Zürich has, depending on the definition used, an oceanic or humid continental climate (Köppen Cfb/Dfb), with four distinct seasons. Decisive for the climate of Zurich are both the winds from westerly directions, which often result in precipitations and, on the other hand, the Bise (east or north-east wind), which is usually associated with high-pressure situations, but cooler weather phases with temperatures lower than the average. The Foehn wind, which plays an important role in the northern alpine valleys, has a limited impact on Zürich.
The annual mean temperature at the measuring station of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology in Zurich (556 m above sea level on the slope of the Zürichberg, 150 m above the level of the city center) is 8.5 °C (47.3 °F). The coldest month mean temperatures are measured in January with -0.5 °C (31.1 °F) and the warmest are measured in July with 17.6 °C (63.7 °F). On average there are 88 days in which the minimum temperature is below 0 C°C, and 26 days in which the maximum temperature is below 0 °C. There are on average 30 summer days (above 25 °C) throughout the year, while hot days (with a temperature reaching 30 °C) are only three. The average high temperature in July are 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) and low temperature are 11.6 °C (52.9 °F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. These values are relatively low compared to other stations on the plateau but they can be explained by the altitude of the station. In the Limmat valley more summer days and hot days can be expected. Zürich has an average of 1482 hours of sunshine per year. The 1,136 millimetres (44.7 in) rainfall spread throughout the year. During the summer months and especially the three summer months, levels of rainfall are higher than those measured in winter. The meteorological station at Kloten gives an average precipitation of 1,031 millimetres (40.6 in).
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