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Iceland

Ísafjörður

Sun, sea & sand

Ísafjörður at a glance

Best time
Jun
Warmest month
Jul · 10°
Warmest sea
Aug · 9.4°
Sunshine a year
1,100 h
Rain a year
1,178 mm
Climate
Maritime
Time zone
UTC+0
Elevation
1 m

Climate in Ísafjörður

Ísafjörður has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. July is the warmest month with average highs of 10 °C, while March is the coolest at 0 °C. With around 1,100 hours of sunshine a year, Ísafjörður is rather dull; June is the sunniest month with 6.0 hours a day.

Holiday weather through the year

Your holiday weather, at a glance

Weather in October

0

Holiday weather in October

Poor

Best time to visit: June

Keep in mindFrequent rainSnow

A typical day in October

  1. Morning, 08:00: about 2°
  2. Midday, 13:00: about 4°
  3. Afternoon, 16:00: about 5°
  4. Evening, 20:00: about 4°
  5. Night, 23:00: about 3°

08:2518:11

Cold evenings: bring a warm jacket.

Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.

Light for photos in October

Golden hour
Morning 07:53–09:42 · evening 16:55–18:43
Blue hour
Morning 07:33–07:53 · evening 18:43–19:03

Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.

What is the weather like in Ísafjörður in October?

In October, Ísafjörður is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 7.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 130 mm. Snow falls on about 9 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

More details for October

Daylight
9 h 45 min08:25 – 18:11
UV index
0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
Wind
29 km/haverage daily peakAll months
Cloud cover
84 %on averageAll months
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Snow days
9 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
Time zone
UTC+0Atlantic/Reykjavik

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
  • Seaweight 25 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 20 %0 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.

What to pack in October

  • Warm jacket
  • Hat, scarf & gloves
  • Rain jacket or umbrella
  • Windproof jacket
Swimming calendar

Sea temperature in Ísafjörður

Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.

Sea in October7.4°Ccold

8 in 10 years: 7.0 – 8.3 °C

Swimming season: Never above 20 °C

  • cold
  • fresh
  • refreshing
  • pleasant
  • warm
  • very warm
OctoberMean sea temperature 7.4°8 in 10 years 7.0° – 8.3°
20°
Mean sea temperature8 in 10 years20 °C – comfortable for swimming

The sea temperature in Ísafjörður ranges from 2.1 °C in March to 9.4 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.

The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in August, while the air already peaks in July. From September to April the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 8.1 and 10.6 °C.

Sea temperature by month
MonthAverageCool yearWarm yearFeels
JanuaryJan3.1°2.6°4.1°cold
FebruaryFeb2.6°1.2°3.9°cold
MarchMar2.1°1.1°3.4°cold
AprilApr2.6°1.7°3.5°cold
MayMay4.4°3.1°5.3°cold
JuneJun7.0°5.8°8.0°cold
JulyJul8.7°7.4°9.6°cold
AugustAug9.4°8.1°10.6°cold
SeptemberSep9.0°7.9°10.2°cold
OctoberOct7.4°7.0°8.3°cold
NovemberNov5.8°4.4°6.5°cold
DecemberDec4.4°3.5°5.2°cold
Sunshine

Sunshine hours in Ísafjörður

Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.

Per year
1,100 hours
Sunniest month
Jun · 6.0 h a day
Least sunshine
Dec · 0.0 h a day
OctoberSunshine 1.9 hDaylight 9.8 hShare of daylight 19 %
SunshineDaylight

In October, the sun shines for about 1.9 of 9.8 hours of daylight in Ísafjörður, 19 % of the day.

Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.

Sun protection

UV index in Ísafjörður

How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.

Clear-sky UV in October
0 · lowLittle protection needed; sunglasses on bright days.

The sun is strongest in June (UV 4).

Minutes until sunburn in October

Very fair skin
over 2 h
Fair skin
over 2 h
Light brown skin
over 2 h
Olive skin
over 2 h

Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.

Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.

Rain

Rain in Ísafjörður: rainy days and rainfall

A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.

Per year
1,178 mm on 192 days
Wettest month
Oct · 130 mm
Driest month
Jun · 46 mm
OctoberRainy days 19Rainfall 130 mm

In October, Ísafjörður has about 19 rainy days with 130 mm of rain in total.

Wind & clouds

Wind and clouds in Ísafjörður

How breezy and how cloudy Ísafjörður is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.

Wind

Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.

Year average
26 km/h · moderate breeze
Windiest month
Feb · 31 km/h
Calmest month
Jul · 20 km/h
OctoberWind 29 km/hBeaufort 5
20
WindBeaufort 4

In October, the wind in Ísafjörður typically peaks at 29 km/h during the day: Beaufort 5, fresh breeze.

Breezy months for windsurfing and kiting

From Beaufort 4 (20 km/h) the daily breeze is usually enough for windsurfing and often for kiting, and here it gets there all year.

Clouds

Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.

