North Rhine-Westphalia weather in January

Planning a journey to North Rhine-Westphalia this January and curious over the weather conditions to await? Your essential details are found on this page, answering your query:

What is the weather like in North Rhine-Westphalia in January?

North Rhine-Westphalia is a region in Germany. January in North Rhine-Westphalia generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. In January, it is winter.

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 3°C in Schmallenberg to 7°C in Kevelaer. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 1°C in Kevelaer and -2°C in Schmallenberg. Typically, it's the chilliest month of the year. Making it a great time for staying indoors and enjoying the warmth. Make sure you're prepared by packing the right winter outfits.

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Rheinbach with an average of 67 mm to high rainfall in Gummersbach with 131 mm. Most areas see fewer sunny days, with a projection of about 55 hours of sunshine in Cologne. This reduced sunlight makes it ideal for those who prefer dimmer, overcast conditions over bright sunny days.

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

Where to go in North Rhine-Westphalia in January

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).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Cologne

In January Cologne generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Cologne

Max temperature Max temp

Min temperature Min temp

Monthly sun hours Sun hours

Monthly rainfall Rainfall

Monthly rainy days Rainy days

Weather conditions Weather

<<   December December
<<  

7°C 

2°C 

45 hours 

99 mm 

18 days 

poor 

January January

6°C 

1°C 

55 hours 

88 mm 

18 days 

poor 

February   >> February
>>  

8°C 

1°C 

80 hours 

82 mm 

14 days 

poor 

Climate in Cologne

Düsseldorf

In January Düsseldorf generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Düsseldorf

Max temperature Max temp

Min temperature Min temp

Monthly sun hours Sun hours

Monthly rainfall Rainfall

Monthly rainy days Rainy days

Weather conditions Weather

<<   December December
<<  

7°C 

2°C 

47 hours 

95 mm 

18 days 

poor 

January January

7°C 

1°C 

55 hours 

86 mm 

18 days 

poor 

February   >> February
>>  

8°C 

1°C 

77 hours 

81 mm 

14 days 

poor 

Climate in Düsseldorf

Winterberg

In January Winterberg generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Winterberg

Max temperature Max temp

Min temperature Min temp

Monthly sun hours Sun hours

Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall

Monthly rainy days Rainy days

Weather conditions Weather

<<   December December
<<  

4°C 

-1°C 

31 hours 

89 mm 

18 days 

poor 

January January

3°C 

-2°C 

39 hours 

88 mm 

17 days 

poor 

February   >> February
>>  

4°C 

-2°C 

72 hours 

79 mm 

14 days 

poor 

Climate in Winterberg

Schmallenberg

In January Schmallenberg generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and high monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Schmallenberg

Max temperature Max temp

Min temperature Min temp

Monthly snow/rainfall Snow/rainfall

Monthly rainy days Rainy days

Weather conditions Weather

<<   December December
<<  

4°C 

-1°C 

102 mm 

18 days 

poor 

January January

3°C 

-2°C 

101 mm 

17 days 

poor 

February   >> February
>>  

4°C 

-2°C 

91 mm 

14 days 

poor 

Climate in Schmallenberg

Essen

In January Essen generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Essen

Max temperature Max temp

Min temperature Min temp

Monthly sun hours Sun hours

Monthly rainfall Rainfall

Monthly rainy days Rainy days

Weather conditions Weather

<<   December December
<<  

7°C 

2°C 

40 hours 

99 mm 

18 days 

poor 

January January

6°C 

1°C 

46 hours 

91 mm 

18 days 

poor 

February   >> February
>>  

7°C 

1°C 

79 hours 

84 mm 

14 days 

poor 

Climate in Essen

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany.

Is January the best time to visit North Rhine-Westphalia?

In our opinion, January may not be the ideal time to visit North Rhine-Westphalia due to the typically poor weather in Cologne.

Generally speaking, May, June, July, August and September provide perfect weather in Cologne. The weather in January, February, November and December, on the other hand, tends to be poor.