bigfootwanders
Where to go in February / Switzerland in February / Lake Geneva & Valais / February

Switzerland · Mountains

Lake Geneva & Valais
in February.

Illustration of Lavaux vineyard terraces near Rivaz overlooking Lake Geneva
Lavaux vineyards above Lake GenevaDestination view, not month-specific.

Is February a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
More overnight stays than January.

February averages 47°F afternoons, with about 8 rain days. Later February is typically warmer.

Afternoons
47°F
Rain days
8
Visitor demand
99%of August peak

Historical Région lémanique regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Zermatt and Verbier; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

3.8/10 · scores & priorities

This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather4.8/10Fair
CrowdsPeak seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, one of Europe's busiest this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Switzerland-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your February

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 47°F (8°C): a warm coat; nights around 30°F (−1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 8 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 10 hours of daylight.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 10 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:36Sunset 17:5530°F47°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:36 and sets about 17:55 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 30°F (−1°C); afternoons reach about 47°F (8°C). Expect rain on about 8 days in a typical February.

Typical afternoon
47°F (8°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Februarys
Night low
30°F (−1°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
10h 19m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late February?

Late February is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 44°F on the 1st, versus 49°F on the 28th. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 40% to 31% between those dates.

Early February 1 February

44°F

Typical afternoon high

40% historical wet-day frequency

Mid February 15 February

47°F

Typical afternoon high

32% historical wet-day frequency

Late February 28 February

49°F

Typical afternoon high

31% 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.

Daily calendar & holiday datesFebruary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

February 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
144°244°344°444°544°645°745°
845°946°1046°1146°1246°1347°1447°
1547°1648°1748°1849°1949°2049°2149°
2249°2349°2449°2549°2649°2749°2849°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons warm from about 44°F (7°C) in the first week to 49°F (10°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 28–42%.

Some schools here are off between 15 and 19 February 2027 (February holidays); the dates differ across the region. Other school-holiday dates this month may be missing. Elsewhere in February 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 42%, Netherlands 46%, Belgium 25%, Czechia 18%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds, cost and getting there

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Peak season. February averages 99% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than January.

Overnight stays across Région lémanique do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, one of Europe's busiest this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little above 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.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from New York JFK, Newark and Washington Dulles; 2024 schedule, Eurostat

Year-to-year variation

How much does February vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 38°F (3°C) and 53°F (12°C); in 5 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 47°F (8°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 17; half the years had 6–14.

Rain days in each February

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 6 rain days620112012: 3 rain days32013: 11 rain days112014: 16 rain days162015: 8 rain days82016: 17 rain days172017: 10 rain days102018: 7 rain days72019: 6 rain days62020: 15 rain days152021: 8 rain days82022: 14 rain days142023: 2 rain days22024: 10 rain days102025: 8 rain days82025
Rain days
8
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
5 of 28
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no February in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
7 of 28
rated very good or better
See every recorded FebruaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201149°F6
201238°F3
201339°F11
201447°F16
201542°F8
201646°F17
201750°F10
201840°F7
201951°F6
202050°F15
202152°F8
202248°F14
202349°F2
202453°F10
202550°F8

Checked against 23 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

January, February
or March?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsJanFebMar
Afternoons43°F47°F54°F
Rain days1489
Overnight demand72%99%73%

January: Cooler afternoons and more rain days than February. Less overnight demand. January guide →

March: Warmer afternoons than February. Less overnight demand. March guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with February Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. February stays as your reference.

March to June and September to January have fewer overnight stays than February, with a similar or higher Weather score.

Your comparison

February or January?

Overnight stays are 72% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the January guide →
February compared with another month
Typical conditionsFebruaryJanuary
Afternoons47°F43°F
Nights30°F28°F
Rain days814
Visitor seasonPeak seasonBusy season
Overall / 103.84.1
Month rank#12#11
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January4.1#1143°F28°F143.9Busy season
February3.8#1247°F30°F84.8Peak season
March5.1#954°F35°F95.8Busy season
April6.2#561°F40°F96.8Moderate season
May6.4#366°F47°F127.1Moderate season
June6.4#275°F55°F118.2Busy season
July5.6#778°F58°F108.4Peak season
August5.6#879°F57°F98.4Peak season
September6.4#171°F51°F98.3Busy season
October6.4#463°F44°F97.0Moderate season
November5.9#651°F36°F115.0Moderate season
December4.4#1044°F30°F144.0Busy season

Near here

Nearby places in February

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better February weather than Lake Geneva & Valais

Lake Geneva & Valais' weather ranks 14 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Switzerland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Lake Geneva & Valais.

All of Switzerland in February · Everywhere in February

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's peak season, 99% of the busiest month and 43% above its average month. That means about 64,000 overnight visitors on a typical February night across the region, 60% of them from Switzerland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 16,000 more: 24 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)59
How our weather was checked23 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 2°F (0.8°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day37
Busiest month hereAugust · 37
Visitors as share of people present3.6%
Rank among Europe's regions this month95th percentile
Domestic share of nights60%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights24
Visitor share if every platform night were extra4.4%
National hotel-price seasonSwitzerland historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used1.8 million
Statistical regionCH01 · Région lémanique

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.