Frankfurt is 0.8°C (1.4°F) warmer by day, Cologne gets 139 mm (5.5 in) more rain a year.
Cologne is at its warmest in August and coolest in January, while Frankfurt peaks in July and bottoms out in January. Month for month, Frankfurt is the warmer of the two in 6 of 11 months.
Cologne is the wetter of the two, collecting 822 mm (32.4 in) of rain a year against 683 mm (26.9 in) in Frankfurt. The most comfortable time to visit is June, July and August in Cologne and June, July and August in Frankfurt.
| Cologne | Metric | Frankfurt |
|---|---|---|
| 🌡️ Temperature | ||
| 21.1°C | 🌡️Average daytime high | 21.9°C |
| 0°C | 🌙Average nighttime low | -0.4°C |
| August | 🔥Hottest month | July |
| January | ❄️Coldest month | January |
| 🌧️ Rain | ||
| 822 mm | 🌧️Annual rainfall | 683 mm |
| December | ☔Wettest month | May |
| April | 🏜️Driest month | February |
| 💨 Climate | ||
| 82% | 💧Average humidity | 79% |
| 3 m/s | 💨Average wind speed | 2.5 m/s |
Overnight, Cologne typically falls to around 0°C (32°F) while Frankfurt settles near -0.4°C (31.3°F).
Cologne is hottest in August and coldest in January, whereas Frankfurt peaks in July and is coolest in January.
Cologne sees the most rain in December and the least in April; Frankfurt is wettest in May and driest in February.
Cologne feels the more humid of the two, averaging 82% relative humidity against 79%.
For Frankfurt, the pick of the year is June, July and August.
Month by month, here is the coldest night, the average day and the hottest afternoon each city can expect. Switch Compare to read rainfall, humidity, wind or solar instead, and Period to move between the long-term 45-year average and any single year — the shading is a quick warm-to-cool guide.
| Month | Cologne | Frankfurt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Avg | Max | Min | Avg | Max | |
| January | -8.2 | 1.1❄️ | 10.5 | -9.8 | -0.1❄️ | 9.6 |
| February | -7.4 | 2.2 | 11.9 | -8.3 | 1.6 | 11.5 |
| March | -4 | 6.5 | 16.9 | -4.7 | 6.2 | 17 |
| April | -2.2 | 9.6 | 21.4 | -2.5 | 9.9 | 22.3 |
| May | 2.1 | 13.7 | 25.2 | 2.6 | 14.6 | 26.6 |
| June | 6.1 | 17.7 | 29.2 | 6.6 | 19 | 31.3 |
| July | 8.9 | 20.2🔥 | 31.6 | 9.4 | 21.7🔥 | 33.9 |
| August | 8.6 | 20.1 | 31.7 | 8.9 | 21.3 | 33.7 |
| September | 5.4 | 16.2 | 27 | 5 | 16.8 | 28.5 |
| October | 0.6 | 11.2 | 21.7 | -0.2 | 11.2 | 22.6 |
| November | -3.2 | 6.1 | 15.3 | -4.1 | 5.7 | 15.4 |
| December | -6.8 | 2.2 | 11.2 | -8.1 | 1.2 | 10.5 |
| Annual Avg | 0 | 10.6 | 21.1 | -0.4 | 10.8 | 21.9 |
Min / mean / max temperature (°C). 🔥 marks each city's hottest month, ❄️ its coldest; shading runs cool blue to warm red.
The same figures plotted out, so the shape of a typical year is easier to see than in a grid. Where the two lines run close together Cologne and Frankfurt feel alike; where they separate, they are genuinely different places to be.
Hover or tap any point to read the exact figures. Cologne Frankfurt
See how Cologne and Frankfurt stack up against other cities. Swipe for more.
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Quick answers to the questions people ask most when comparing Cologne and Frankfurt — each drawn straight from the climate figures above.
Frankfurt is the warmer of the two. It averages daytime highs of 21.9°C (71.4°F) against 21.1°C (70°F) in Cologne — roughly 0.8°C (1.4°F) warmer by day.
Cologne is hottest in August, averaging highs of about 31.7°C (89°F), while Frankfurt peaks in July at around 33.9°C (93.1°F). That makes Frankfurt the hotter of the two at the height of summer.
Frankfurt gets colder. In its coldest month (January) overnight lows average about -9.8°C (14.4°F), compared with -8.2°C (17.2°F) at the low point of the year in Cologne.
Cologne is the wetter city, collecting about 822 mm (32.4 in) of rain a year versus 683 mm (26.9 in) in Frankfurt. Cologne is wettest in December and driest in April; Frankfurt is wettest in May and driest in February.
Cologne is the more humid of the two, averaging 82% relative humidity over the year against 79% in Frankfurt.
The most comfortable months in Cologne are June, July and August, when average temperatures are at their mildest.
Frankfurt is at its most pleasant around June, July and August, based on the mildest average temperatures of the year.
Frankfurt is the warmer city in 6 of the 11 months of the year. The gap is widest in July, about 1.5°C (2.7°F), and narrowest in October, about 0°C (0°F).
Frankfurt has the bigger seasonal swing, about 21.8°C (39.2°F) between its coldest and hottest months versus 19.1°C (34.4°F) in Cologne — so Cologne has the steadier, more even climate.
On climate alone, Frankfurt comes out ahead — it offers warmer days, less rain and lower humidity than Cologne. Cologne is the better fit only if you'd actually prefer cooler weather, more rainfall and a more humid climate.
Every figure on this page is calculated from NASA POWER satellite climate data spanning 1981–2025 (45 years). The averages describe the long-term climate of Cologne and Frankfurt, not a single year's weather or a short-range forecast.
