Visiting Switzerland in Dec – what to pack
A traveler is visiting Zermatt and Grindelwald at the beginning of December and needs advice on what to pack for chilly weather. They are not participating in snow sports but will be walking in the snow and exploring the mountains. They are looking for guidance on jacket types, shoes, and whether jeans and leggings are suitable for the expected temperatures of 30-39F (-1 to 4C) in town and 10-15F (-12 to -9C) at higher elevations.
- Pack a waterproof jacket, gloves, scarves, and sturdy winter boots for the snowy conditions.
- Wear layers, including thermals as a base layer, a fleece pullover or sweatshirt as a mid layer, and a down/rainproof jacket as an outer layer.
- Consider wearing snow pants if you plan on tobogganing or any winter activities.
- Check the weather forecast closer to your trip for more accurate updates.
AI-generated summary-
We are visiting at the beginning of December and I’m having a hard time figuring out what to pack. We will be primarily in Zermatt and Grindelwald. We won’t be doing any snow sports like skiing or snowboarding (maybe tobogganing or tubing) , but will obviously be walking around in the snow and taking tours up in the mountains. I’ve read that it should be 30-39F (-1 to 4C) in town at these locations, and 10-15F (-12 to -9C) up at higher elevations. Would these estimates be correct? I’m also trying to figure out the best type of jackets for this weather (planning on packing 2), type of shoes required (planning on packing 2), will jeans and/or thick leggings be okay, and get any other information on best clothes to pack for this weather.
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Hi Johnsonkelly,
Grindelwald and Zermatt are both mountain destinations so you should expect significantly lower winter temperatures in December. I reckon between 1 deg and 5 deg Celcius during the day, and commonly below freezing at night. It might often be raining and on some days or night you might even get snow, so bring a waterproof jacket, gloves/mittens, scarves, beanies and sturdy winter boots. Best tip is to wear layers – thermals as base layer, fleece pullover or sweatshirts as mid layer and down/ rainproof jacket as outer layer. Sometimes, when the sun shines, it can get really warm in the mountains and wearing layers makes it easier to adapt to the changing temperatures. I usually wear thermals under my jeans when it’s really cold, but I recommend wearing snow pants/trousers if you plan on doing any kind of winter sports including tobogganing. More useful tips here: http://www.myswissalps.com/plantrip/clothing/winter
Find more information about the Swiss weather here: http://www.myswissalps.com/weather
Here’s a good link to check the weather forecast: http://www.myswissalps.com/weather/forecast (you can customise the location)
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
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