Basel Carnival (Basler Fasnacht): what was the weather like at past editions?
At 23 of 33 editions of Basel Carnival (Basler Fasnacht) from 1991 to 2025 (70%), at least one festival day had rain (≥ 1 mm); a day of 30 °C or more came at 0 of 33 editions. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus), data to 2025.
23 / 33editions with at least one rainy day
48%of festival days rainy
0 / 33editions with a day ≥ 30 °C
−6 °C (2004)coldest night
5 mmmedian rain per edition
Climate, not a forecast: these are statistics of past weather, not a forecast for the next edition.
Climate of the usual dates
If the next edition falls on its usual dates (27 February – 1 March), the weather on those calendar days in 1991–2025 gives these odds:
- 71% — chance of at least one rainy day
- 38% — share of rainy days
- 9 °C — average daily maximum
- 0% — chance of a day of 30 °C or more
- 100% — chance of a night below 8 °C
Average daily maximum on these dates: 9.7 °C in 1991–2005, 8.7 °C in 2011–2025.
Weather at past editions
| Year | Dates | Rainy days | Rain | Max | Night min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10–12 March | 3 / 3 | 16 mm | 15 °C | 4 °C |
| 2024 | 19–21 February | 2 / 3 | 6 mm | 13 °C | 3 °C |
| 2023 | 27 February – 1 March | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 4 °C | −1 °C |
| 2022 | 7–9 March | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 14 °C | −4 °C |
| 2019 | 11–13 March | 2 / 3 | 14 mm | 12 °C | 0 °C |
| 2018 | 19–21 February | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 4 °C | 0 °C |
| 2017 | 6–8 March | 3 / 3 | 20 mm | 9 °C | 1 °C |
| 2016 | 15–17 February | 2 / 3 | 3 mm | 5 °C | 2 °C |
| 2015 | 23–25 February | 2 / 3 | 10 mm | 9 °C | 0 °C |
| 2014 | 10–12 March | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 16 °C | 0 °C |
| 2013 | 18–20 February | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 7 °C | −6 °C |
| 2012 | 27–29 February | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 16 °C | −1 °C |
| 2011 | 14–16 March | 1 / 3 | 3 mm | 19 °C | 4 °C |
| 2010 | 22–24 February | 3 / 3 | 12 mm | 13 °C | 3 °C |
| 2009 | 2–4 March | 2 / 3 | 4 mm | 10 °C | 1 °C |
| 2008 | 11–13 February | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 9 °C | −2 °C |
| 2007 | 26–28 February | 3 / 3 | 18 mm | 13 °C | 5 °C |
| 2006 | 6–8 March | 1 / 3 | 10 mm | 8 °C | −2 °C |
| 2005 | 14–16 February | 3 / 3 | 16 mm | 3 °C | −2 °C |
| 2004 | 1–3 March | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 8 °C | −6 °C |
| 2003 | 10–12 March | 1 / 3 | 3 mm | 21 °C | 5 °C |
| 2002 | 18–20 February | 2 / 3 | 20 mm | 8 °C | 0 °C |
| 2001 | 5–7 March | 2 / 3 | 6 mm | 12 °C | 1 °C |
| 2000 | 13–15 March | 2 / 3 | 7 mm | 14 °C | 1 °C |
| 1999 | 22–24 February | 3 / 3 | 27 mm | 9 °C | 1 °C |
| 1998 | 2–4 March | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 21 °C | 3 °C |
| 1997 | 17–19 February | 2 / 3 | 9 mm | 10 °C | 2 °C |
| 1996 | 26–28 February | 0 / 3 | 0 mm | 13 °C | −1 °C |
| 1995 | 6–8 March | 3 / 3 | 10 mm | 7 °C | 1 °C |
| 1994 | 21–23 February | 2 / 3 | 8 mm | 11 °C | 2 °C |
| 1993 | 1–3 March | 1 / 3 | 5 mm | 6 °C | −3 °C |
| 1992 | 9–11 March | 2 / 3 | 4 mm | 15 °C | 3 °C |
| 1991 | 18–20 February | 1 / 3 | 2 mm | 10 °C | −1 °C |
How to read these numbers
- ERA5 is a reanalysis on a 0.25° grid (about 25 km): it counts slightly more light-rain days than nearby weather stations (by about 5–7 percentage points) and gives daytime highs about 1–2.5 °C below station readings, so real hot days were hotter than shown here.
- Edition window: the official programme days (main festival days, without camping or warm-up days before the start).
- Dates of past editions follow the rule described in Wikipedia (de: Basler Fasnacht): “Sie beginnt am Montag nach Aschermittwoch um 4 Uhr morgens mit dem Morgestraich, dauert exakt 72 Stunden”. We applied it to 1991–2025, leaving out 2020–21 (cancelled or held differently).
Dates and sources
Coordinates: 47.558, 7.588; ERA5 cell centred at 47.50, 7.50 (average ground height of the cell 505 m).