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Helsinki in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Helsinki in January and see if it is worth visiting.
Check flight prices to Helsinki on Avionero:
January

Weather in Helsinki in January 2025

Uncomfortable Weather
Cold
☁️
Cloudy
There are definitely more pleasant months to visit Helsinki rather than January, with an average high temperature of +28°F, and only 3 sunny days in total throughout the whole month. Pack for extremes to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+28°F
Avg. max. temperature
-27°F
Min.
+48°F
Max.
12 mm
Total precipitation
86%
Avg. humidity
4 m/s
Avg. wind
3 ☀️
Sunny Days
21 ⛅️
Cloudy
1 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Helsinki has uncomfortable weather in January.

Average temperature in {destination} in {month}

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in {destination} for {month} based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average maximum temperature goes {direction} {percent}% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from {startTemperature} to {endTemperature}.

Is Helsinki warm or cold in January?

Helsinki is typically cold in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +32°F to +28°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +25°F to +19°F.

Wear your winter warms as it will be cold. To save space, layer, and don’t forget gloves and a scarf.

January is one of the coolest months in Helsinki, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Helsinki in January

Helsinki weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+32°F+28°F+27°F
Min. temperature
-11°F-27°F-20°F
Max. temperature
+50°F+48°F+46°F
Rainfall
27 mm12 mm10 mm
Wind
4 m/s4 m/s3 m/s
Humidity
87%86%84%
Air pressure
1007 HPa1008 HPa1011 HPa
Sunny days
234
Cloudy days
202119
Rainy days
311
Snowy days
664

January weather is still as bad as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +32°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +28°F. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 27 mm to 12 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 87% to 86%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 4 m/s. The good news is there are likely to be more sunny days in January, from 2 to 3.

But maybe it is worth considering traveling in February as the weather gets better.

Wind

Wind speed in Helsinki in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 5 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Helsinki is gradually increasing during January, going from 4 m/s to 5 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Helsinki based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 26% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 31 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 12 mm, which is considered light rain. On average, there are about 8 rainy days during January, so prepare to bring an umbrella.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Helsinki wettest month is October, where a typical day has a 29% chance of precipitation and 80 mm of rainfall per day. March, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 3% chance of precipitation and 9 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in Helsinki based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The total snow in January is about 75 mm, with a 35% chance of snow on a typical day.

January is one of the snowiest months in Helsinki.

Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last January in Helsinki?

This is the weather in Helsinki in January 2023:
1 January
☀️
+30°F
2 January
🌨️
+27°F
3 January
🌨️
+29°F
4 January
☁️
+35°F
5 January
🌨️
+32°F
6 January
🌨️
+29°F
7 January
☀️
+20°F
8 January
🌨️
+24°F
9 January
☁️
+25°F
10 January
☀️
+19°F
11 January
☁️
+25°F
12 January
🌨️
+36°F
13 January
🌧️
+42°F
14 January
☀️
+39°F
15 January
☀️
+36°F
16 January
🌧️
+36°F
17 January
☀️
+33°F
18 January
☀️
+32°F
19 January
☁️
+37°F
20 January
🌧️
+34°F
21 January
☁️
+29°F
22 January
☁️
+25°F
23 January
🌫️
+34°F
24 January
🌧️
+36°F
25 January
☀️
+33°F
26 January
🌨️
+33°F
27 January
🌨️
+34°F
28 January
🌨️
+33°F
29 January
☀️
+32°F
30 January
🌨️
+32°F
31 January
🌨️
+23°F
In January 2023 Helsinki had 9 sunny days, 6 cloudy days, and 3 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +32°F, with an absolute maximum of +43°F and a minimum of +19°F. The average humidity was 89%, with a maximum of 98% and a minimum of 67%. The average wind speed was 5 m/s, with a maximum of 13 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Helsinki climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Helsinki in January has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1987 (+10°F) and the highest in 2020 (+41°F). The driest year was 2003 with only 0 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2011 with 0 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Helsinki in January:

Is January a good time to visit Helsinki?

There is never a bad time to go to Helsinki, but the weather isn’t the best in January, so plan on enjoying the great indoor attractions of Helsinki and pack for the extremes in weather.

Can you sunbathe in Helsinki in January?

Not really, January is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Helsinki rainy in January?

Helsinki is usually dry in January. Plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring.

Is it sunny in Helsinki in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Helsinki in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in Finland

Check out the weather for other cities in Finland.

Monthly weather in Helsinki

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Helsinki, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.