Black Forest weather
Twelve measuring points between 160 and 1493 metres – what the weather is really doing, down in the valley and up on the summit.
Right now in the Black Forest
| Place | Altitude | Conditions | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feldberg | 1493 m | – | – |
| Mummelsee | 1030 m | – | – |
| Schluchsee | 930 m | – | – |
| Titisee | 850 m | – | – |
| Freudenstadt | 730 m | – | – |
| Triberg | 700 m | – | – |
| Donaueschingen | 686 m | – | – |
| Baiersbronn | 580 m | – | – |
| Bad Wildbad | 430 m | – | – |
| Freiburg | 280 m | – | – |
| Gengenbach | 170 m | – | – |
| Baden-Baden | 160 m | – | – |
Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), provided via Bright Sky.
Why twelve readings and not one
The map shows temperature and conditions for 12 places – from Baden-Baden at 160 m up to the Feldberg at 1493 m. The data comes from the German Weather Service and is updated every 30 minutes.
Why so many? Because the Black Forest is not one weather zone. What holds down in the Rhine valley can look completely different up on the summit – and whoever reads only one value reads the wrong one.
Why altitude makes the difference
Between Freiburg (280 m) and the Feldberg summit (1493 m) lie some 1200 metres of altitude – and with them often 6 to 8 degrees of difference. The rule of thumb: temperature drops by 0.6 to 1 °C per 100 metres of altitude.
I have lived it often enough: down in the valley I set off in a T-shirt, up on the Feldberg I am glad of the fleece. That is exactly why the map is worth a look before every trip – whether you are heading for the Feldberg, for the Titisee, or hiking through the Ravenna gorge.
Fog in the valley, sun above: the inversion
In autumn and winter something magical happens here regularly: during a temperature inversion the Rhine valley lies under a grey lid of fog while the sun shines on the Feldberg, at the Mummelsee or at the Schluchsee.
My tip: if the map above shows fog in Freiburg or Baden-Baden but sun up high – go up. To the Blackforestline suspension bridge near Todtnau, for instance: above the fog line you get blue sky and a long view while everyone below sits in the grey.
Snow: around 100 days a year up high
In the high country around 100 days of snow a year are nothing unusual. The Feldberg – at 1493 m the highest mountain of any German range outside the Alps – takes over 1600 mm of precipitation a year, a good part of it as snow. The Rhine valley is markedly drier and milder.
Which means: while Freiburg or Gengenbach are green, winter can long since have arrived on the Feldberg, at the Titisee or at the Schluchsee. And when the weather refuses altogether – at Gaspedal in Rötenbach you drive electric karts indoors, dry, whatever is falling outside.
Common questions about Black Forest weather
What is the weather in the Black Forest right now?
You can see it on the map at the top of this page: temperature and conditions for twelve places, from Baden-Baden (160 m) to the Feldberg (1493 m). The data comes from the German Weather Service and is updated every 30 minutes. Because the differences in altitude are so large, it is always worth looking at several places.
What is the weather on the Feldberg and at the Titisee?
The current temperature on the Feldberg (1493 m) and at the Titisee (850 m) is at the top of this page. The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest – it is often 6 to 8 °C colder there than down in the Rhine valley near Freiburg. The Titisee, at 850 m, also lies well above the valleys and is correspondingly cooler.
Where is the Black Forest warmest?
In the low country at the edge of the Rhine valley – Baden-Baden (160 m), Gengenbach (170 m) or Freiburg (280 m). The rule of thumb: temperature drops by 0.6 to 1 °C per 100 metres of altitude. The high country around the Feldberg, Schluchsee and Mummelsee is therefore noticeably cooler.
Why is it colder on the Feldberg than in Freiburg?
Because some 1200 metres of altitude lie between them. Temperature drops by roughly 0.6 to 1 °C per 100 metres – which often makes 6 to 8 degrees between Freiburg (280 m) and the Feldberg summit (1493 m).
What is a temperature inversion?
A weather situation in which it is warmer and sunnier up on the mountain than down in the valley – the usual layering of temperature is turned around. In the Black Forest it happens mainly in autumn and winter: the Rhine valley lies under fog while the sun shines on the Feldberg or at the Schluchsee.
When is there snow in the Black Forest?
Mainly in the high country, where around 100 days of snow a year are nothing unusual. The most reliable snow is around the Feldberg, the highest mountain in the Black Forest (1493 m). In the low country such as Freiburg or Baden-Baden, snow falls far less often.
How much rain falls in the Black Forest?
That depends strongly on altitude: over 1600 mm a year on the Feldberg, a good part of it as snow. The Rhine valley is markedly drier. The high country is thus among the wettest regions of the German uplands.
Where does the weather data on this page come from?
From the German Weather Service (DWD), retrieved through the open Bright Sky interface. The readings are updated every 30 minutes and cached on my own server – your browser never talks to an outside service directly.