Early September 1 September
79°F
Typical afternoon high
21% historical wet-day frequency
France · City
Is September a good time?
September averages 74°F afternoons, with about 7 rain days. Later September is typically cooler.
Historical Rhône-Alpes regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Lyon, Chamonix, Annecy and Courchevel; conditions vary within the region.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#1 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your September
Afternoons around 74°F (23°C): T-shirt weather; nights around 53°F (12°C): a sweater and a light jacket. About 13 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical September.
The sun rises about 07:16 and sets about 19:52 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 53°F (12°C); afternoons reach about 74°F (23°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical September.
Early, middle or late?
Early September is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 79°F on the 1st, versus 69°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 21% to 29% between those dates.
79°F
Typical afternoon high
21% historical wet-day frequency
75°F
Typical afternoon high
28% historical wet-day frequency
69°F
Typical afternoon high
29% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 179° | 278° | 378° | 478° | 578° | ||
| 677° | 777° | 877° | 977° | 1077° | 1176° | 1276° |
| 1375° | 1475° | 1575° | 1674° | 1774° | 1873° | 1973° |
| 2073° | 2172° | 2272° | 2372° | 2471° | 2571° | 2671° |
| 2771° | 2870° | 2970° | 3069° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for September 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons cool from about 78°F (25°C) in the first week to 70°F (21°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 20–30%.
Visitor season
Moderate season. September averages 35% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than August.
Overnight stays across Rhône-Alpes do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
About usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Year-to-year variation
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 70°F (21°C) and 81°F (27°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 74°F (23°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 14; half the years had 5–8.
Rain days in each September
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 76°F | 5 |
| 2012 | 72°F | 8 |
| 2013 | 72°F | 8 |
| 2014 | 74°F | 7 |
| 2015 | 70°F | 8 |
| 2016 | 77°F | 5 |
| 2017 | 70°F | 7 |
| 2018 | 79°F | 3 |
| 2019 | 76°F | 5 |
| 2020 | 76°F | 8 |
| 2021 | 76°F | 7 |
| 2022 | 72°F | 12 |
| 2023 | 81°F | 6 |
| 2024 | 70°F | 14 |
| 2025 | 72°F | 10 |
Checked against 316 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Aug | Sep | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 83°F | 74°F | 65°F |
| Rain days | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Overnight demand | 100% | 35% | 22% |
August: Warmer afternoons than September. More overnight demand. August guide →
October: Cooler afternoons than September. Less overnight demand. October guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. September stays as your reference.
No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than September.
Your comparison
Overnight stays are 100% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the August guide →| Typical conditions | September | August |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 74°F | 83°F |
| Nights | 53°F | 59°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 6 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Peak season |
| Overall / 10 | 8.2 | 6.5 |
| Month rank | #1 | #7 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.4 | #12 | 46°F | 32°F | 11 | 4.5 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.6 | #11 | 50°F | 33°F | 9 | 5.4 | Busy season |
| March | 6.3 | #9 | 58°F | 38°F | 9 | 6.4 | Moderate season |
| April | 7.5 | #5 | 64°F | 43°F | 9 | 7.6 | Moderate season |
| May | 7.9 | #2 | 70°F | 49°F | 10 | 8.0 | Low season |
| June | 7.6 | #4 | 79°F | 57°F | 9 | 8.4 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.7 | #6 | 83°F | 60°F | 7 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| August | 6.5 | #7 | 83°F | 59°F | 6 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| September | 8.2 | #1 | 74°F | 53°F | 7 | 8.9 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.9 | #3 | 65°F | 47°F | 8 | 7.8 | Low season |
| November | 6.5 | #8 | 54°F | 39°F | 12 | 5.5 | Low season |
| December | 5.7 | #10 | 48°F | 34°F | 14 | 4.7 | Moderate season |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Aosta ValleyItaly · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 8.3 · Excellent weather, 72°F (22°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
AuvergneFrance · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Very good weather, 72°F (22°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Excellent weather, 79°F (26°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Lake Geneva & ValaisSwitzerland · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 6.4 · Very good weather, 71°F (22°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Languedoc-RoussillonFrance · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Excellent weather, 79°F (26°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Lyon & the French Alps' weather ranks 12 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Lyon & the French Alps.
It's moderate season, 35% of the busiest month and 30% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Rhône-Alpes region, suburbs included. That means about 104,000 overnight visitors on a typical September night across the region, 70% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 40,000 more: 38 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 79 |
| How our weather was checked | 316 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.3°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 15 |
| Busiest month here | August · 43 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.5% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 48th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 70% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 38 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.1% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+4% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 6.9 million |
| Statistical region | FRK2 · Rhône-Alpes |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.