Reykjavík 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: July
What is the weather like in Reykjavík in January?
In January, Reykjavík is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−5 °C). The sea averages 5.3 °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 120 mm. Snow falls on about 8 days. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Reykjavík.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Day | 0° | 0° | 1° |
| Night | −5° | −5° | −5° |
| Sea | 6° | 5° | 5° |
| Sun | 0 h | 1 h | 3 h |
| Rain days | 17 | 18 | 17 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 5 h 19 min10:57 – 16:16
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 30 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 77 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 8 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+0Atlantic/Reykjavik
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Reykjavík in January: quick answers
Is Reykjavík hot in January?
No. In January, Reykjavík is freezing cold: daytime highs average 0 °C and nights drop to about −5 °C.
Can you swim in Reykjavík in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 5.3 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Reykjavík in January?
It rains often – on about 18 days, adding up to 120 mm.
Reykjavík month by month
The whole year in ReykjavíkAll destinations: Iceland
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)