In this guide
💡 The Short Version: June to August is the dry, sunny stretch, and the sea is warmest from July to September: June, July and August have 36, 14 and 17 mm of rain and 310, 349 and 323 hours of sun, and the sea passes 21°C in June. October and November are the wettest months, at 128 and 138 mm. Winter is mild, with a mean daily maximum of 13 to 14°C from December to February, and the Carnival runs 9 to 28 February 2027. The Monaco Grand Prix is 3 to 6 June 2027. The figures are Météo-France’s normals for Nice airport, 1991 to 2020. Or book a tour: the Old Town and Castle Hill walking tourad is from €26 and the one-hour sightseeing cruisead from €30 (GetYourGuide).
Nice month by month
The weather figures are the normals for 1991 to 2020 that Météo-France prints for its Nice airport station, which is 2 m above sea level. Highs and lows are the mean daily maximum and minimum in °C, rain is the monthly total in mm with the number of days with 1 mm or more, and sun is hours a month. The sea is the average surface temperature off Nice in °C, rounded, from NOAA satellite data for 1991 to 2020 and 2016 to 2025: it is not a beach reading. Sunrise and sunset are about, in local time, for the 15th, calculated for Nice; December is the 21st and June the 21st.
| Month | High / low | Rain | Sun | Sea | Sunrise to sunset | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 17.0 / 9.7 | 138 mm, 8.5 days | 152 h | 18 | 07:24 to 17:07 | The Nice-Cannes marathon on the 8th; the Christmas village from the 27th. Matisse and Castle Hill close earlier from the 1st |
| December 2026 | 14.1 / 6.6 | 90 mm, 6.0 days | 145 h | 15 to 16 | 08:01 to 16:56 | The Christmas village to 3 January: see Nice at Christmas 2026. The shortest day is the 21st |
| January 2027 | 13.3 / 5.8 | 74 mm, 5.8 days | 157 h | 14 | 08:01 to 17:17 | The Rallye Monte-Carlo in Monaco, 21 to 24 January |
| February 2027 | 13.5 / 6.1 | 54 mm, 5.1 days | 166 h | 13 to 14 | 07:31 to 17:59 | The Carnival, 9 to 28 February, and the Lemon Festival in Menton, 13 to 28 February: see Nice Carnival 2027 |
| March 2027 | 15.4 / 8.3 | 51 mm, 4.9 days | 218 h | 14 | 06:45 to 18:35 | The clocks go forward on the 28th |
| April 2027 | 17.4 / 10.8 | 69 mm, 6.4 days | 229 h | 15 | 06:49 to 20:12 | Matisse stays open to 18:00 and Castle Hill to 20:00 from 1 April |
| May 2027 | 21.0 / 14.5 | 40 mm, 5.1 days | 271 h | 18 | 06:06 to 20:47 | The Monaco E-Prix on 1 and 2 May; the Cannes Film Festival, 11 to 22 May; Le Plongeoir’s bar reopens |
| June 2027 | 24.7 / 18.1 | 36 mm, 3.8 days | 310 h | 21 to 22 | 05:48 to 21:15 | The Monaco Grand Prix, 3 to 6 June: see the Monaco Grand Prix 2027. The City’s bathing-water checks start on 1 June |
| July 2027 | 27.5 / 20.8 | 14 mm, 1.8 days | 349 h | 24 to 25 | 06:02 to 21:11 | The driest and sunniest month. The 2027 dates of the Nice Jazz Fest are not announced |
| August 2027 | 27.9 / 21.1 | 17 mm, 2.3 days | 323 h | 25 to 26 | 06:34 to 20:37 | The hottest month, and the sea at its warmest |
| September 2027 | 24.8 / 17.7 | 81 mm, 4.9 days | 250 h | 23 to 24 | 07:08 to 19:43 | The City’s bathing-water checks run to 30 September |
| October 2027 | 21.0 / 14.0 | 128 mm, 7.5 days | 191 h | 20 to 21 | 07:43 to 18:49 | The second-wettest month, with the most thunderstorm days of the year. The clocks go back on the 31st |
The weather in numbers
- Temperature. The year averages 16.3°C. The mean maximum reaches 25°C or more on about 13 days in June, 27 in July and 30 in August, and 30°C or more on about 8.5 days a year. Météo-France’s records for the station are 37.7°C, in August 2006, and -7.2°C, in January 1985.
