Cologne Holiday Weather Overview
Cologne is Germany's 4th largest city and is situated in the heart of the Rhine valley, straddling the river Rhine. Cologne has much to offer visitors of all kinds - it is packed with museums and galleries, busy with cultural events and hosts world class trade fairs and exhibitions. There is a lot of history here, but much that's good about contemporary culture too.
Cologne is a vibrant and interesting city to visit at any time of the year, and it is a particularly popular place to visit during the time of the annual carnival, in the week before Ash Wednesday.
Cologne's Climate
Cologne has a temperate climate, and some rather contrasting claims to weather fame - it is one of the warmest cities in Germany, yet also the "gloomiest", with the lowest levels of sunshine throughout the year. It's also the most flood prone city in Europe, with the river Rhine having forced the city to adopt some elaborate flood defences.
Cologne in Spring
Spring in Cologne can be a chilly but invigorating affair. With average daily highs of 10°C in March and overnight lows of 2°C, the city takes a while to warm up. As spring progresses, however, Cologne's parks and gardens come alive and there are a variety of interesting cultural events going on. In April, daily highs reach 15°C and by the end of May are approaching 20°C - although overnight lows are still in single figures at this time, making for some chilly evenings.
Cologne's rain is spread fairly evenly through the year, but spring can see some heavy and sudden downpours, so take an umbrella as well as layered clothing.
Cologne in Summer
June, July and August are busy months in Cologne, and this tends to mark the peak of the tourist season. Expect highs to reach the mid 20s Celsius on average during the summer - although a record high of 38°C was once recorded in August! Nights are still on the cool side throughout the summer, rarely exceeding 12°C - even at the height of summer, you will need a wrap for the evenings.
June and July are technically the wettest months of the year, but rainfall at this time tends to come in thundery downpours rather than spread out over grey days.
Cologne in Autumn
Autumn is a busy time in Cologne, particularly with business travellers, as this is when some of the largest conventions and trade shows are held. It's also a beautiful time, as the autumn colours envelop the city and cool, misty mornings bring an air of beauty. Expect average daily highs of 18°C in September, falling to 15°C in October and 9°C in November.
By the time November arrives, a chill will be felt in the evenings and you'll want something with long sleeves, or a jacket. Rain continues, but is now accompanied by greyer skies and the rain tends to linger longer.
Cologne in Winter
Winters are cool and cold in Cologne, but vibrant too - this is a city which does Christmas very well, with one of the largest Christmas markets anywhere. Wrap up warm, as with daily highs of only 5°C in December and January you can expect nights to fall slightly below freezing.
Best months to visit Cologne?
June and July are the best month to go for holiday or travel to Cologne. The weather averages gathered from Cologne weather forecast and Cologne weather history also forecast these months temperature to be around 23°c and average of 169.2667 hours of sunshine in a month.
Coldest months of Cologne?
January and February are the coldest months with temperature at around 1°c.
Which months receive most rainfall in Cologne?
December and July receive most rainfall with precipitation count of 108.58mm.
Travelling to Cologne? Check out our Weather averages of Cologne to better plan your holiday or travel.
If you would just like to know what the weather was for a past dates for research or education or you are just curious then visit our historical weather of Cologne section.