Your trips
Organize your trips easily with tabs
New York
Reykjavik
Any date
+ Search
background

Reykjavik in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

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

Weather in Reykjavik in January 2025

OK Weather
Chill
☁️
Cloudy
If you plan to visit Reykjavik in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +36°F during the day and approximately 4 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 6 rainy days in the month and around 72 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • January is usually the coldest month of the year in Reykjavik;

Average weather

☀️
+36°F
Avg. max. temperature
-4°F
Min.
+50°F
Max.
72 mm
Total precipitation
78%
Avg. humidity
4 m/s
Avg. wind
4 ☀️
Sunny Days
17 ⛅️
Cloudy
6 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Reykjavik has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in Reykjavik in January

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Reykjavik for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The expected average maximum temperature in January is +37°F with a maximum of +48°F and a minimum of +18°F.

The average maximum temperature goes up 12% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +37°F to +41°F.

Is Reykjavik warm or cold in January?

Reykjavik is typically chill in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +37°F to +36°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +28°F to +27°F.

Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

January is the coldest month in Reykjavik, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Reykjavik in January

Reykjavik weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+37°F+36°F+37°F
Min. temperature
-2°F-4°F+1°F
Max. temperature
+54°F+50°F+50°F
Rainfall
69 mm72 mm73 mm
Wind
4 m/s4 m/s5 m/s
Humidity
78%78%77%
Air pressure
997 HPa997 HPa997 HPa
Sunny days
443
Cloudy days
171715
Rainy days
666
Snowy days
444

January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +37°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +36°F. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 69 mm to 72 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 78%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 4 sunny days during the month.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

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

The average wind speed is 8 m/s getting up to 14 m/s which is quite strong. The wind will cause branches to move and ground debris to fly around.

The average wind speed in Reykjavik is gradually decreasing during January, going from 10 m/s to 7 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Reykjavik based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in January stands at 58%, leading to total precipitation of around 134 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 18 mm, which is considered light rain. January is a pretty wet month with over 18 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Reykjavik wettest month is September, where a typical day has a 37% chance of precipitation and 98 mm of rainfall per day. March, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 19% chance of precipitation and 66 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in Reykjavik based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 13% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 61 mm.

January is one of the snowiest months in Reykjavik.

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

How was the weather last January in Reykjavik?

This is the weather in Reykjavik in January 2023:
1 January
☁️
+37°F
2 January
☀️
+24°F
3 January
☀️
+28°F
4 January
☀️
+28°F
5 January
🌧️
+41°F
6 January
🌧️
+41°F
7 January
☁️
+36°F
8 January
☁️
+42°F
9 January
☀️
+42°F
10 January
🌧️
+41°F
11 January
🌧️
+39°F
12 January
☁️
+37°F
13 January
☁️
+37°F
14 January
🌧️
+45°F
15 January
☁️
+35°F
16 January
🌨️
+42°F
17 January
🌧️
+43°F
18 January
☁️
+41°F
19 January
☁️
+31°F
20 January
☁️
+46°F
21 January
🌧️
+48°F
22 January
☁️
+39°F
23 January
🌨️
+33°F
24 January
☁️
+39°F
25 January
🌧️
+42°F
26 January
🌨️
+31°F
27 January
🌨️
+39°F
28 January
☁️
+41°F
29 January
☀️
+32°F
30 January
☁️
+33°F
31 January
☁️
+40°F
In January 2023 Reykjavik had 5 sunny days, 14 cloudy days, and 6 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +37°F, with an absolute maximum of +48°F and a minimum of +25°F. The average humidity was 75%, with a maximum of 95% and a minimum of 39%. The average wind speed was 8 m/s, with a maximum of 21 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change Over the Years

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

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

The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+32°F) and the highest in 1992 (+44°F). The driest year was 2015 with only 5 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1992 with 214 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Reykjavik in January:

Is January a good time to visit Reykjavik?

It’s always a good time to visit Reykjavik, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Reykjavik in January?

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

Is Reykjavik rainy in January?

Reykjavik is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Reykjavik in January?

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

Monthly weather in Reykjavik

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Reykjavik, 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.