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Weather in January
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Weather in January in South Iceland

Thinking about venturing to South Iceland this January and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in South Iceland in January?

South Iceland is a region in Iceland. January in South Iceland generally has temperatures that range from very cold to cold, with precipitation levels ranging from high to heavy.

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Sprengisandur at 1°C to cold in Vestmannaeyjar at 6°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 2°C in Vestmannaeyjar and -5°C in Sprengisandur. In numerous regions in Iceland, January is marked by its cold weather conditions. If you're heading to these areas during this month, it's vital to be well-prepared. Dressing in layered and insulated outfits will ensure you stay warm.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From high snow/rainfall in Sprengisandur with an average of 156 mm to heavy snow/rainfall in Solheimahjaleiga with 329 mm.

Average sunshine

Höfn experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 25 hours of sunshine. This makes it perfect for those who prefer dimmer, cloudier settings rather than intense sunlit days

For a closer look at January's conditions in South Iceland, see the map below. For a more detailed look at South Iceland's yearly weather, check out our South Iceland climate page.

Where to go in South Iceland in January

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

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 South Iceland?

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
<<   December December
<<  
4°C 
-1°C 
17 hours 
211 mm 
16 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
<<   December December
<<  
4°C 
-2°C 
20 hours 
171 mm 
19 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

Hella

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

Hella
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
<<   December December
<<  
4°C 
-1°C 
171 mm 
18 days 
poor 
January January
5°C 
-1°C 
168 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
5°C 
-2°C 
180 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Hella

Hveragerði

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

Hveragerði
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
<<   December December
<<  
3°C 
-3°C 
20 hours 
164 mm 
19 days 
poor 
January January
3°C 
-3°C 
20 hours 
161 mm 
18 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
3°C 
-3°C 
60 hours 
168 mm 
17 days 
poor 
Climate in Hveragerði

Laugarvatn

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

Laugarvatn
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
<<   December December
<<  
2°C 
-4°C 
20 hours 
194 mm 
18 days 
poor 
January January
2°C 
-4°C 
20 hours 
193 mm 
17 days 
poor 
February   >> February
>>  
2°C 
-4°C 
60 hours 
202 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Laugarvatn

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

Is January the best time to visit South Iceland?

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

On average, the best time to visit South Iceland is in with generally poor weather in Höfn.

Interested in more climate information?

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

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    • 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.