Early May 1 May
62°F
Typical afternoon high
51% historical wet-day frequency
Switzerland · Mountains
Bern & the Bernese Oberland
in May.
Is May a good time?
Mild days.
More overnight stays than April.
May averages 65°F afternoons, with about 14 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 65°F
- Rain days
- 14
- Visitor demand
- 61%of July peak
Historical Espace Mittelland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Interlaken, Grindelwald, Jungfrau, Bern and Lauterbrunnen; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
5.9/10 · scores & prioritiesThis weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#5 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather7.0/10Very good
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Switzerland-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 65°F (19°C): light layers; nights around 46°F (8°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 15 hours of daylight.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 15 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 05:56 and sets about 20:57 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 46°F (8°C); afternoons reach about 65°F (19°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
65°F (19°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
46°F (8°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
15h 00m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 62°F on the 1st, versus 70°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 51% to 41% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
65°F
Typical afternoon high
46% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
70°F
Typical afternoon high
41% 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.
Public holidays · 2027: 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 162° | 262° | |||||
| 363° | 463° | 563° | 664° | 764° | 864° | 964° |
| 1064° | 1164° | 1264° | 1365° | 1465° | 1565° | 1665° |
| 1765° | 1865° | 1965° | 2066° | 2166° | 2266° | 2367° |
| 2467° | 2568° | 2668° | 2769° | 2869° | 2969° | 3069° |
| 3170° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 63°F (17°C) in the first week to 69°F (20°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 39–51%.
Some schools here are off between 6 and 7 May 2027 (Ascension); the dates differ across the region. Other school-holiday dates this month may be missing. Public holidays: 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. May averages 61% of July's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
Overnight stays across Espace Mittelland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
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.
Switzerland as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 171 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 60°F (15°C) and 70°F (21°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 65°F (19°C). Rain days ranged from 8 to 21; half the years had 12–16.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
4 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
18 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 70°F | 10 |
| 2012 | 67°F | 13 |
| 2013 | 60°F | 21 |
| 2014 | 63°F | 16 |
| 2015 | 66°F | 14 |
| 2016 | 64°F | 16 |
| 2017 | 67°F | 12 |
| 2018 | 68°F | 16 |
| 2019 | 60°F | 14 |
| 2020 | 67°F | 8 |
| 2021 | 60°F | 18 |
| 2022 | 70°F | 9 |
| 2023 | 66°F | 14 |
| 2024 | 65°F | 18 |
| 2025 | 65°F | 13 |
Checked against 25 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 60°F | 65°F | 74°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 14 | 11 |
| Overnight demand | 43% | 61% | 78% |
April: Cooler afternoons and fewer rain days than May. Less overnight demand. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than May. More overnight demand. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
April has fewer overnight stays than May, with a similar or higher Weather score.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 43% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 65°F | 60°F |
| Nights | 46°F | 39°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| Month rank | #5 | #2 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.8 | #12 | 42°F | 28°F | 15 | 3.9 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.0 | #11 | 46°F | 28°F | 9 | 4.7 | Moderate season |
| March | 5.9 | #6 | 53°F | 33°F | 11 | 5.8 | Moderate season |
| April | 6.1 | #2 | 60°F | 39°F | 10 | 6.6 | Moderate season |
| May | 5.9 | #5 | 65°F | 46°F | 14 | 7.0 | Busy season |
| June | 6.0 | #3 | 74°F | 54°F | 11 | 8.1 | Busy season |
| July | 5.6 | #8 | 77°F | 56°F | 12 | 8.3 | Peak season |
| August | 5.5 | #9 | 77°F | 56°F | 11 | 8.2 | Peak season |
| September | 6.3 | #1 | 69°F | 49°F | 10 | 8.2 | Busy season |
| October | 6.0 | #4 | 61°F | 42°F | 10 | 6.7 | Moderate season |
| November | 5.8 | #7 | 50°F | 35°F | 11 | 4.8 | Low season |
| December | 5.2 | #10 | 44°F | 30°F | 15 | 4.0 | Moderate season |
Near here
Nearby places in May
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Lake Geneva & ValaisSwitzerland · about 40 miles
Balanced Overall 6.4 · Very good weather, 66°F (19°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
Basel & northwest Switzerlandabout 50 miles
Balanced Overall 6.0 · Very good weather, 68°F (20°C) · Steady all year · Cost expensive
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Very good weather, 70°F (21°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 7.5 · Very good weather, 73°F (23°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
TrentinoItaly · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 7.8 · Very good weather, 70°F (21°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May weather than Bern & the Bernese Oberland
Bern & the Bernese Oberland's weather ranks 19 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Switzerland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Bern & the Bernese Oberland.
Ljubljana, Lake Bled & western Sloveniaabout 320 miles
Very good weather (8.0): 4°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
La RiojaSpain · about 580 miles
Very good weather (8.6): 7°F warmer afternoons, 9 fewer rain days, cheaper
Brașov, Sibiu & central TransylvaniaRomania · about 830 miles
Very good weather (8.3): 4°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, cheaper
Western MacedoniaGreece · about 830 miles
Excellent weather (9.5): 9°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
EpirusGreece · about 840 miles
Excellent weather (9.4): 9°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 61% of the busiest month and about average for the year. That means about 32,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 50% of them from Switzerland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 8,400 more: 26 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 70 |
| How our weather was checked | 25 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.8°C), night lows within 1°F (0.2°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 17 |
| Busiest month here | July · 27 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 60th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 50% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 26 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.0% |
| National hotel-price season | Switzerland historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 2.0 million |
| Statistical region | CH02 · Espace Mittelland |
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.