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Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
In Locarno, located in the canton of Ticino, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, 195 meters (640 feet) above sea level, the climate is
humid temperate. Winters are quite cold, while summers are warm to hot, and characterized by a good amount of sunshine, but also by quite frequent thunderstorms. On the other side of the Maggia River, we find the nearby town of Ascona. Together with Lugano, Locarno is the mildest city in Switzerland.
In the cold half of the year, the
wind is generally weak or absent, except when the
favonio (or
föhn) blows, the warm and dry wind that comes down from the Alps and is able to bring clear skies and very good visibility.
On the other hand, during the warm semester, the wind is weak or moderate and follows the
breeze regime: during the warmest hours, the breeze blows from the lake towards the mountains (therefore, from the south), while after sunset and at night, it blows from the mountains to the lake (therefore from the north).
The
average temperature in January is around 4 °C (39 °F), while in July it is around 22.5 °C (72.5 °F).
Rainfall in Locarno is definitely abundant, since it amounts to 1,800 millimeters (70 inches) per year. Winter is the relatively driest season. In spring and autumn, the rains are plentiful in periods of Atlantic depressions, since the southern currents are forced to rise over the Alps and condense. In late spring and summer, thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening are quite frequent (and sometimes intense).
During the most intense waves of bad weather, which occur in autumn (but sometimes also in spring), the lake may overflow, flooding the lower areas of the city.
Winter, from December to February, is cold enough, but owing to the mitigating influence of the lake, it is milder than in the major cities of Switzerland, and it's also milder than in the Po Valley. Fog is less frequent as well.
There is a moderate amount of rainy days, even though the winter is the least rainy season.
Snow generally falls at least once every year, and it can sometimes be abundant, but it tends to melt soon enough because it occurs in conditions of southerly winds. An average of 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) of snow falls each year. The record belongs to the winter of 1977/78, when a total of 242 centimeters (95.3 in) of snow fell.
We can not exclude
very cold periods, with night frosts and temperatures around 0 °C (32 °F) or even below in the daytime. However, in these cases, the weather is usually dry. The temperature rarely drops below -5 °C (23 °F), though it can happen in the coldest winters. The coldest record is -10 °C (14 °F) and was set in January 1985.
However, it is enough to go to the nearby plain of
Magadino, east of Locarno, to find much lower temperatures, especially on winter nights, when frosts are frequent, and in the coldest winters, considerably low temperatures are recorded; for example, the temperature plunged to -12 °C (10 °F) in January 1985, to -17 °C (1 °F) in February 1991, and to -16 °C (3 °F) in February 2012.
Summer, from June to August, is warm, and often sunny in the morning. The temperature is generally pleasant or at least bearable, in addition, the lake breeze blows.
Sometimes, an Atlantic front, able to bring some cool and rainy days, can affect this area; more often, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon or in the evening.
Very hot days are quite rare, however, in recent decades, due to global warming, they have become more frequent. The highest record is 38 °C (100.4 °F) and was set in August 2003.
The amount of
sunshine in Locarno is acceptable in winter, when there are sunny days alternating with cloudy periods; in the other seasons, it is not very high, in fact, Atlantic disturbances pass over the area quite frequently in spring and autumn, while in summer, in periods of good weather, cloudiness in the afternoon can form, which can lead to thunderstorms.
Best Time
The
best periods to visit Locarno are spring and early summer, in particular, from mid-April to mid-June. September, too, is a good month. However, you have to take into account some rainy days in both periods.
Summer, which is the best time for sunbathing, can be hot, though this rarely happens: the temperature is usually acceptable, especially in June. As mentioned, in summer and in May, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon or in the evening.
See also the climate of
Lake Maggiore.
Locarno - Climate data
In Locarno, the
average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of
4.3 °C, that of the warmest month (July) is of
22.6 °C. Here are the average temperatures.
