Best time to visit Bologna
The best time to visit Bologna is April–May and September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.1 °C / 47 °F | 1.5 °C / 35 °F | 50 mm / 1.9 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 10.6 °C / 51 °F | 2.7 °C / 37 °F | 80 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 14.6 °C / 58 °F | 5.6 °C / 42 °F | 77 mm / 3 in | good month |
| April | 19 °C / 66 °F | 9.2 °C / 49 °F | 63 mm / 2.5 in | best month |
| May | 23.1 °C / 74 °F | 13.4 °C / 56 °F | 99 mm / 3.9 in | best month |
| June | 28.6 °C / 83 °F | 18.1 °C / 65 °F | 60 mm / 2.4 in | good month |
| July | 31.7 °C / 89 °F | 20.5 °C / 69 °F | 45 mm / 1.8 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 31.1 °C / 88 °F | 20.1 °C / 68 °F | 52 mm / 2.1 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 25.9 °C / 79 °F | 16.1 °C / 61 °F | 75 mm / 3 in | best month |
| October | 20 °C / 68 °F | 11.6 °C / 53 °F | 72 mm / 2.8 in | good month |
| November | 13.6 °C / 56 °F | 7 °C / 45 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 8.8 °C / 48 °F | 2.4 °C / 36 °F | 63 mm / 2.5 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May, September
- Good
- March, June, October
Spring (April-May) and September are best for exploring Bologna on foot, with mild, bright weather and only modest showers. March, June and October are good but noticeably short of that, cooled, duller or warmer at the edges. Midsummer (July-August) is too hot for comfortable walking, and November through February is cold, damp and dim.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 74%, precipitation 77 mm / 3 in, average daily high 14.6 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 69%, average daily low 5.6 °C / 42 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 12.2 °C / 54 °F, wet days 9.7 days, days with heavy rain 3 days.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.9 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 63 mm / 2.5 in, average daily low 9.2 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 68%.
Against: wet days 9.7 days, days with heavy rain 1.9 days.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 23.1 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, average daily low 13.4 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 67%.
Against: precipitation 99 mm / 3.9 in, wet days 10.3 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days.
June · good
In its favour: precipitation 60 mm / 2.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, days with heavy rain 1.7 days, wet days 8 days, average daily low 18.1 °C / 65 °F, relative humidity 62%.
Against: feels like (high) 30.3 °C / 87 °F, average daily high 28.6 °C / 83 °F.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.3 °C / 79 °F, average daily high 25.9 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 75 mm / 3 in, average daily low 16.1 °C / 61 °F, relative humidity 68%.
Against: days with heavy rain 2.4 days, wet days 8.2 days.
October · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.4 °C / 67 °F, average daily high 20 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, precipitation 72 mm / 2.8 in, wet days 8.6 days, average daily low 11.6 °C / 53 °F.
Against: relative humidity 76%, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, sunshine per day 7.7 h.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Area Sciistica Piane di Mocogno, 57 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 5.5 °C | 8.1 °C | 12.2 °C | 17.9 °C | 23.3 °C | 30.3 °C | 33.8 °C | 32.9 °C | 26.3 °C | 19.4 °C | 12.1 °C | 6.6 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1.3 days | 3 days | 3 days | 1.9 days | 3.2 days | 1.7 days | 1.2 days | 1.6 days | 2.4 days | 2.5 days | 2.8 days | 1.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 1 pm | 11 pm | 3 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 am | 11 am |
| Sunshine per day | 6 h | 6.9 h | 8.8 h | 10.5 h | 11.6 h | 13.2 h | 13.6 h | 12.2 h | 10.2 h | 7.7 h | 6.1 h | 5.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 81% | 77% | 69% | 68% | 67% | 62% | 57% | 60% | 68% | 76% | 82% | 83% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 15.8 µg/m³ | 16.8 µg/m³ | 12.1 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 12.3 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ | 13.5 µg/m³ | 16.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 28.5 µg/m³ | 27.9 µg/m³ | 19.9 µg/m³ | 17.9 µg/m³ | 18.1 µg/m³ | 19.5 µg/m³ | 15.8 µg/m³ | 15.6 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 18.5 µg/m³ | 24.1 µg/m³ | 30.1 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Silent and sound film festival
July
- Chocolate festival
November
Worth knowing before you go
- August summer closures (Ferragosto)
August
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- porticoes of Bologna
Less than 1 km away