Switzerland weather in May

Many people wonder what kind of weather they can expect in May 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 May?

The weather conditions in Switzerland in May vary from poor to tolerable depending on the destination.

During May in Switzerland, the average maximum temperature varies from low in Klosters Serneus with 4°C (39°F) to pleasant in Balerna with 20°C (68°F). Minimum nighttime temperatures generally drop to 11°C (51°F) in Balerna and -1°C (29°F) in Klosters Serneus.

Precipitation in May varies from high in Schaffhausen with an average of 111mm (4.4 inches) of rainfall to heavy in Altdorf with 205mm (8.1 inches). It is the wettest month of the year in Zermatt. It is also generally a moderately sunny time of year with an average of 160 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 May

Find the average weather conditions in May 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 May for the 5 most popular destinations in Switzerland?

Average weather in Zermatt

In May Zermatt generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 16°C (61°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C (46°F) and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Zermatt
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly rainfall Rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
<<   April April
<<  
12°C / 54°F 
3°C / 38°F 
147 hours 
130mm / 5.1" 
15 days 
poor 
16°C / 61°F 
8°C / 46°F 
160 hours 
171mm / 6.7" 
17 days 
June   >> June
>>  
20°C / 69°F 
11°C / 52°F 
177 hours 
146mm / 5.7" 
15 days 
Climate in Zermatt

Average weather in Grindelwald

In May Grindelwald generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C (50°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C (38°F) and heavy monthly 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 rainfall Rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
<<   April April
<<  
6°C / 43°F 
-1°C / 30°F 
155 hours 
156mm / 6.2" 
17 days 
poor 
10°C / 50°F 
3°C / 38°F 
183 hours 
195mm / 7.7" 
18 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
14°C / 57°F 
7°C / 44°F 
189 hours 
198mm / 7.8" 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Grindelwald

Average weather in Nendaz

In May Nendaz generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C (48°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C (36°F) and heavy monthly 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 rainfall Rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
<<   April April
<<  
5°C / 41°F 
-2°C / 28°F 
211 hours 
158mm / 6.2" 
18 days 
poor 
9°C / 48°F 
2°C / 36°F 
230 hours 
191mm / 7.5" 
19 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
13°C / 55°F 
6°C / 42°F 
255 hours 
177mm / 7" 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Nendaz

Average weather in Zürich

In May Zürich generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 17°C (62°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C (46°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Zürich
Max temperature Max temp
Min temperature Min temp
Monthly sun hours Sun hours
Monthly rainfall Rainfall
Monthly rainy days Rainy days
Weather conditions Weather
<<   April April
<<  
13°C / 55°F 
4°C / 39°F 
178 hours 
95mm / 3.7" 
15 days 
17°C / 62°F 
8°C / 46°F 
193 hours 
137mm / 5.4" 
17 days 
June   >> June
>>  
20°C / 69°F 
11°C / 52°F 
208 hours 
147mm / 5.8" 
16 days 
Climate in Zürich

Average weather in Davos

In May Davos generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C (40°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C (30°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
<<   April April
<<  
0°C / 33°F 
-6°C / 22°F 
153 hours 
160mm / 6.3" 
18 days 
poor 
4°C / 40°F 
-1°C / 30°F 
155 hours 
180mm / 7.1" 
19 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
8°C / 46°F 
2°C / 36°F 
168 hours 
210mm / 8.3" 
20 days 
poor 
Climate in Davos

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

Is May the best time to go to Switzerland?

In our opinion May is not the best time to visit Switzerland with commonly unpleasant 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.