The city is capital of the Isère department, and is located at 200 meters (650 feet) above sea level, at the foot of the Alps, in a Y-shaped valley. The configuration in a valley opened only on one side creates a particular microclimate, where it can snow in winter, while there can be hot days in summer.
The air often tends to stagnate, except when the north-west wind manages to channel itself into the mountains.
To the north-west, the Isère valley between Voreppe and Grenoble, with Saint-Égrève in the center, located between the Vercors and Chartreuse massifs, is cooler because it is the area from which the north-west wind enters (which can also bring snow in some winter situations).
The center of Grenoble, and even more the Grésivaudan valley, to the north-east, where the Le Versoud airport is located, is more protected, being between the mountains, so it is milder in winter, but also warmer in summer.
The situation is shown in the following map. The blue arrow indicates the valley in which cool (or cold) air enters from the north-west.
The weather station is located further west, and therefore further from the Alps, at the Grenoble Alpes Isère airport, located at 385 meters (1,265 feet), in the municipality of Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, in the plain of Bièvre.
But in the city of Grenoble, temperatures are higher. For example, the cold record, set in January 1971, is -27 °C (-16.5 °F) at the airport and -20 °C (-4 °C) in the city. In January 1985, the temperature dropped to -24.6 °C (-12.3 °F) at the airport, and to -18 °C (-0.5 °F) in the city, while in February 2012, it dropped to -19.5 °C (-3 °F) at the airport and to -12.5 °C (9.5 °F) in the city.
Normally, the differences are smaller, however, one or two degrees Celsius more can be expected in the city. In summer, the temperature reaches more easily 30 °C (86 °F), and sometimes it can get very hot. In August 2023, it reached 42.6 °C (108.7 °F).
To visit Grenoble, you can choose the months of May and September. In summer, sometimes the heat is bearable, while at other times, especially from late June to late August, it can be intense. However, nights can be cool even in these months, so it can be useful to bring a sweatshirt or sweater and a light jacket for the evening.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
2.8 °C, with a minimum of
-0.5 °C and a maximum of
6.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-15.2 °C in January 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13.5 °C. However, it reached
17.3 °C in January 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
12.2 kph.
February is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3.8 °C, with a minimum of
-0.3 °C and a maximum of
7.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-19.4 °C in February 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15.5 °C. However, it reached
20.7 °C in February 1991.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 38% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
12.1 kph.
March is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.4 °C, with a minimum of
2.2 °C and a maximum of
12.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-14.7 °C in March 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20.5 °C. However, it reached
23.7 °C in March 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.9 kph.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.5 °C, with a minimum of
4.8 °C and a maximum of
16.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-7.9 °C in April 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24 °C. However, it reached
27.5 °C in April 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
11.8 kph.
May is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
14.6 °C, with a minimum of
9 °C and a maximum of
20.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.8 °C in May 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
31.3 °C in May 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
10.9 kph.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.4 °C, with a minimum of
12.5 °C and a maximum of
24.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6.5 °C. However, it dropped to
2.1 °C in June 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
37 °C in June 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 55% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
10.5 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.6 °C, with a minimum of
14.2 °C and a maximum of
27.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
8.5 °C. However, it dropped to
5.9 °C in July 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
38.3 °C in July 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 62% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
10.2 kph.
August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.6 °C, with a minimum of
14.3 °C and a maximum of
26.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
8 °C. However, it dropped to
5 °C in August 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
39.5 °C in August 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 59% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
9.9 kph.
September is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
16.4 °C, with a minimum of
10.9 °C and a maximum of
22 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.6 °C in September 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
29 °C. However, it reached
32.2 °C in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 73%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9.9 kph.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.4 °C, with a minimum of
7.8 °C and a maximum of
16.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.9 °C in October 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24 °C. However, it reached
26.7 °C in October 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10.4 kph.
November is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7 °C, with a minimum of
3.4 °C and a maximum of
10.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4 °C. However, it dropped to
-9.5 °C in November 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19 °C. However, it reached
23.4 °C in November 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 30% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.5 kph.
December is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3.6 °C, with a minimum of
0.3 °C and a maximum of
6.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-20.2 °C in December 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14.5 °C. However, it reached
18.6 °C in December 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 50 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 26% of the time.
The average humidity is 84%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
12.3 kph.