Iqaluit weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: March – May
What is the weather like in Iqaluit in January?
In January, Iqaluit is freezing cold: daytime highs average −21 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−27 °C). The sea averages −1.3 °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 5 days, totalling 16 mm. Snow falls on about 5 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Iqaluit.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 17 | 19 | 23 |
| Day | −14° | −21° | −22° |
| Night | −20° | −27° | −28° |
| Sea | −1° | −1° | −1° |
| Sun | 0 h | 2 h | 4 h |
| Rain days | 6 | 5 | 3 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 5 h 28 min08:58 – 14:27
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 20 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 87 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 5 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−5America/Iqaluit
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %95 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
Iqaluit in January: quick answers
Is Iqaluit hot in January?
No. In January, Iqaluit is freezing cold: daytime highs average −21 °C and nights drop to about −27 °C.
Can you swim in Iqaluit in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just −1.3 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Iqaluit in January?
Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 16 mm in total.
Iqaluit month by month
The whole year in IqaluitAll destinations: CanadaWhere to go in JanuarySea temperature in January
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). Sources & licences