Basel weather in November
November in Basel: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Basel · #1045 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 61/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 10°C
- Nights
- 3°C
- Wet days
- 10
- Sun
- 5.1 h
- Humidity
- 85%
- Daylight
- 9 h

Traveller notes on Basel in November
Other months in Basel
Forum posters describe March in Switzerland as genuinely unpredictable, sometimes cold and wet, sometimes dry and sunny, with winter still firmly in charge at higher elevations. Posters describe late March around lower-elevation lake and plateau areas like Basel as trending toward spring, with daytime highs typically 12-18C and comfortable conditions, snow largely confined to the mountains by that point. Posters are direct that recent years have still brought occasional March snow even this late in the month, before flipping suddenly to warm, sunny stretches. Posters consistently recommend proper layers - a windproof, waterproof outer layer, plus a scarf and gloves for a cold snap - regardless of how promising the forecast looks. Posters generally rate late March as more reliably pleasant in Basel than early March.
Basel forum regulars call September one of the better months generally — warm days and coolish evenings, school holidays over so fewer tourists than July or August — but Basel specifically “can be between warm and hot...or cool if you would have a bad weather period,” genuine year-to-year variability rather than one reliable read. “Normally it is sunny and warm but not hot,” though one poster notes a recent September that “rained a lot” against that norm. For a river cruise or day trip specifically, layering is the standard advice — thin layers that trap heat and adjust easily, plus a waterproof/windproof shell and a warmer piece for any altitude add-on. Our record: 22.2°C days, 12.2°C nights, 10.2 rain days and 9.4 hours of sun — mild and reasonably sunny, matching the “warm but not hot, real year-to-year variation” read.
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Basel climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Basel in November
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsBasler Herbstmesse, Basel Christmas market, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Basel's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherBasel's best weather comes in June, July and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Basel in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Basler Herbstmesse
24 Oct – 12 Nov · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedSwitzerland's oldest fair, running since 1471: rides and stalls spread over half a dozen squares for a fortnight from the last Saturday of October. It is a city fair rather than a tourist one — roast chestnuts, magenbrot, and everyone's grandparents. Source ↗
- Festival
Basel Christmas market
26 Nov – 23 Dec · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowdedStalls fill Barfüsserplatz, Münsterplatz and Claraplatz from late November, with the decorated tree by the Münster and a fairy-tale forest beside it. It closes on 23 December, and weekends bring coach groups from across the border. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Basel — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Basel?
Basel in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Basel?
- November in Basel: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Basel on SeasonMap's comfort score (61/100).
- What is the weather like in Basel in November?
- In November, Basel averages a daily high of 10.1°C and a low of 3.4°C, with about 62.2 mm of rain over roughly 9.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Basel in November?
- Basel has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 45 in November.
- Does it snow in Basel in November?
- Basel sees roughly 6.5 cm of snowfall in November.
Within 300 km: Freiburg's Black Forest autumn around 5 Oct – 8 Nov, and Colmar's Christmas markets on 23 Nov – 29 Dec.