The weather during the Spring Season
Besides the beautiful changing nature, the weather does change as well. It will be less cold. Temperatures start to rise again. Packing your bags to visit Switzerland during the spring season is quite a tricky task. As the weather is not very predictable during these months from March till May.
On some days with lots of sun, the temperature ranges between 15-20 degrees Celsius. On other days it can be cloudy and chilly with temperatures ranging from 0-10 degrees Celcius. It is even possible to experience some snow during April or March.
To dress properly for the Spring season, the key is to use layers, easy to peel off and maybe put on again when it gets colder in the evenings. Because this may sound tricky, we made a guide to help you pack your bags for a visit to Switzerland during the Spring season.🌼
Chilly mornings
In the morning temperatures range from 0-5 degrees Celcius, which is quite cold. During the day the temperatures do rise and when the sun appears temperatures can be comfortable.
Keep in mind, that it will take several more months till the summer season starts. So how to dress during the Spring season in Switzerland? Let’s find out!
To create a nice overview, we will discuss several options, by options we mean, that some people visit Switzerland with the purpose of hiking, and others will visit Switzerland to explore the beautiful towns and cities. The purpose of your visit determines how to pack your bags.
Surprising weather
As said, the weather during the spring season can be unpredictable, some days it is sunny outside, some days are darker, and come with rain and even some snow. This means you need to adjust to the weather conditions.
This means good preparation is key to a visit without inconveniences. We recommend checking the weather app regularly to get to know up-to-date information about the coming weather.
All-day clothing – Exploring cities
When visiting Switzerland, to explore cities, and making shorter walks, you won’t need to bring raincoats, water-resistant shoes and so on. If you are for example going to visit Zurich or Lucerne a good pair of jeans, with a hoodie, dresses combined with leggings, and a pair of shoes/trainers are perfect.
One accessory which is often forgotten, take an umbrella with you, maybe a small one. Smaller umbrellas are easy to carry in your bag. This umbrella is windproof too. An umbrella is a perfect accessory for every season of the year. This will keep you dry, as the weather can change rapidly.
Time of the year for hoodies
Spring season is the season when hoodies are perfect. Hoodies are great to wear when it’s getting a little colder, the benefit of hoodies is of course that they are comfy and that you can easily take them off when the sun appears.
A zip hoodie for your kids is great too. We love to wear hoodies during colder evenings or the mornings, they are so comfortable. And when temperatures start to rise during the day, you can easily take off a hoody.
Jackets
Most of the time, you won’t need a super warm jacket a light jacket does the job too. Most lightweight jackets are windproof and waterproof which is great.
This is the perfect type of jacket if the temperature does not drop under 10 degrees Celsius. Especially in the sun, you probably won’t even need a jacket, but when the sun disappears, a light jacket will make you feel way more comfortable.
What to pack for hikers during Spring?
Hiking shoes
When going for a hike during the spring season, we highly recommend considering investing in a good pair of hiking shoes, which are waterproof and solid. This will give you so much more comfort and maybe even more importantly dry feet during your hike.
There can still be some rain resulting in muddy paths. Rain shoes are a must in these cases. One tip: wear your new shoes at home a few times, this will prevent blisters during your first hike. Maybe pack some blister plasters, they are great!
These two hiking shoes are our favourite, they are waterproof and have the proper grip to prevent you from slipping on muddy hiking paths.
Scarves
Even though winter is over, especially for your kids a scarf is great. We love this scarf for kids. This will give some extra comfort in many situations. The mornings can still be chilly and a bit colder, so a scarf will keep you warm. When the sun appears, you won’t need a scarf.
Hats during spring
Although winter is over, it can as said still be chilly in the mornings and the evenings. We advise taking a light hat with you. Especially when heading into the mountains for a spring hike, a light hat is very welcome. Many people underestimate the temperature drop when going up in the mountains.
Do you need hiking shoes when visiting cities?
If you won’t be hiking in the mountains, we think buying hiking shoes is not necessary, a good pair of boots or trainers are perfect too. We recommend taking some shoes with you, which are comfortable for long walking distances and for the uneven cobblestones, which you will find in the older towns. So, it is not necessary to buy hiking shoes if you don’t go for a hike in the mountains.
Sunglasses
During the days of the Spring season, the sun starts to appear more and more. When enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee on a terrace, a pair of sunglasses is great. Or when exploring the beautiful landscape in the Swiss Alps, a pair of sunglasses is a must.
Higher up in the mountains you will still find some snow, the white snow will reflect heavily, so sunglasses are a must higher up in the mountains.
Casual, all-day clothing during Spring
Yes yes, spring arrived which means more sun. So spring clothing is both lighter and brighter than darker clothing during the autumn and winter seasons. Most people still wear trousers, paired with lighter long sleeves and coloured blouses.
During late April and early May, most ladies take their dresses out! A pair of leggings might be useful as we already told you, it can be chilly.
We already talked quite a lot about different clothing items for the Spring season. But now we will give a short overview of the three different months during the Spring season. So what to wear during March, April and May.
What to wear during Spring in Switzerland in March?
March is the first month of the Spring season. As winter is just over the temperatures are still chilly and cold, especially during the first half of March. We would bring a mix of winter clothing and spring clothing, so dresses, sweaters, hoodies or blouses.
During the second half of March, the temperatures do rise. That’s why it may be handy to take some lighter clothes with you. So for example light sweaters or blouses are great. Maybe consider wearing dresses combined with leggings.
Don’t forget to take your umbrella with you, as it might still rain quite a lot during March.
What to wear during Spring in Switzerland in April?
During April, the second month of the Spring season, you will experience a bit higher temperatures. In April temperatures rise a bit, and you will experience some warmer days. Long sleeves, blouses and jeans combined with a light jacket are great.
Winter clothing isn’t necessary anymore, but be prepared for some colder days, maybe take one warm piece of clothing with you, or a hoodie. In April you can take your dresses with you, maybe take some tights or leggings with you as well, as it’s still only April.
What to wear during Spring in Switzerland in May?
The last month of the Spring season. During May, temperatures are higher, so this is the time to bring your light jacket with you. We suggest taking with your trousers and some lighter tops.
Winter clothing is over now! Sweaters or long sleeves are great too. On sunny days you might be able to only wear a T-shirt.
Conclusion
The spring season is divided into three months: March, April and May. The temperatures do rise when you get closer to the last month, May. The spring season is the season of unpredictable weather, the weather changes rapidly, from cloudy and rainy days to sunny days.
This means, you will need to adjust to the weather conditions, so you will need to take summer clothes/light clothing and the more light winter clothing with you.
We also recommend taking some rain clothing with you and always taking an umbrella with you to stay dry and comfortable. We hope this guide helped you pack for a visit to Switzerland during the Spring season!🌸