Hiking Weather Planner
Enter a city with trails nearby and your dates, up to 20 days, and the planner scores every day for being outdoors.
Plan Your Trip
Search by city to get per-day scores, or by country to compare cities
What matters most for hiking
In cities with trails nearby, the planner suggests hiking on days with a high of 18–28 °C, unless the chance of rain is above 50%, the icon shows rain or the wind is above 30 km/h. In coastal cities a dry day in that range goes to the beach first, and on cooler days of 15–26 °C it suggests parks and shorter walks.
A thunderstorm costs 2 points in the day score and wind above 20 km/h up to 2, so stormy and windy days drop quickly. A chance of rain above 20% costs up to 5 points, and heat above 32 °C or cold below 5 °C 1 point. The planner uses the forecast for the city, not for mountain tops, where it is often colder and windier.
Worked example: in a city with trails nearby, a day of 22 °C with 10% chance of rain and 12 km/h of wind scores 10 and the planner suggests hiking. Add a thunderstorm, 30% chance of rain and 35 km/h of wind and it scores 6.2; above 30 km/h the planner suggests a sheltered plan.
Hiking months in 10 cities with trails nearby
We count a month as a hiking month when the average high is 15–28 °C and an average day scores 8 or more (2006–2025 averages, chance of rain = rainy days divided by 30). This is our table’s rule; the planner decides day by day.
| City | Hiking months | Best month |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | none | — |
| Oslo | none | — |
| Bergen | none | — |
| Munich | none | — |
| Salzburg | none | — |
| Geneva | none | — |
| Glasgow | none | — |
| Vienna | Apr, Sep, and Oct | October · 8.3 |
| Zurich | none | — |
| Honolulu | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, and Dec | November · 9.3 |
2 of 10 cities have at least one hiking month by this rule; Honolulu has the most (9). Many mountain cities get frequent summer showers, so the average keeps their score below 8; there the daily forecast decides.
Hiking weather checklist
- Start early on summer days: afternoon thunderstorms are common in the mountains.
- Skip exposed ridges on days with thunder or wind above 30 km/h.
- Remember that it is colder higher up than in the city forecast.
- Check again the evening before you set off.
FAQ
What is good hiking weather?
A high of 18–28 °C, little rain and light wind. On such days in cities with trails nearby the planner suggests hiking.
Does the planner warn about thunderstorms?
Yes. A thunderstorm costs 2 points in the day score, and the day shows a thunder warning when the forecast chance is 40% or more.
Is the forecast valid for the mountain top?
No. The planner uses the forecast for the city. Higher up it is usually colder and windier, so plan for that.
How far ahead can I plan a hiking trip?
Any dates: up to 15 days ahead with the live forecast, later with an estimate from 20 years of climate data.