The most comfortable time to visit Cologne is from late May to mid September. For walking, go from mid April to early August. Sunbathing weather is not what it offers.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
Sun is not what Cologne is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 28, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in August, when the sky is typically 57% covered at midday (partly cloudy).
The being outside season here runs from late May to mid September. It peaks in mid July, at 78. The weakest stretch is from November to mid March, when it drops to 0, mostly because it is too cold.
For walking, go from mid April to early August, with a second spell from late August to October. It peaks in late September, at 81. Avoid mid January for this: it falls to 4, mostly because it is too cold.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Cologne over the whole year is 11°C. August is the hottest month, with highs of about 23°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 3°C. Cologne has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 24% in April, the driest month, to 38% in January, the wettest. Winds in Cologne are highest in February, averaging 4.2 m/s (15 km/h), and lightest in September, at 2.7 m/s (10 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the SW. The clearest skies in Cologne come in August, when the sky is typically 56% covered; January is the cloudiest month, at 78%.
Month by month Cologne climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C | 3°C | -0°C | 38% | 78% | 4.0 m/s | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| February | 7°C | 3°C | 2°C | 37% | 69% | 4.2 m/s | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| March | 10°C | 4°C | 5°C | 34% | 67% | 3.7 m/s | 4 | 0 | 34 |
| April | 13°C | 6°C | 9°C | 24% | 60% | 3.3 m/s | 17 | 1 | 56 |
| May | 17°C | 11°C | 14°C | 26% | 57% | 3.1 m/s | 46 | 4 | 73 |
| June | 22°C | 15°C | 20°C | 29% | 56% | 3.0 m/s | 69 | 20 | 64 |
| July | 22°C | 16°C | 20°C | 27% | 58% | 3.0 m/s | 74 | 17 | 64 |
| August | 23°C | 15°C | 21°C | 29% | 56% | 2.8 m/s | 71 | 24 | 58 |
| September | 19°C | 12°C | 17°C | 32% | 57% | 2.7 m/s | 60 | 10 | 72 |
| October | 14°C | 10°C | 11°C | 32% | 64% | 3.3 m/s | 26 | 0 | 72 |
| November | 9°C | 6°C | 5°C | 33% | 71% | 3.5 m/s | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| December | 6°C | 4°C | 1°C | 38% | 78% | 3.9 m/s | 0 | 0 | 14 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Cologne weather by season
Year round, Cologne has days of about 4°C at their warmest in January, its coolest month, and 23°C in August, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 3°C to 16°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 11°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around January and least likely around April. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Cologne weather in winterDecember to February
Winter in Cologne has typical daily highs of about 6°C and lows of about 3°C, with a 37% chance of rain on a given day.
Cologne weather in springMarch to May
Spring in Cologne has typical daily highs of about 13°C and lows of about 7°C, with a 28% chance of rain on a given day.
Cologne weather in summerJune to August
Summer in Cologne has typical daily highs of about 22°C and lows of about 16°C, with a 28% chance of rain on a given day.
Cologne weather in autumnSeptember to November
Autumn in Cologne has typical daily highs of about 14°C and lows of about 9°C, with a 32% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Cologne?
Cologne has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 24% in April, the driest month, to 38% in January, the wettest.
What time of year is Cologne windiest?
Winds in Cologne are highest in February, averaging 4.2 m/s (15 km/h), and lightest in September, at 2.7 m/s (10 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the SW.
What is the average temperature in Cologne year round?
The average temperature in Cologne over the whole year is 11°C. August is the hottest month, with highs of about 23°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 3°C.
Where to go instead in early January, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.