Year average
82 % · mostly overcast
Clearest month
Jun · 75 %
Cloudiest month
Jan · 86 %
OctoberCloud cover 84 %Sunshine 1.9 h

In October, cloud covers on average 84 % of the sky over Ísafjörður: mostly overcast, with about 1.9 hours of sunshine a day.

Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.

Snow

Snow in Ísafjörður

When Ísafjörður is likely to be white: the chance of seeing snow during a week's stay, the days with fresh snow and how much falls. Tap a month to select it.

Snow days a year
98 days
Fresh snow a year
397 cm
Snowy months
Oct – Apr

Snow calendar

  • hardly any
  • possible
  • likely
  • very likely
OctoberDays with fresh snow 9Fresh snow 37 cmChance of snow 59 / 100

In October, Ísafjörður has about 9 days with at least 1 cm of fresh snow, 37 cm in total. The chance of seeing snow during a week's stay is 59 out of 100: likely.

Snow days bring at least 1 cm of fresh snow. Fresh snow comes from ERA5 snowfall (1996–2025) at the height of the place, not on the slopes above it; the snow chance also weighs whether the snow settles. An estimate from climate averages, not a snow report.

Climate through the year

Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.

Best time to visit

Nights and sleep in Ísafjörður

How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.

  • Frost below 0°
  • Cold 0–8°
  • Cool 8–15°

ColdOctober: nights around 2°. The room should be heated.

The coolest nights are in March (−3°), the warmest in August (8°). Nights fall below 8 °C on average from September to July, so the room should be heated.

Temperatures through the year

Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.

OctoberDay 5°Night 2°Sea 7°
DayNightSea
MonthScoreDayNightSeaSunRain daysRain mm
JanuaryJan01°−2°3.1°0.3 h20125
FebruaryFeb01°−3°2.6°1.6 h18124
MarchMar00°−3°2.1°2.9 h18110
AprilApr112°−1°2.6°4.8 h1476
MayMay165°2°4.4°5.6 h1368
JuneJun228°5°7.0°6.0 h1046
JulyJul1610°7°8.7°5.0 h1157
AugustAug1110°8°9.4°4.3 h1378
SeptemberSep08°6°9.0°3.0 h18124
OctoberOct05°2°7.4°1.9 h19130
NovemberNov03°0°5.8°0.7 h18113
DecemberDec01°−2°4.4°0.0 h20129

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

66.07° N, 23.13° W · 1 m · Atlantic/Reykjavik

Best time to visit

Best time to visit Ísafjörður

The best time to visit Ísafjörður is in June. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 9.4 °C. Rain is most frequent from August to May; the wettest month is October with 130 mm.

Ísafjörður through the seasons

How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.

Ísafjörður in spring

Mar – May

9

Poor

  • 0–5 °C by day
  • Sea 3 °C
  • 4 h of sun a day
  • 45 rainy days in all

Ísafjörður in summer

Jun – Aug

16

Poor

  • 8–10 °C by day
  • Sea 8 °C
  • 5 h of sun a day
  • 34 rainy days in all

Ísafjörður in autumn

Sep – Nov

0

Poor

  • 3–8 °C by day
  • Sea 7 °C
  • 2 h of sun a day
  • 55 rainy days in all

Ísafjörður in winter

Dec – Feb

0

Poor

  • 1 °C by day
  • Sea 3 °C
  • 1 h of sun a day
  • 58 rainy days in all

Find your perfect month

Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Ísafjörður for you.

Swimming in the sea
Sunshine
Little rain

Your best months: May – July

Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.

Compare two months in Ísafjörður

Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.

vs.

June has the better holiday weather in Ísafjörður: score 22 against 0. In June, days are 3 °C warmer than in October. The sea is about as warm in both months. June has 9 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 4 hours longer a day in June.

October vs. June, Ísafjörður
MonthOctoberJune
Weather score022better
Day high5°8°
Night low2°5°
Sea7.4°7.0°
Sunshine1.9 h6.0 hbetter
Rainy days1910better
Rainfall130 mm46 mmbetter

Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.

Which month for what?

Beach & swimming

No month

Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry

Sightseeing & hiking

No month

15–28 °C and not too much rain

Rainy months

Aug – May

12 or more rainy days

Snow

Oct – May

Snow on 2 or more days

Ísafjörður month by month

The typical weather for every month at a glance.

0January1° · Sea 3° · 0 h

In January, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 1 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−2 °C). The sea averages 3.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 0 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 20 days, totalling 125 mm. Snow falls on about 16 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in January
0February1° · Sea 3° · 2 h

In February, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 1 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−3 °C). The sea averages 2.6 °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 18 days, totalling 124 mm. Snow falls on about 15 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in February
0March0° · Sea 2° · 3 h

In March, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−3 °C). The sea averages 2.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 18 days, totalling 110 mm. Snow falls on about 15 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in March
11April2° · Sea 3° · 5 h

In April, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 2 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−1 °C). The sea averages 2.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 14 days, totalling 76 mm. Snow falls on about 9 days. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in April
16May5° · Sea 4° · 6 h

In May, Ísafjörður is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 4.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 68 mm in total. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in May
22June8° · Sea 7° · 6 h

