Longyearbyen 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: April – June
What is the weather like in Longyearbyen in January?
In January, Longyearbyen is freezing cold: daytime highs average −11 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−16 °C). The sea averages 0.1 °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 9 days, totalling 43 mm. Snow falls on about 9 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Longyearbyen.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 19 | 20 | 23 |
| Day | −10° | −11° | −12° |
| Night | −15° | −16° | −16° |
| Sea | −1° | 0° | 0° |
| Sun | 0 h | 0 h | 0 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 9 | 7 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- Polar night
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 79 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 9 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+1Arctic/Longyearbyen
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %65 %
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
Longyearbyen in January: quick answers
Is Longyearbyen hot in January?
No. In January, Longyearbyen is freezing cold: daytime highs average −11 °C and nights drop to about −16 °C.
Can you swim in Longyearbyen in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 0.1 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Longyearbyen in January?
Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 43 mm.
Longyearbyen month by month
The whole year in LongyearbyenAll destinations: SvalbardWhere 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