Winter
Dec → Feb7 to 11°
nights 1 to 2°
- 11 rainy days · 63 mm
- 5.5 h of sun
When is the best time to visit Lyon?
- Jan7°fair
- Feb11°not recommended
- Mar14°fair
- Apr17°recommended
- May21°recommended
- Jun26°recommended
- Jul28°fair
- Aug28°fair
- Sep24°recommended
- Oct19°recommended
- Nov11°fair
- Dec8°recommended
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
The weather in Lyon, month by month
The table of records, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Sunshine | Rainfall | Rainy days | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7° | 1° | 4.7 h | 54 mm | 11 d | |
| February | 11° | 2° | 6.8 h | 38 mm | 8 d | |
| March | 14° | 4° | 8.7 h | 73 mm | 10 d | |
| April | 17° | 7° | 10 h | 59 mm | 9 d | ✓ |
| May | 21° | 11° | 10.8 h | 102 mm | 12 d | ✓ |
| June | 26° | 16° | 12.5 h | 90 mm | 11 d | ✓ |
| July | 28° | 17° | 13 h | 80 mm | 8 d | |
| August | 28° | 17° | 11.9 h | 47 mm | 6 d | |
| September | 24° | 14° | 10.1 h | 92 mm | 9 d | ✓ |
| October | 19° | 10° | 7.5 h | 117 mm | 10 d | ✓ |
| November | 11° | 5° | 5.8 h | 71 mm | 11 d | |
| December | 8° | 2° | 4.9 h | 96 mm | 14 d | ✓ |
The four seasons in Lyon, in figures
What the 2015-2024 records (Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
Spring
Mar → May14 to 21°
nights 4 to 11°
- 10 rainy days · 78 mm
- 9.8 h of sun
Summer
Jun → Aug26 to 28°
nights 16 to 17°
- 8 rainy days · 72 mm
- 12.5 h of sun
Autumn
Sep → Nov11 to 24°
nights 5 to 14°
- 10 rainy days · 93 mm
- 7.8 h of sun
Book early for April to June, September to October and December
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
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Daylight in Lyon, month by month
The time between sunrise and sunset, from shortest to longest. Not to be confused with the sunshine hours in the table above, which count clear skies. In June there are 15h42 of daylight, in December 8h41, a difference of 7h.
9h03Jan
10h18Feb
11h46Mar
13h28Apr
14h54May
15h42Jun
15h22Jul
14h07Aug
12h28Sep
10h50Oct
9h24Nov
8h41Dec
Calculated for the latitude of the reference point "Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon" (45.76°). Values on the 15th of each month, local solar time.
What to do in Lyon, month by month
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EventsFête des LumièresDecemberNuits de FourvièreJune to JulyLumière FestivalOctoberLyon Dance BiennaleSeptemberDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
- Sightseeing & walks: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
- Long days: May, June, July, August
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall), not from an opinion.
What's on in Lyon, month by month?
What comes back every year, and when. One of these events fills the hotels and pushes prices up: something to aim for or to avoid, depending on what you want.
- DecemberFête des Lumières big crowds
Four evenings in early December, with candles in the windows and light installations on the façades of the Presqu'île and Fourvière.
- June to JulyNuits de Fourvière
Concerts, theatre and dance in the two Roman theatres on Fourvière hill, from mid-June to late July.
- OctoberLumière Festival
A week of screenings and retrospectives in Lyon's cinemas, with an award presented to a leading figure in film.
- SeptemberLyon Dance Biennale
Every other year in September, companies from all over the world on the city's stages and a choreographed parade through the streets.
Travelling off-peak
Month by month, in detail
January
Fair7°1° at night
- 54 mm · 11 d
- 4.7 h
Low season, lower prices
February
Not recommended11°2° at night
- 38 mm · 8 d
- 6.8 h
Low season, lower prices
March
Fair14°4° at night
- 73 mm · 10 d
- 8.7 h
Low season, lower prices
April
Recommended17°7° at night
- 59 mm · 9 d
- 10 h
Busy, without the crush
May
Recommended21°11° at night
- 102 mm · 12 d
- 10.8 h
Busy, without the crush
June
Recommended26°16° at night
- 90 mm · 11 d
- 12.5 h
Busy, without the crush
July
Fair28°17° at night
- 80 mm · 8 d
- 13 h
Busy, without the crush
August
Fair28°17° at night
- 47 mm · 6 d
- 11.9 h
Busy, without the crush
September
Recommended24°14° at night
- 92 mm · 9 d
- 10.1 h
Busy, without the crush
October
Recommended19°10° at night
- 117 mm · 10 d
- 7.5 h
Busy, without the crush
November
Fair11°5° at night
- 71 mm · 11 d
- 5.8 h
Low season, lower prices
December
Recommended8°2° at night
- 96 mm · 14 d
- 4.9 h
High season, book early
Read the twelve months in detail
January. Deep winter: 7 °C at the warmest of the day, 1 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (54 mm). Sunshine gets scarcer (4.7 h a day). Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
February. Cool: 11 °C at best, 2 °C at night. Expect 8 days of rain in the month (38 mm). Expect 6.8 h of sunshine a day. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
March. Cool: 14 °C at best, 4 °C at night. Expect 10 days of rain in the month (73 mm). Expect 8.7 h of sunshine a day. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
April. Cool: 17 °C at best, 7 °C at night. Expect 9 days of rain in the month (59 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
May. Mild, 21 °C in the afternoon and 11 °C early in the morning. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (102 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.8 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
June. 26 °C in the afternoon and 16 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (90 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 12.5 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
July. 28 °C in the afternoon and 17 °C at night. Expect 8 days of rain in the month (80 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 13 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
August. 28 °C in the afternoon and 17 °C at night. Rain stays light: 47 mm over 6 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.9 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
September. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 14 °C early in the morning. Expect 9 days of rain in the month (92 mm). Plenty of sunshine: 10.1 h a day on average. Busy season, without the crush.
October. Mild, 19 °C in the afternoon and 10 °C early in the morning. Expect 10 days of rain in the month (117 mm). Expect 7.5 h of sunshine a day. Busy season, without the crush.
November. Cool: 11 °C at best, 5 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (71 mm). Sunshine gets scarcer (5.8 h a day). Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
December. Cool: 8 °C at best, 2 °C at night. Frequent rain: 96 mm over 14 days. Sunshine gets scarcer (4.9 h a day). High season: book early.
Same season, other ideas
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Lyon?
April to June, September to October and December: over these months, recorded highs range from 8 to 26 °C, with 11 days of rain a month on average (2015-2024 records, Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon).
Which month should you avoid in Lyon?
February: it is the wettest of the months to avoid, with 38 mm over 8 days of rain on average, according to 2015-2024 records at the reference point (Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon).
What is the hottest month in Lyon?
July, with 28 °C on average in the afternoon and 17 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon).
What is the coldest month in Lyon?
January, with 7 °C at best during the day and 1 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Saint-Jean Cathedral, Vieux Lyon).
What is the driest month in Lyon?
February: 38 mm over 8 days of rain, against 117 mm in October, the wettest month.
Which month has the most sunshine in Lyon?
July, with 13 h of sunshine a day on average. Note that this counts clear skies, not the length of the day.
Plan this trip
📒 The free printable Lyon guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→
🧭 When to visit France: the country overview→
🗓️ Best time to visit: all our destinations→
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Photos: Dennis G. Jarvis / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Benoît Prieur / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Geni Hoka / Pexels · Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz / Pexels · Fred Romero from Paris, France / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Théo Segantini / Pexels