In June, Ísafjörður is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 7.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 46 mm in total. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in June
16July10° · Sea 9° · 5 h

In July, Ísafjörður is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 8.7 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 57 mm in total. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in July
11August10° · Sea 9° · 4 h

In August, Ísafjörður is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 9.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 78 mm in total. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in August
0September8° · Sea 9° · 3 h

In September, Ísafjörður is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 9.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 18 days, adding up to 124 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in September
0October5° · Sea 7° · 2 h

In October, Ísafjörður is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 7.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 130 mm. Snow falls on about 9 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in October
0November3° · Sea 6° · 1 h

In November, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 3 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (0 °C). The sea averages 5.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 18 days, totalling 113 mm. Snow falls on about 11 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in November
0December1° · Sea 4° · 0 h

In December, Ísafjörður is freezing cold: daytime highs average 1 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−2 °C). The sea averages 4.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 0 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 20 days, totalling 129 mm. Snow falls on about 16 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Ísafjörður.

Ísafjörður in December
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Ísafjörður compared

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Ísafjörður vs. Reykjavík

In October the holiday weather in Ísafjörður and Reykjavík is about equally good (score 0 vs. 4). During the day Reykjavík is 1 °C warmer than Ísafjörður. The sea in Reykjavík is 2 °C warmer. Reykjavík gets one more hour of sunshine a day.

Ísafjörður vs. Reykjavík, in October
in OctoberÍsafjörðurReykjavík
Holiday score04
Daytime high5°6°
Sea7°9°
Sunshine2 h3 h
Rainy days1915
Best timeJunJul

Through the year

OctoberÍsafjörður 5°Reykjavík 6°
ÍsafjörðurReykjavík
Go to Reykjavík
Ranking

Iceland in October: the best places

In October, Ísafjörður ranks 4 of 5 destinations in this country.

  1. Reykjavík6°9°6
  2. 2Hafnarfjörður6°9°4
  3. 3Grindavík7°9°4
  4. 4ÍsafjörðurThis page5°7°0
  5. 5Akureyri4°7°0
All destinations: Iceland

Planning a trip to Ísafjörður

Weather for your travel dates

Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.

Ísafjörður in the school holidays

How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.

Ísafjörður has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 17) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0).

  • Easter holidays

    Mar – Apr

    8

    Poor

    • 2 °C by day
    • Sea 2 °C
    • 4.2 h of sun a day
    • 15 rainy days a month

    Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow

  • May half-term

    May – Jun

    17

    PoorBest holidays

    • 6 °C by day
    • Sea 5 °C
    • 5.7 h of sun a day
    • 12 rainy days a month

    Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow

  • Summer holidays

    Jul – Aug

    13

    Poor

    • 10 °C by day
    • Sea 9 °C
    • 4.5 h of sun a day
    • 13 rainy days a month

    Keep in mind: Frequent rain

  • October half-term

    Oct

    0

    Poor

    • 5 °C by day
    • Sea 7 °C
    • 1.9 h of sun a day
    • 19 rainy days a month

    Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow

  • Christmas holidays

    Dec – Jan

    0

    Poor

    • 1 °C by day
    • Sea 4 °C
    • 0.2 h of sun a day
    • 20 rainy days a month

    Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow

Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.

Getting there

Flying from

Nonstop flight
about 3 h
Distance
2,060 km
Time zone
UTC+0
Jet lag
Hardly any (under 3 h)

Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.

Frequently asked questions about Ísafjörður

When is the best time to visit Ísafjörður?

The best time to visit Ísafjörður is in June. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.

How warm is the sea in Ísafjörður?

The sea temperature in Ísafjörður ranges from 2.1 °C in March to 9.4 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.

Can you swim in Ísafjörður in October?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 7.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

What is the warmest month in Ísafjörður?

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 10 °C and nights around 7 °C. March is the coolest month at 0 °C.

When does it rain most in Ísafjörður?

Rain is most frequent from August to May; the wettest month is October with 130 mm. The driest month is June with 46 mm.

How many hours of sunshine does Ísafjörður get?

Ísafjörður gets around 1,100 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is June with 6.0 hours a day; in December there are 0.0 hours a day.

What time zone is Ísafjörður in?

Ísafjörður uses the time zone Atlantic/Reykjavik, which matches UTC all year.

How long is the flight from London to Ísafjörður?

A nonstop flight from London to Ísafjörður takes about 3 h, for a straight-line distance of about 2,060 km.

Which school holidays are best for Ísafjörður?

Ísafjörður has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 17) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 8, May half-term 17, Summer holidays 13, October half-term 0, Christmas holidays 0.

Near Ísafjörður

Other destinations close by.

Places with a climate like Ísafjörður

Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Ísafjörður's – good alternatives.

  1. 74% similar0AkureyriIceland4°7°Best time: May – Jun
  2. 63% similar4HafnarfjörðurIceland6°9°Best time: Apr – Aug
  3. 63% similar0Seward, AlaskaUSA5°10°Best time: Jul – Aug
  4. 62% similar3HonningsvågNorway5°8°Best time: Apr – Jul