Zermatt weather

The best months to visit Zermatt are June, July, August. Late February through March the Matterhorn shows daily on 90% of days and the Skiing Around the Matterhorn cross-border route to Cervinia opens with dry powder.

July runs the highest averages in Zermatt, with typical daytime highs of 19°C (65°F). July 25C afternoons see locals hiking the Five Lakes trail from Blauherd; the village stays car-free so heat concentrates on tarmac at the Bahnhofstrasse.

January brings the lowest averages, with daytime highs near -1°C (30°F). January -15C on the Klein Matterhorn (Europe's highest cable-car station at 3,883m); locals warm up at Chez Vrony above Findeln for rosti and gluhwein on the sun terrace.

October typically records the highest monthly rainfall — around 129mm on average. August afternoon thunderstorms roll off Monte Rosa and close the Gornergrat cog railway for lightning; hikers on Hornli Ridge scramble down.

Zermatt, Switzerland has mild summers, freezing winters, moderate seasonal rainfall. Zermatt is car-free and always has been — you park at Tasch and take the shuttle train the last 5km. The Matterhorn is called 'Horu' in the local Zermatter German dialect, which is nearly incomprehensible to Zurich Swiss-German speakers. The village population of 5,800 explodes to 35,000 in high season. Locals eat at Whymper Stube for cheese fondue named after the first Matterhorn climber (1865) who lost four of seven teammates on the descent — the graves are in the English Church cemetery. Never call it 'the Alps' — locals say 'the Valais' or specifically 'the Mattertal.' You can read the detailed month-by-month breakdown on this page.