Early April 1 April
58°F
Typical afternoon high
32% historical wet-day frequency
Switzerland · Mountains
Is April a good time?
April averages 61°F afternoons, with about 9 rain days. Later April is typically warmer.
Historical Zürich regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day.
This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#6 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your April
Afternoons around 61°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 14 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 06:39 and sets about 20:13 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 40°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 61°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical April.
Early, middle or late?
Late April is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 58°F on the 1st, versus 63°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 32% to 47% between those dates.
58°F
Typical afternoon high
32% historical wet-day frequency
61°F
Typical afternoon high
28% historical wet-day frequency
63°F
Typical afternoon high
47% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158° | 258° | 359° | 460° | |||
| 560° | 660° | 760° | 860° | 960° | 1060° | 1160° |
| 1260° | 1361° | 1461° | 1561° | 1662° | 1762° | 1862° |
| 1962° | 2062° | 2162° | 2262° | 2362° | 2462° | 2563° |
| 2663° | 2763° | 2863° | 2963° | 3063° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 59°F (15°C) in the first week to 63°F (17°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 27–47%. Local schools are out 26–30 April 2027.
Schools here are off 26–30 April 2027 (spring holidays). Elsewhere in April 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 47%, Netherlands 23%, Belgium 29%, Greece 23%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Visitor season
Steady all year. April averages 75% of July's overnight stays per day. Overnight demand varies little across the year.
Overnight stays across Zürich do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
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 57°F (14°C) and 69°F (20°C); in 8 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 61°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 16; half the years had 7–13.
Rain days in each April
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 66°F | 4 |
| 2012 | 58°F | 14 |
| 2013 | 59°F | 10 |
| 2014 | 62°F | 9 |
| 2015 | 61°F | 9 |
| 2016 | 59°F | 16 |
| 2017 | 58°F | 13 |
| 2018 | 69°F | 3 |
| 2019 | 60°F | 10 |
| 2020 | 67°F | 4 |
| 2021 | 57°F | 8 |
| 2022 | 59°F | 9 |
| 2023 | 57°F | 16 |
| 2024 | 61°F | 13 |
| 2025 | 64°F | 7 |
Checked against 7 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Mar | Apr | May |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 9 | 13 |
| Overnight demand | 65% | 75% | 88% |
March: Cooler afternoons than April. March guide →
May: Warmer afternoons and more rain days than April. May guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. April stays as your reference.
Hotel stays vary little through the year. June to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than April.
Your comparison
Overnight stays vary little through the year.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the March guide →| Typical conditions | April | March |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 61°F | 54°F |
| Nights | 40°F | 34°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Steady all year | Steady all year |
| Overall / 10 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Month rank | #6 | #8 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.4 | #12 | 43°F | 29°F | 13 | 4.1 | Steady all year |
| February | 4.9 | #10 | 47°F | 29°F | 9 | 4.9 | Steady all year |
| March | 5.3 | #8 | 54°F | 34°F | 10 | 6.0 | Steady all year |
| April | 5.8 | #6 | 61°F | 40°F | 9 | 7.0 | Steady all year |
| May | 6.0 | #5 | 67°F | 47°F | 13 | 7.4 | Steady all year |
| June | 6.4 | #4 | 76°F | 55°F | 13 | 8.2 | Steady all year |
| July | 6.5 | #1 | 78°F | 58°F | 13 | 8.4 | Steady all year |
| August | 6.5 | #3 | 78°F | 57°F | 10 | 8.2 | Steady all year |
| September | 6.5 | #2 | 70°F | 50°F | 10 | 8.4 | Steady all year |
| October | 5.8 | #7 | 62°F | 44°F | 11 | 7.0 | Steady all year |
| November | 4.9 | #9 | 51°F | 36°F | 10 | 5.1 | Steady all year |
| December | 4.5 | #11 | 45°F | 31°F | 15 | 4.3 | Steady all year |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Basel & northwest Switzerlandabout 30 miles
Balanced Overall 5.9 · Very good weather, 62°F (17°C) · Steady all year · Cost expensive
Lucerne & central Switzerlandabout 30 miles
Balanced Overall 6.0 · Good weather, 60°F (16°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
TyrolInnsbruck · Austria · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 7.1 · Good weather, 59°F (15°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 7.4 · Very good weather, 67°F (19°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Munich & Upper BavariaGermany · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 7.1 · Very good weather, 60°F (16°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Zurich's weather ranks 16 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Switzerland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Zurich.
Hotel stays are steady all year here: this month is 75% of the busiest and about average. That counts overnight stays, not how busy the sights are. That means about 19,000 overnight visitors on a typical April night across the region, 40% of them from Switzerland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 3,100 more: 17 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 70 |
| How our weather was checked | 7 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (1.1°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 12 |
| Busiest month here | July · 15 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.1% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 52nd percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 40% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 17 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.3% |
| National hotel-price season | Switzerland historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.6 million |
| Statistical region | CH04 · Zürich |
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.