Swiss weather is nowhere near as reliable as all the other things in Switzerland. In these years of oddball climate change, there is no consistency. Of course this is only a general guideline. Resources:
MeteoSwiss Online | MeteoSwiss App | SLF Avalanche & Conditions
January - February
Full winter. Short days, ski when and where you can. Seek powder. Embrace winter.
March - April
Around mid-March, the ski tour huts start opening and the high mountain ski tour season kicks off. The Haute Route and Berner Tour see lots of traffic. Meanwhile, down low, the road bikes are starting to get dusted off and the trail runners are increasing their range.
May
The lower elevations, <2000 meters, are starting to melt out. Trails down low are starting to open up depending on how big the winter was. Meanwhile, up high, people are still skiing. The high passes are still mostly closed.
June
Every June feels like a waiting period in the Alps. It seems to rain a lot. The trails are starting to get good, but there seems to be a defined line where there is too much snow getting in the way of where you want to go. The huts are opening throughout the month, and the high passes are becoming snow free, allowing the cyclists to begin their year. At some point in June, the earlier the better – it feels like summer.
July - September
Summer in the Alps! Charge!! unless it rains…
October
Maybe the best time of year to be in the Alps. Everyone has gone home, the mountains are mostly empty, the air is crystal clear, and the larch are turning gold. Or… it’s miserably cold. Fall is the time for locals to enjoy their home mountains, or a gamble for the visitor. If you are here and it’s perfect, great, no place better.
November
Greece is a great place to be in November, while Switzerland, typically, is not.
December
Has it snowed? Can we ski?
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