Lausanne weather in September
September in Lausanne: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#3 of 12 months in Lausanne · #447 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 86/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 21°C
- Nights
- 14°C
- Wet days
- 12
- Sun
- 8.9 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 13 h

Traveller notes on Lausanne in September
Notes from nearby Montreux (23 km away)
Lausanne doesn't have its own notes for September yet — these are about Montreux, close enough to share the season.
September on Lake Geneva cools as it goes: regulars track highs sliding from about 23C at the start to 18C by the end, with nights from 13C down to 9C, which our 20.1C monthly average sits in the middle of. The date to know is the vendange, the wine harvest in the terraced vineyards above the lake, which falls at the very end of September into early October and usually lands on good weather - and walking those terraces is the month's best outing. Our row is wetter than an autumn postcard suggests, at 127mm across 14 precipitation days under just 9.1 hours of sun, with the 0.8cm in the snow column belonging to the Alps behind rather than the shore. The record: 13.7C nights, humidity 81 percent and a 7.9 kph wind.
Other months in Lausanne
Forum posters describe Lausanne as sharing Geneva's general winter pattern but with noticeably less fog, since the wider Swiss plateau and Geneva itself can sit under low cloud for days at a time in December. Posters note it seldom drops below freezing in low-lying lakeside spots like Lausanne, and some winters bring little or no snow at all right in the city center, even though the region's full climate record shows meaningful average December snowfall and a fairly high number of rainy days overall - Lausanne's lakeside elevation runs milder and snow-uncertain compared to nearby higher ground. Posters are enthusiastic about December as Christmas market season, with especially large ones in Basel, Bern, Zurich and nearby Montreux worth combining with a Lausanne base. Posters generally rate December as cold, often grey and snow-uncertain for Lausanne itself, workable and increasingly festive as the Christmas market season gets underway.
Forum posters put early June around 15-25C and call it beautiful without being too hot, though they're quick to flag that Swiss weather is genuinely unpredictable and varies a lot by altitude - expect a real mix of warm sun, rain, and the occasional thunderstorm within the same trip. Layered clothing plus sturdy waterproof shoes are the standard packing call. June draws noticeably fewer crowds than peak summer, though the city's jazz festival dates are worth checking in advance if avoiding a busier stretch matters to the itinerary.
Add your own note from Lausanne's card on the map.
Lausanne climate normals — September
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Lausanne in September
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.
BusyAthletissima, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Lausanne'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).
Best weatherLausanne's best weather comes in June, August and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.
September includes Athletissima.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Lausanne in September
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Opening
Belle Époque steamer season
10 Apr – 20 Oct · usuallySummer season opensThe paddle steamers out of Ouchy — the largest fleet of their kind anywhere — run a full timetable for the season and drop to a skeleton one after. Crossing to Évian in France takes about half an hour. Source ↗
- Festival
Athletissima
1 Jul – 5 Sep · usuallySporting eventCrowdedBook earlyThe Diamond League meeting at the Pontaise, one evening in summer (the date has moved between mid-July and early September in recent years), with a pole vault or shot put staged downtown the night before. Lausanne is the Olympic headquarters city and behaves like it that week. Source ↗
- Season
Lavaux vendanges
10 Sep – 20 Oct · usuallyHarvestThe terraced vineyards start east of the city and are picked through late September and October, with cellars along the Lutry–Chexbres path opening for it. The little train through the terraces runs while the pickers do. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Lausanne — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Lausanne?
Lausanne in September — FAQ
- Is September a good time to visit Lausanne?
- September in Lausanne: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Lausanne on SeasonMap's comfort score (86/100).
- What is the weather like in Lausanne in September?
- In September, Lausanne averages a daily high of 20.8°C and a low of 13.7°C, with about 107.5 mm of rain over roughly 11.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Lausanne in September?
- Lausanne has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in September.
Within 300 km: Gstaad's Walking season and alpine dairies around 15 Jun – 10 Oct, and Chamonix's High mountain huts open around 15 Jun – 20 Sep.