Iraq weather in January

Planning a getaway to Iraq this January and curious about the weather you should prepare for? Discover all the vital details you need on this page, solving your puzzle:

What is the weather like in Iraq in January?

Iraq has a wide variety of climate types. During January, you can expect temperatures that range from cold to pleasant and precipitation levels ranging from low to high. January falls during the winter season.

During the day the temperature is cold in As Sulaymānīyah at 10°C and pleasant in Al Başrah at 20°C. As night falls, temperatures generally drop to 9°C in Al Başrah and -1°C in As Sulaymānīyah. Although January is typically the coldest month, there are still areas in Iraq where the temperatures are mild, allowing for a comfortable visit any time of the year.

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From low rainfall in Ar-Rutbah with an average of 18 mm to high rainfall in As Sulaymānīyah with 136 mm.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Iraq in January, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our Iraq climate page.

Where to go in Iraq in January

Find the average weather conditions in January for the most popular destinations in Iraq on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

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).

Popular destinations in Iraq

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

Average weather in Erbil

In January Erbil generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 13°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Erbil
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
15°C 
5°C 
87 mm 
9 days 
13°C 
3°C 
101 mm 
12 days 
poor 
15°C 
4°C 
102 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Erbil

Average weather in Baghdād

In January Baghdād generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Baghdād
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
20°C 
9°C 
195 hours 
26 mm 
5 days 
18°C 
7°C 
192 hours 
30 mm 
6 days 
21°C 
9°C 
204 hours 
26 mm 
6 days 
Climate in Baghdād

Average weather in As Sulaymānīyah

In January As Sulaymānīyah generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

As Sulaymānīyah
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
12°C 
1°C 
112 mm 
9 days 
poor 
10°C 
-1°C 
136 mm 
10 days 
poor 
12°C 
1°C 
149 mm 
10 days 
poor 
Climate in As Sulaymānīyah

Average weather in Karbala

In January Karbala generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Karbala
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
19°C 
9°C 
195 hours 
17 mm 
4 days 
18°C 
7°C 
192 hours 
21 mm 
5 days 
20°C 
9°C 
204 hours 
18 mm 
5 days 
Climate in Karbala

Average weather in Al Başrah

In January Al Başrah generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 20°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 9°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Al Başrah
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
22°C 
10°C 
33 mm 
5 days 
20°C 
9°C 
36 mm 
6 days 
23°C 
11°C 
21 mm 
5 days 
Climate in Al Başrah

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

Is January the best time to visit Iraq?

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

On average, the best time to visit Iraq is in March, April, May, October and November with generally perfect weather in Erbil. The weather in January, on the other hand, tends to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Iraq. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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

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