Climate - Chamonix (France)

The climate of Chamonix is moderately continental, characterized by cold winters, with temperatures often below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F), and mild or pleasantly warm summers.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is a well-known ski resort, located at the foot of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in the Alps with its 4,810 meters or 15,781 feet), in a valley at 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level, on the north-western slope of the Alps, in Haute-Savoie.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -2.2 °C (28 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 16.5 °C (62 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,280 millimeters (50.4 inches) per year. It ranges from 85 mm (3.3 in) in the driest months (February, March) to 130 mm (5.1 in) in the wettest (June). The summer is the rainiest season due to afternoon thunderstorms. Here is the average precipitation.

Winter is cold. Snowfalls are quite frequent. In periods of good weather, however, the sun can come out, while in the inland plains of France, in the Swiss plateau and in the Po valley, mists and cloud layers often form at low altitude.
Sometimes there can be cold spells, in which the temperature can drop down to -15 °C (5 °F) or even below. In January 1985 and in February 1956, the temperature dropped to -25 °C (-13 °F).
In summer, temperatures are pleasant and suitable for outdoor activities, although sometimes there can be rains and thunderstorms, and it can get very cool at night due to altitude.
Occasionally (but less than in the lowlands), there may be brief hot periods. On average, the temperature reaches or exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) for 5 days a year, but in recent years, hot spells are becoming more frequent due to global warming. In 2019, the temperature reached 35.5 °C (96 °F) in June and 36 °C (97 °F) in July. In July 1983, it had reached 37 °C (98.5 °F).



On average, there are around 1,990 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best time to visit Chamonix runs from June to August, since it is the mildest and sunniest period of the year. Sometimes, nights can be cool or even cold even in these months, so it can be useful to bring a sweatshirt or sweater and a jacket for the evening.