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Tour Weather

AlanS

I typically use WeatherSpark dot com for weather when I'm doing research to help us decide when we want to take a tour, or if we have already booked a tour, to see what the weather will likely be and what type of clothing and protection we should take. WeatherSpark provides a lot of historical weather info; much of it is presented in easy-to-understand graphical formats. Today, however, I tried a new approach. Rather than using WeatherSpark, or other weather websites such as the Weather Channel, AccuWeather, etc. I did a Google search (actually in iterative search). With Google's already excellent search function and now integrated AI, it was surprising what I could ask and the results I got!

I started out with a simple query: "Switzerland weather at the end of September." Google gave me excellent initial results, but suggested I provide more specific information for a better answer. So I added the tour's starting and ending dates. Then it suggested I provide specific information as to cities and locations where we planned to go. For the first iteration Google responded that I was asking for weather that would vary by micro-clime, so it grouped some sample cities it selected into three regions- Lowlands & Cities, Mid-Elevation & Lakes, and High Alps. For each region it listed Temperature- daytime temperature ranges, nighttime lows; Conditions & What to Expect- possibility of precipitation (rain or snow), amount of daylight, Seasonal Closures- huts, rail, roads, etc.; and Packing Tips- layers, outer clothes, etc.

Then I provided the actual cities and locations on our tour and it further broke the weather down city-by-city and grouped them into Mediterranean Warmth (Southern Lakes), Autumnal Valley & Lakeside Cities, and High Alpine Regions (The Mountains). Below that Google also provided a Quick-Reference Weather Summary table and Packing & Logistics Strategy

Quick-Reference Weather Summary
Region / Destination Avg Daytime High Avg Nighttime Low Expected Vibe
Lugano / Lake Maggiore 21°C (70°F) 12°C (54°F) Warm, sunny, Mediterranean
Lausanne / Lucerne / Interlaken 17°C (63°F) 9°C (48°F) Crisp, fresh autumn days
Gruyères 15°C (59°F) 7°C (45°F) Chilly mornings, clear afternoons
Zermatt / St. Moritz 12°C (54°F) 2°C (36°F) Cold alpine air, cozy evenings
Gornergrat / Kleine Scheidegg 3°C (37°F) -4°C (25°F) True winter jacket weather, potential snow

It was very easy to do! You don't need to use any special language or formatting. You can be as general or specific as you want, and can easily refine your query as you go without starting over. Google will even provide query suggestions.

The one factor I did not include, but could likely be added- how the current 2026 weather patterns and heat wave in Europe could affect the weather.

Try it out, I think you'll like it.

Comments

British

I find out about weather by asking that general question because it leads to all kinds of different websites that have other info about the area and tourists information. I never book a tour without first checking about what the weather might be like. I find it really surprising that people book tours without considering the weather first. I do like weatherspark. Thank you for the info Alan.

BKMD

I find google AI makes sh*t up a lot of the time. Then when you call it out, it says something to the effect, "Your absolutely right. I apologize..."
For that reason, I still prefer the individual web sites. Or, you can simply come to the forum and ask, "what's the weather like in ______"

kfnknfzk

I mentioned before that I deactivated AI. It is riddled with mistakes. Same for Wikipedia. Many think it is an academic site written by scholars. It is not. Virtually anyone can contribute to it and edit it. There is even a Wikipedia post about its unreliability!

Regarding weather outlooks, I just go directly to the country’s official tourism site. Most of the time, I just use my phone’s ten-day outlook before a trip. With global warming, I’m not so sure weather sites have properly updated their moving averages with the latest data. Merely my opinion.

Wan

Super fun to play with AI! You just can't trust any of it.

MikeHenderson

I have a bit better opinion of Wikipedia. There are entries for subjects I'm knowledgeable in and they are correct. For entries that I am not knowledgeable in, I check the facts with other sources.

The way Wikipedia gets written and updated is not bad. While almost anyone can update an entry, there are usually other people who will contest false information. Wikipedia requires that people include their sources.

It’s not a lot different than discussions we used to have in industry between engineers. Engineers were not shy about calling out other engineers if they thought the information was wrong.

Now, for entries on entertainment people, I have no opinion on how accurate those pages are. I just assume the entertainer has a PR person or people to input their information and to challenge people who put unflattering information on their page.

I use Wikipedia quite a bit for historical information and find it accurate when checked against other sources

SGF

Weather is a funny thing. Even the local forecasters rarely get it right. I tend to use weather spark after recommendations here on the Forum. I like to compare data from different years, and look at averages. They even have hours of daylight, amount of precipitation, cloud cover, etc.

Last year we were in France. Relatives on the same trip a week before. Friends on the week after. We all had different weather (I think ours was the best, but I won't brag 😉).

This spring right before heading for Japan, I met a woman in a shop here at home who had just come back from Tokyo - she said it was quite warm. Hotter than usual. So I immediately went through my suitcase and edited some clothing choices. The websites said it was supposed to be cooler, but in reality, this year has been warmer everywhere globally. Of course, if I had looked up a 10 day forecast right before leaving, I might have seen that. But I had done my "homework" far in advance, and never expected the averages to be so off. So glad I listened to her. Packed a few more T shirts. Took out nice loafers and exchanged for sandals. Hardly needed a sweater.

Bottom line, pack for all types of weather. And bring some rain gear!