Climate and seasons
The Aare river in autumn, Bern© Peter Fankhauser / swissworld.org
The diversity of Switzerland is reflected in its climate, despite its small size. The Alps are an important factor here. They act as a barrier, so the weather in the north is often quite different from that in the south. It is noticeably milder in winter in the south than in the north.
There are also significant differences in the amount of rainfall.
Seasons
The seasons are clearly defined. In spring (March to May) the trees blossom and the meadows become green. In summer the temperature rises to 25-30 degrees (77-86 degrees Fahrenheit). In autumn (September to November) the fruits ripen, then the leaves turn brown and fall. In winter the snow changes the landscape.
"It snows and snows, whatever the heavens can let fall, and they let it fall in considerable amounts. It does not stop, there is no beginning and no end. There is no longer any sky, everywhere there is a gray, white snow. There is no longer any air, even that is full of snow. The earth no longer exists, it is also covered in snow and yet more snow."
Robert Walser (1878-1956), Snow
Links to other websites
- Average temperatures in Switzerland My Switzerland
- Weather forecast MeteoSwiss
- MeteoSwiss celebrates 125th anniversary swissinfo (2006)