Montmartre Paris Weather, Month by Month
What the sky does to a day on the Butte — the temperatures, the rain, the sunshine hours and the sunset that decides your evening.
What the weather does to a visit here
Every tour on this hill is an outdoor walk on cobbles and stairs, so the weather does not change your comfort, it changes your day. Three things follow from it. The dome closes for weather at the basilica’s own discretion, so a wet week can take the one ticketed climb off your list. The 222 steps are a pleasure in April and a slog at midday in July. And the view that brings people up here needs light: sunset moves from 4.55pm on 21 December to 9.57pm on 21 June, so an evening walk in December is a night walk, and the same walk in June finishes in broad daylight.
Montmartre Paris month by month
| Month | Max °C | Rain mm | Sun hrs | Sunset, 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.6 | 47.6 | 59 | 17:20 |
| February | 8.8 | 41.8 | 84 | 18:10 |
| March | 12.8 | 45.2 | 135 | 18:54 |
| April | 16.6 | 45.8 | 177 | 20:40 |
| May | 20.2 | 69.0 | 201 | 21:24 |
| June | 23.4 | 51.3 | 204 | 21:55 |
| July | 25.7 | 59.4 | 222 | 21:50 |
| August | 25.6 | 58.0 | 215 | 21:07 |
| September | 21.5 | 44.7 | 175 | 20:05 |
| October | 16.5 | 55.2 | 119 | 19:02 |
| November | 11.1 | 54.3 | 70 | 17:11 |
| December | 8.0 | 62.0 | 57 | 16:54 |
January
Cold, grey and genuinely quiet. Expect a high near 7.6 °C and a low of 3.2, with 59 hours of sun in the whole month and about 48 mm of rain. The sun sets at 5.20pm mid-month. Place du Tertre is walkable at any hour, which is the trade you are making.
February
Barely warmer at 8.8 °C but noticeably brighter, with 84 hours of sun and the driest month of the year at about 42 mm. Sunset has moved to 6.10pm. The dome is open and the queue for it is short.
March
The turn. Highs reach 12.8 °C, sunshine jumps to 135 hours, and the clocks go forward at the end of the month. Sunset runs from 6.54pm to well past 8pm once the change lands. Coach traffic starts returning to the square.
April
Highs of 16.6 °C, 177 hours of sun and a 8.40pm sunset by mid-month. Rain is moderate at about 46 mm but arrives in showers, so the cobbles will be wet at some point in your day. One of the best months to walk the hill.
May
The wettest month on the normals at 69 mm, and also one of the brightest with 201 hours of sun and highs of 20.2 °C. Sunset is 9.24pm mid-month, which gives you a long evening on the parvis. Book any walk a few days ahead from here on.
June
Peak daylight: sunset reaches 9.57pm on the 21st, and the hill stays busy until late. Highs of 23.4 °C and 204 hours of sun. A dawn walk is the only way to have Place du Tertre to yourself in June.
July
The hottest and sunniest month, 25.7 °C and 222 hours, with about 59 mm of rain arriving as storms rather than drizzle. Sunset 9.50pm. The 222 steps are hard work at midday; take the funicular and walk down instead.
August
Almost identical at 25.6 °C and 215 hours of sun, but the city empties of Parisians and fills with visitors. Sunset falls back to 9.07pm. Many small shops close for two or three weeks, which affects the food tours more than the walks.
September
The best compromise on the hill: 21.5 °C, 175 hours of sun, the driest month after February at 45 mm, and an 8.05pm sunset. The crowds thin from the second week.
October
Highs of 16.5 °C and 119 hours of sun, with the vine leaves turning on rue des Saules. The Fête des Vendanges fills the village from 7 to 11 October 2026. Sunset is 7.02pm mid-month, before the clocks go back at the end of it.
November
Grey and wet: 11.1 °C, 70 hours of sun and 54 mm of rain. Sunset is 5.11pm, so plan the basilica for the afternoon and the lanes for the morning. The dome closes for weather more often this month than in summer.
December
The darkest month, 57 hours of sun in the whole of it, highs of 8 °C and the year’s earliest sunset at 4.55pm on the 21st. It is also the emptiest the square gets, and the basilica is lit from mid-afternoon.
The seasons, and which one you want
Spring (March–May): the best walking weather, rising sunshine and
the longest evenings before the summer crowds arrive. May is the wettest month on the
normals, but it rains in showers.
Summer (June–August): the longest days and the fullest square. Book
early, walk early, and take the funicular rather than the steps.
Autumn (September–November): September is the sweet spot. October
brings the vine harvest and the Fête des Vendanges; November is the first properly
grey month.
Winter (December–February): short days, few visitors, and the white
stone lit from mid-afternoon. Bring a warmer layer than the forecast suggests.
Best time of day on the hill
Before 10am, at any time of year. The coaches arrive mid-morning and Place du Tertre does not empty again until late afternoon in summer. The second-best window is the last hour before sunset, when the light comes across the city and hits the west front of the basilica — and in winter that hour falls conveniently at four in the afternoon rather than at nine at night.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Montmartre?
Do Montmartre tours run in the rain?
Does the Sacré-Cœur dome close in bad weather?
When does the sun set in Paris?
Is Montmartre cold in winter?
Pick a date, not a forecast
Every walk here refunds in full up to 24 hours before it starts, so booking ahead costs you nothing if the sky turns.
One building is unaffected by all of it: the Sacré-Cœur opens at half past six every morning of the year and closes at half past ten every night, whatever the sky is doing.
Montmartre secret food tours run in all weather; the full list of departures is on Montmartre Paris Tours.
Sources
- Météo-France 1991–2020 climate normals for Paris-Montsouris (temperature, rainfall and sunshine).
- Sunrise and sunset computed for 48.8867°N, 2.3431°E from the standard solar equations.
- Basilique du Sacré-Cœur — dome hours and weather closures. Checked 2026-09-08.