 
-6°C / 21°F 
66 hours 
139mm / 5.5" 
15 days 
poor 
-0°C / 31°F 
-6°C / 21°F 
78 hours 
116mm / 4.6" 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Grindelwald

Average weather in Nendaz

In January Nendaz generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -2°C (29°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -7°C (19°F) and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Nendaz
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
-1°C / 31°F 
-6°C / 21°F 
70 hours 
170mm / 6.7" 
15 days 
poor 
-2°C / 29°F 
-7°C / 19°F 
95 hours 
139mm / 5.5" 
15 days 
poor 
-2°C / 29°F 
-7°C / 19°F 
132 hours 
109mm / 4.3" 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Nendaz

Average weather in Zürich

In January Zürich generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C (37°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C (28°F) and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Zürich
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
3°C / 38°F 
-1°C / 29°F 
48 hours 
95mm / 3.7" 
15 days 
poor 
3°C / 37°F 
-3°C / 28°F 
61 hours 
75mm / 3" 
15 days 
poor 
4°C / 39°F 
-2°C / 28°F 
88 hours 
73mm / 2.9" 
13 days 
poor 
Climate in Zürich

Average weather in Davos

In January Davos generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -5°C (24°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -10°C (14°F) and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Davos
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
-4°C / 26°F 
-9°C / 16°F 
95 hours 
179mm / 7" 
17 days 
poor 
-5°C / 24°F 
-10°C / 14°F 
112 hours 
160mm / 6.3" 
17 days 
poor 
-5°C / 24°F 
-10°C / 13°F 
122 hours 
128mm / 5.1" 
15 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 go to Switzerland?

In our opinion January is not the best time to visit Switzerland with commonly poor weather in Zermatt.

On average the best time to visit Switzerland is in June, July and August with generally pleasant weather in Zermatt. The worst months are January, February, March, April, October, November and December that can have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Switzerland. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for almost all countries 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 suggests which destination suits your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.