Weather in Reykjavik in January 2025
- January is usually the coldest month of the year in Reykjavik;
Average weather
Average temperature in Reykjavik in January
The expected average maximum temperature in January is +1°C with a maximum of +8°C and a minimum of -13°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 14% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from -1°C to +2°C.
Is Reykjavik warm or cold in January?
Reykjavik is typically cool in January.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +3°C to +2°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from -2°C to -3°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
January is the coldest month in Reykjavik, here is the comparison with other months:
Water temperature in Reykjavik in January
Water in Reykjavik in January is Cold. It varies from +5°C to +6°C, with an average of +5°C. Note that the air temperature is lower than the water temperature, averaging around +2°C.
The water temperature in January is one of the coldest of the entire year:
Can you swim in Reykjavik in January?
Climate in Reykjavik in January
| December | January | February | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +3°C | +2°C | +3°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -19°C | -20°C | -17°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +12°C | +10°C | +10°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 69 mm | 71 mm | 72 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 5 m/s | 5 m/s | 5 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +7°C | +5°C | +5°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 78% | 78% | 77% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 998 HPa | 997 HPa | 998 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 4 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 6 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 8 | 7 | 7 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 12 | 13 | 13 | ||||
January weather is still as ok as in December. It’s getting colder in January. From +3°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +2°C. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 69 mm to 71 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 5 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 4 sunny days in December to 3 in January.
February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 5 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 increasing during January, going from 4 m/s to 6 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Snow
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?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Reykjavik in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+5°C) and the highest in 2003 (+9°C). The driest year was 2019 with only 289 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2003 with 1379 mm.
FAQ
Is January a good time to visit Reykjavik?
Can you sunbathe in Reykjavik in January?
Can you swim in Reykjavik in January?
Is Reykjavik rainy in January?
Is it sunny in Reykjavik in January?
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, 2023.
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.