The weather in the first quarter of 2022 (January, February, March), heating degree days from April 2021 to March 2022. January was dry and warmer than average. February was stormy with impressive gusts of wind. March, on the other hand, was extremely sunny and dry.
A mild and sunny January with little precipitation.
January brought plenty of sunshine and was correspondingly warm. Precipitation was below average. On the southern side of the Alps, it reached only about one-fifth of the long-term average.
January started very mild with maximum temperatures around 19 °C on both sides of the Alps. From January 1st to 4th, very mild air flowed into the country from the west and southwest. On January 2nd, the freezing level was at around 3800 meters, the second-highest January temperature since records began in 1954. The mild air brought new January records for daily maximum temperatures at 17 measuring stations across Switzerland (e.g., 19.2 °C in Poschiavo, 18.7 °C in Basel-Binningen).
From January 5th to 10th, polar cold air dominated the weather in Switzerland. On the northern side of the Alps, there was some snowfall down to lower elevations on several occasions. On the southern side of the Alps, the cold air, acting as a north foehn wind, brought plenty of sunshine and daytime highs of 10 to 12 °C. From January 11th to 27th, predominantly wintry high-pressure weather prevailed over Switzerland. The southern side of the Alps received plenty of sunshine from January 5th onwards. This long sunny period lasted until the end of the month in the south.
The south was very dry: January saw little precipitation across Switzerland. The southern side of the Alps had already received far below-average rainfall in December, so that the months of December and January together reached only 21% of the norm. As a consequence of the persistent drought, a large forest fire broke out towards the end of the month in the Gamborogno region of Ticino, near Lake Maggiore.
The low precipitation since the beginning of winter resulted in a pronounced lack of snow on the southern side of the Alps in January. Bosco-Gurin (1486 m) recorded the lowest average January snow depth since records began in 1961, with only 1 cm, while San Bernardino (1639 m) averaged just 5 cm of snow.
From January 28th to 30th, the weather on the northern side of the Alps was changeable. On January 31st, a cold front from the north brought persistent snowfall to the Alps. On the southern side of the Alps, it remained mostly sunny with a northerly foehn wind, and on January 30th, daytime highs reached a very mild 18 to 21 °C.
Monthly Summary January 2022:
The average January temperature across the country was 0.8 °C above the 1991–2020 average. In the lower elevations north of the Alps, it was 0.1 to 0.8 °C above average. In mountainous regions, temperatures of 0.5 to 1.5 °C, and locally up to 2 °C above the long-term average, were recorded. On the southern side of the Alps, January temperatures were generally 2 to 3 °C above average, and locally up to 3.5 °C above average in mountainous areas. In central Valais, the January temperature remained 1 to almost 3 °C below average. Total precipitation in January was generally below average. In many areas, less than 50% of the average fell, and on the southern side of the Alps, generally less than 20%.
Sunshine duration in January reached 150 to 180% of the average north of the Alps, and locally even 190 to almost 200%. In the Alps, it generally ranged between 120 and 140%, and locally between 150 and 160% of the long-term average in Valais. On the southern side of the Alps, values of 135 to 150% were widely recorded, and in southern Ticino, values reached almost 160% of the average.
A Warm and Stormy February:
February was very mild with plenty of sunshine. The lowlands on the northern side of the Alps remained snow-free, while the southern side experienced very little precipitation. Various storm systems repeatedly brought strong winds.
February began with two days of stormy north to northwest winds. Under the influence of high pressure, February 4th and 5th were mostly sunny throughout Switzerland. Stormy conditions returned on February 6th and 7th. The period from February 8th to 13th was dominated by high pressure and saw persistent sunshine in some areas. From February 16th onwards, a hurricane-force low-pressure system over England brought stormy conditions, initially to the mountains, and on February 17th and 18th also to lower elevations. Another storm system, moving from Scotland across the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, caused turbulent conditions in Switzerland from February 20th to 21st. North of the Alps, gusts often reached 70 to 90 km/h, and occasionally exceeded 100 km/h. On the Jura Mountains and in the Alps, gusts between 100 and 150 km/h were frequently recorded. In some cases, values even reached 160 to 180 km/h. The first two storm periods (February 1st/2nd and 6th/7th) brought strong north foehn winds with gusts of 80 to over 100 km/h to lower elevations on the southern side of the Alps. On the subsequent storm days (February 17th/18th and 20th/21st), the north foehn developed at the higher-altitude measuring stations of Simplon-Dorf and Poschiavo, with gusts between 80 and 100 km/h. These strong winds brought heavy snowfall, especially to the Eastern Alps. The southern side of the Alps received a significant amount of fresh snow, particularly between February 14th and 15th. From February 26th to 28th, it was generally sunny in the north, and sunny in western Switzerland and the south from February 25th onwards.
