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When is the best time to visit Cologne?

The best time to visit Cologne is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

Cologne has four seasons without a desert summer or a guaranteed freeze. Pack for mixed weather. The good outdoor weeks are real, and so are the grey ones. Cologne is a city in Germany. This page is about Cologne, not a country average.

Most visitors come for cities, walking and the milder stretch of the year. Treat midwinter as museums and food unless you like weather for its own sake. The monthly table owns the averages. This layer is how Cologne actually feels.

Part of Germany weather.

Cologne
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Spring

Spring in Cologne is when the year becomes walkable again. March, April and May are mixed: bright days, wet days, and the odd reminder that winter has not fully left.

In Cologne the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. This is a good month-range for a city break that wants outdoor hours without betting the packing list on heat. Carry a shell.

Read Cologne in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Summer

Summer in Cologne is the most usable stretch of the year: June, July and August. Long days, milder nights, and outdoor weather that makes a city break feel like a holiday.

In Cologne the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. It is still a mixed-sky climate. A grey afternoon is not a surprise. Pack for sitting outside and for the hour you duck into a museum because the sky decided otherwise.

Read Cologne in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Autumn

Autumn in Cologne is the second spring, then a slide: September, October and November. Early weeks are for walking. Later weeks are for jackets and shorter outdoor plans.

In Cologne the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Rain returns as a planning constraint. Cologne in these months is still a good city-break climate if you pack for weather instead of for a brochure afternoon.

Read Cologne in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Winter

Winter in Cologne is grey, wet and short on daylight: December, January and February. Snow is possible and not the identity of the season. Museums, food and walking between showers are the trip.

In Cologne the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. A bright winter afternoon in Cologne is worth going out for. The rest of the day is not a failed summer. It is the climate this place actually has.

Read Cologne in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Cologne weather by month

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 2 Sept 2026358 places covered

Average temperature and rainfall, month by month

Every figure below is a 1991–2020 climate normal for Cologne, in °C and °F. Open a month for what to expect and what to pack.

Cologne weather by month: average temperature, rainfall, sunshine and wind for each month, from 1991–2020 climate normals
MonthAverageRainfall
January4°C / 39°F64 mm
February5°C / 40°F56 mm
March8°C / 46°F53 mm
April12°C / 53°F48 mm
May15°C / 59°F60 mm
June18°C / 65°F76 mm
July20°C / 69°F81 mm
August20°C / 68°F81 mm
September16°C / 61°F67 mm
October12°C / 54°F65 mm
November8°C / 46°F68 mm
December5°C / 41°F72 mm

Where to stay in Cologne

Dates are a starting point for May.

All hotels in Cologne

Travel guides for Cologne

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in Cologne

Check another month

Now pick a month.

FAQs about Cologne weather

Climate averages for Cologne, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit Cologne is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

July is the hottest month, with an average around 20°C.

August is the wettest month, with about 81 mm of rain.

January is the coolest month, averaging 4°C (39°F) against 20°C (69°F) in July.

This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what each month is usually like, which is what you want when booking ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.