September brings 22°C daytime highs, 90mm of precipitation across about 12 wet days and 12.3 hours of daylight — best for hiking and cycling. The strongest run of the year is August to October. December is the quietest month: low-key and inexpensive, and still good for cabin weekends, festive season and quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Salzburg. Month ratings compare months within Salzburg only — they are not a ranking of Salzburg against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | September — Hiking, Cycling |
| Best 3-month window | August–October |
| Quietest month | December — fewest visitors |
| Driest month | February — 55mm |
| Wettest month | July — 170mm |
| Warmest / coolest | July 25°C / February 3°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 1180mm over roughly 150 rain days |
December gets roughly 28% less precipitation than September — 65mm against 90mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Salzburg swings 22°C between July (25°C) and February (3°C) — the month you pick changes what you pack more than where you go.
June gives you 15.8 hours of daylight against just 8.2 in December — a 8-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
February is the driest month at 55mm across roughly 7 wet days, while July peaks at 170mm.
October is almost as good as September, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Salzburg stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Salzburg, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Salzburg beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★☆☆☆ | 3°C / -3°C | 60mm (rain/snow) | 8 | 8h | 8.6h | Cabin weekends · Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| February | ★★☆☆☆ | 3°C / -3°C | 55mm (rain/snow) | 7 | 8h | 10h | Cabin weekends · Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| March | ★★☆☆☆ | 6°C / -1°C | 70mm (rain/snow) | 9 | 5h | 11.7h | Cabin weekends · Quiet and local |
| April | ★★★☆☆ | 11°C / 3°C | 80mm | 10 | 6h | 13.5h | Spring greenery |
| May | ★★★★☆ | 17°C / 8°C | 110mm | 14 | 6h | 15h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| June | ★★★★☆ | 22°C / 12°C | 150mm | 19 | 5h | 15.8h | Quiet and local |
| July | ★★★★☆ | 25°C / 14°C | 170mm | 22 | 5h | 15.4h | Quiet and local |
| August | ★★★☆☆ | 25°C / 14°C | 160mm | 21 | 5h | 14.1h | Quiet and local |
| September | ★★★★★ | 22°C / 12°C | 90mm | 12 | 11h | 12.3h | Hiking · Cycling |
| October | ★★★★★ | 17°C / 8°C | 70mm | 9 | 10h | 10.5h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| November | ★★★☆☆ | 11°C / 3°C | 75mm | 10 | 6h | 9h | Autumn colour · Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| December | ★★☆☆☆ | 6°C / -1°C | 65mm (rain/snow) | 8 | 5h | 8.2h | Cabin weekends · Festive season · Quiet and local |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | September | 11h daily sunshine, 22°C highs and only 12 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | October | 17°C highs with 10.5h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | September | 11h of sun and 12.3h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | May | Scores 59/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | October | 17°C highs and 8°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Salzburg is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
September is the best all-round month in Salzburg: 22°C highs, 90mm of precipitation and 12.3 hours of daylight, which suits hiking and cycling. The strongest three-month window is August to October.
December — 6°C highs, 65mm of precipitation over roughly 8 days and 8.2 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for cabin weekends, festive season and quiet and local.
February is the driest month at 55mm over about 7 rain days, against 170mm in July. Across the year Salzburg records around 1180mm.
Yes — conditions in Salzburg stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 8.2 hours in December to 15.8 hours in June, calculated from the city's latitude.