- Rain. The year adds up to 791 mm over about 62 days with 1 mm or more. November (138 mm) and October (128 mm) are the wettest months and September (81 mm) the third, and July (14 mm) is the driest. Thunderstorms fall on about 28 days a year, with the most in October, at about 4.
- Sun. 2,761 hours a year: 349 in July and 145 in December.
- Frost and snow. About one night a year has a frost, and snow falls on about one day a year, mostly in February.
- Daylight. About 8 hours 55 minutes on 21 December, with sunrise at about 08:01 and sunset at about 16:56, and about 15 hours 27 minutes on 21 June, with sunrise at about 05:48 and sunset at about 21:15.
- Clocks. France changes on the last Sunday of March and October: 28 March 2027 and 31 October 2027.
Dates that shape a visit
The Carnival and the Lemon Festival
Tuesday 9 to Sunday 28 February 2027 · Menton, 13 to 28 February
The Nice Carnival, in its 154th edition, fills Place Masséna and the Promenade des Anglais, and tickets go on sale in December 2026. February’s mean maximum is 13.5°C, with 166 hours of sun. The Menton Lemon Festival’s grandstands for 21 and 28 February are full. See Nice Carnival 2027.
The Monaco Grand Prix and the festival season
Monaco, 3 to 6 June 2027 · Cannes Film Festival, 11 to 22 May
May and June combine highs of 21.0°C and 24.7°C with the year’s longest days, and Nice’s beds are in demand for the Cannes Film Festival and the Grand Prix. The Monaco E-Prix runs on 1 and 2 May. The Nice Jazz Fest ran from 23 to 25 July in 2026, and its 2027 dates are not announced. Where to stay in Nice compares the areas.
The beach season
- Swimming. The sea passes 21°C in June and peaks in August, at about 25 to 26°C in recent years. The City samples the water at its 26 bathing sites every week from 1 June to 30 September.
- The beaches are pebbles: Nice beaches separates the public stretches from the paid clubs.
- The cool months. The sea is at its coolest in February, at about 13 to 14°C.
Sunbathers on the beach below the Promenade des Anglais in early September. Photo: JIP, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Christmas and the quiet months
The Christmas village runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. January and early March are quiet months for sightseeing, with maxima of 13 to 15°C: what to book before you go to Nice has the closed days.
The Promenade des Anglais on a December morning, with the bay and the hills beyond. Photo: Thomas Woodtli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Which month for what
- Swimming and the beach: June to September, with the water at 21 to 26°C.
- The driest, sunniest days: June, July and August, with 14 to 36 mm of rain and 310 to 349 hours of sun. July and August have the highest maxima, at 27.5°C and 27.9°C.
- Walking and sightseeing in milder air: April to early June and September to October, with maxima of 17 to 25°C. September and October bring more of the year’s rain.
- Festivals: February for the Carnival and the Lemon Festival, May for Cannes and early June for the Grand Prix.
- Winter: December to February has a mean maximum of 13 to 14°C, with 145 to 166 hours of sun a month.
- The wettest weeks: October and November.
Plan the rest
Where to stay in Nice compares the areas, and 3 days in Nice fits the sights round the closed days. What to book before you go to Nice has the entry rules, and Nice airport to the city has the way in.
Common questions
What is the best month to visit Nice?
For sun and swimming, June to September: June to August have 14 to 36 mm of rain a month and 310 to 349 hours of sun, and the sea passes 21°C in June. May and September are milder, with highs of 21.0°C and 24.8°C. October and November are the wettest months, with 128 mm and 138 mm.
How hot is Nice in summer?
August has a mean daily maximum of 27.9°C and a minimum of 21.1°C, and July 27.5°C and 20.8°C. The maximum reaches 25°C or more on about 27 days in July and 30 in August, and 30°C or more on about 8.5 days a year.
Is Nice warm in winter?
It is mild: January's mean daily maximum is 13.3°C and its minimum 5.8°C, with 157 hours of sun and 74 mm of rain. Frost is rare, with about one night a year, and snow falls on about one day a year.
When is the sea warm enough to swim in Nice?
The sea averages about 21°C in June, 24 to 25°C in July and 25 to 26°C in August, from NOAA satellite data off the coast. It is coolest in February, at about 13 to 14°C. The City samples the water weekly at its bathing sites from 1 June to 30 September.
When is the Nice Carnival in 2027?
From Tuesday 9 to Sunday 28 February 2027, with the Lemon Festival in Menton from 13 to 28 February.
When do the clocks change in France?
On the last Sunday of March and of October: 28 March 2027 and 31 October 2027.
