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Weather in January
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Weather in January in Iceland

Considering a trip to Iceland this January and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in Iceland in January?

January in Iceland generally has temperatures that range from very cold to cold, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. January falls during the winter season.

Temperatures

The average highest temperatures fluctuate between very cold in Eyjafjaroarsveit at -0°C to cold in Vestmannaeyjar at 7°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 3°C in Vestmannaeyjar and -7°C in Eyjafjaroarsveit. On average, January is the coldest month of the year in Iceland. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.

To explore the conditions in Iceland in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snow/rainfall in Raufarhöfn with an average of 81 mm to heavy snow/rainfall in Solheimahjaleiga with 329 mm.

Average sunshine

Reykjavík experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 20 hours of sunshine. This makes it perfect for those who prefer dimmer, cloudier settings rather than intense sunlit days

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our Iceland climate page.

Where to go in Iceland in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Iceland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Weather conditions Weather
Temperatures
Precipitation
Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit Iceland, check out our Iceland's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in Iceland?

Reykjavík

In January Reykjavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Reykjavík
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
9°C 
2°C 
1,327 hours 
1436 mm 
214 days 
poor 
January January
3°C 
-3°C 
20 hours 
138 mm 
18 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
3°C 
-3°C 
60 hours 
148 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Climate in Reykjavík

Akureyri

In January Akureyri generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -0°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -6°C and high monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Akureyri
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
5°C 
-1°C 
1,043 hours 
1275 mm 
184 days 
poor 
January January
-0°C 
-6°C 
7 hours 
123 mm 
16 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
-0°C 
-7°C 
36 hours 
114 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Akureyri

Keflavík

In January Keflavík generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Keflavík
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
8°C 
4°C 
1,327 hours 
1408 mm 
217 days 
poor 
January January
5°C 
1°C 
20 hours 
135 mm 
19 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
5°C 
0°C 
60 hours 
145 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Keflavík

Höfn

In January Höfn generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Höfn
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
7°C 
3°C 
1,191 hours 
2129 mm 
182 days 
poor 
January January
4°C 
-1°C 
25 hours 
215 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
4°C 
-1°C 
62 hours 
216 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Höfn

Selfoss

In January Selfoss generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Selfoss
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
9°C 
3°C 
1,327 hours 
1668 mm 
210 days 
poor 
January January
4°C 
-2°C 
20 hours 
166 mm 
18 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
4°C 
-2°C 
60 hours 
173 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Climate in Selfoss

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Iceland.

Is January the best time to visit Iceland?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to Iceland with often poor weather in Reykjavík.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in June and July offering mostly tolerable weather in Reykjavík. In contrast, January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Iceland.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Iceland? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Iceland.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.