Locarno - Average temperatures (1991-2020) |
| Month | Min | Max | Mean |
|---|
| January | 1.2 | 7.3 | 4.3 |
|---|
| February | 2 | 9.4 | 5.7 |
|---|
| March | 5.4 | 14 | 9.7 |
|---|
| April | 8.5 | 17.4 | 12.9 |
|---|
| May | 12.2 | 21.1 | 16.6 |
|---|
| June | 15.9 | 25.2 | 20.5 |
|---|
| July | 17.8 | 27.5 | 22.6 |
|---|
| August | 17.5 | 26.9 | 22.2 |
|---|
| September | 13.9 | 22 | 18 |
|---|
| October | 10 | 16.7 | 13.3 |
|---|
| November | 5.4 | 11.1 | 8.2 |
|---|
| December | 2 | 7.6 | 4.8 |
|---|
| Year | 9.3 | 17.2 | 13.25 |
|---|
amounts to
1810 millimeters per year: it is therefore abundant. It ranges from
65 millimeters in the driest month (February) to
210 millimeters in the wettest one (November). Here is the average precipitation.
Locarno - Average precipitation| Month | Days |
|---|
| January | 70 | 5 |
|---|
| February | 65 | 4 |
|---|
| March | 95 | 6 |
|---|
| April | 165 | 10 |
|---|
| May | 185 | 11 |
|---|
| June | 180 | 10 |
|---|
| July | 165 | 9 |
|---|
| August | 205 | 10 |
|---|
| September | 190 | 9 |
|---|
| October | 200 | 9 |
|---|
| November | 210 | 10 |
|---|
| December | 85 | 6 |
|---|
| Year | 1810 | 101 |
|---|
There are on average around 2225
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.
Locarno - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
| January | 4.5 | 135 |
|---|
| February | 5.5 | 155 |
|---|
| March | 6.5 | 200 |
|---|
| April | 6.5 | 190 |
|---|
| May | 6.5 | 210 |
|---|
| June | 8 | 240 |
|---|
| July | 8.5 | 265 |
|---|
| August | 8 | 250 |
|---|
| September | 6.5 | 200 |
|---|
| October | 5 | 150 |
|---|
| November | 3.5 | 110 |
|---|
| December | 4 | 120 |
|---|
| Year | 6.1 | 2225 |
|---|
Locarno - Weather by month
Based on the period 1991-2020
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.3 °C, with a minimum of
1.2 °C and a maximum of
7.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.5 °C in January 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15 °C. However, it reached
24 °C in January 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.7 °C, with a minimum of
2 °C and a maximum of
9.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-9.5 °C in February 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16.5 °C. However, it reached
24.5 °C in February 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 52% of the time.
The average humidity is 73%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.7 °C, with a minimum of
5.4 °C and a maximum of
14 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.9 °C in March 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22 °C. However, it reached
27.9 °C in March 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.9 °C, with a minimum of
8.5 °C and a maximum of
17.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-0.4 °C in April 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
31.8 °C in April 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
165 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
May is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
16.6 °C, with a minimum of
12.2 °C and a maximum of
21.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
2.8 °C in May 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
31.2 °C in May 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
185 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 0 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.5 °C, with a minimum of
15.9 °C and a maximum of
25.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
11 °C. However, it dropped to
8.6 °C in June 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31 °C. However, it reached
34.9 °C in June 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
180 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 40 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 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
22.6 °C, with a minimum of
17.8 °C and a maximum of
27.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
13.5 °C. However, it dropped to
10 °C in July 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
36.8 °C in July 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
165 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 56% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
22.2 °C, with a minimum of
17.5 °C and a maximum of
26.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
13 °C. However, it dropped to
10.1 °C in August 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
37.9 °C in August 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
205 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 57% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
September is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
18 °C, with a minimum of
13.9 °C and a maximum of
22 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
9.5 °C. However, it dropped to
5.1 °C in September 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27 °C. However, it reached
30.8 °C in September 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
190 mm, distributed over 9 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 53% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.3 °C, with a minimum of
10 °C and a maximum of
16.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.1 °C in October 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22.5 °C. However, it reached
30.5 °C in October 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
200 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
November is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
8.2 °C, with a minimum of
5.4 °C and a maximum of
11.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.6 °C in November 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
21.5 °C in November 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
210 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 3.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 39% of the time.
The average humidity is 75%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
December is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.8 °C, with a minimum of
2 °C and a maximum of
7.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-7.3 °C in December 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15 °C. However, it reached
20.5 °C in December 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 40 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.