City break

Copenhagen weather in January

Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

14

Holiday weather in January

Poor

Best time to visit: May – September

What is the weather like in Copenhagen in January?

In January, Copenhagen is cold: daytime highs average 3 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (0 °C). The sea averages 3.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 12 days, totalling 52 mm. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Copenhagen.

January compared

How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.

DecemberDecJanuaryJanFebruaryFeb
Score131418
Day4°3°4°
Night1°0°−1°
Sea6°3°3°
Sun1 h2 h2 h
Rain days121210

More details for January

Daylight
7 h 37 min08:30 – 16:07
UV index
0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
Wind
25 km/haverage daily peak
Cloud cover
77 %on average
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Snow days
3 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
Time zone
UTC+1Europe/Copenhagen

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 30 %45 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.

What to pack in January

  • Warm jacket
  • Hat, scarf & gloves
  • Rain jacket or umbrella

Copenhagen in January: quick answers

Is Copenhagen hot in January?

No. In January, Copenhagen is cold: daytime highs average 3 °C and nights drop to about 0 °C.

Can you swim in Copenhagen in January?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 3.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

Does it rain much in Copenhagen in January?

Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 52 mm in total.

Copenhagen month by month

Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)