Monthly Summary February 2022:
The average February temperature across the country was 1.8 °C above normal. In the lower elevations on the northern side of the Alps, it was generally 2.3 to 2.7 °C above average. In mountainous regions, temperatures were mostly 1 to 2 °C above the long-term average, while on the southern side of the Alps, they were generally 2 to 2.5 °C above average.
In February, precipitation totals north of the Alps generally reached 70 to 90% of the normal amount. On the Jura Mountains and in the Alps, monthly totals in many places ranged between 120 and 165% of the average. The southern side of the Alps remained dry once again, with some areas receiving less than 30% of the long-term average.
Sunshine duration in February reached 130 to 145% of the normal amount north of the Alps. In the Alps, it generally ranged between 100 and 120% of the average. The southern side of the Alps received 120 to 140% of the long-term average.
An exceptionally sunny and dry March:
March brought Switzerland abundant sunshine and extremely little precipitation. The northern side of the Alps recorded 24 sunny days, while the southern side enjoyed 19. Widespread precipitation fell on only three days.
Sunny high-pressure weather dominated Switzerland throughout March. The days from March 1st to 10th were generally sunny. After a four-day break from March 15th to 18th, with overcast conditions across the country, the sunny high-pressure weather returned on March 19th. Clouds were rare in the sky until March 28th.
This sunny high-pressure weather blocked the influx of moist maritime air. Significant amounts of precipitation fell in Switzerland on March 15th, particularly in western and northwestern Switzerland and the Valais region. From March 15th to 18th, moist and mild Mediterranean air flowed into Switzerland from the southwest and south, carrying with it a considerable amount of Saharan dust. The overcast sky turned a deep yellow-brown at times. March 30th and 31st were the two further days with widespread precipitation.
Extremely low rainfall: In the central and eastern parts of the country, at several measuring stations with over 100 years of data, March recorded the lowest or second-lowest total rainfall since records began. Forest fires broke out in the cantons of Bern, Ticino, and Valais due to the persistently dry conditions.
Monthly Summary March 2022:
The average March temperature across Switzerland was 1.0 °C above normal. In the lower elevations on the northern side of the Alps, it was generally 0.5 to 1.4 °C above average. In mountainous regions, temperatures were mostly 1.1 to 1.8 °C above the long-term average, and locally more than 2 °C above. On the southern side of the Alps, the March temperature was generally 0.3 to 0.9 °C below normal, and locally up to 1.2 °C below normal. In March, precipitation totals in western Switzerland and on the western slopes of the northern Alps reached 20 to 30% of the normal amount. On the central and eastern slopes of the northern Alps, monthly totals in many places ranged between 30 and 40% of the average. In northern and central Graubünden, as well as in parts of the southern side of the Alps and Valais, less than 10% of the long-term average fell. In the remaining areas, precipitation was generally between 10 and 20% of the normal amount. The major exception was the Basel region: with the two days of precipitation at the end of the month, monthly totals here rose to 60 to 80% of the long-term average.
Sunshine duration in March, especially on the northern side of the Alps, was significantly above average in some regions. For example, Zurich experienced its sunniest March since records began in 1884, with over 250 hours of sunshine. In most locations, the sun shone longer than the long-term average; in some places, it was the sunniest March since records began.
Swiss map with climate stations.
Tables as PDF:
Heating degree days April 2021 to March 2022_Heating limit 12°C_Room temperature 20°C.
Climate data for the first quarter of 2022.
Source: MeteoSwiss, Climate Bulletins 2022
