If you plan to visit Sofia in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +4°C during the day and approximately 5 sunny days. Expect some snowy, though, as there are typically 8 snowy days in the month and around 32 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flightsin one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
January is usually the coldest month of the year in Sofia;
Average weather
☀️
+4°C
Avg. max. temperature
-25°C
Min.
+20°C
Max.
23 mm
Total precipitation
81%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
5 ☀️
Sunny Days
14 ⛅️
Cloudy
4 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Sofia has OK weather in January.
Average temperature in Sofia in January
Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Sofia for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Going from a maximum of +18°C during the day to a minimum of -4°C during the night, the temperature in January averages around +8°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 36% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +11°C to +3°C.
Is Sofia warm or cold in January?
Sofia is typically cool in January.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +6°C to +4°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from -2°C to -4°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
January is the coldest month in Sofia, here is the comparison with other months:
Climate in Sofia in January
Sofia weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
December
January
February
Avg. temperature
+6°C
+4°C
+7°C
Min. temperature
-18°C
-25°C
-21°C
Max. temperature
+19°C
+20°C
+21°C
Rainfall
43 mm
23 mm
22 mm
Wind
3 m/s
3 m/s
3 m/s
Humidity
82%
81%
75%
Air pressure
1018 HPa
1018 HPa
1017 HPa
Sunny days
5
5
6
Cloudy days
14
14
10
Rainy days
6
4
5
Snowy days
7
8
7
January weather is still as ok as in December.It’s getting colder in January. From +6°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +4°C.As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 43 mm to 23 mm.It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 82% to 81%.The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 3 m/s.The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 5 sunny days during the month.
February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind speed in Sofia in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The average wind speed is 3 m/s getting up to 6 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Sofia is gradually increasing during January, going from 1 m/s to 5 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Sofia based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 29% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 117 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 43 mm, which is moderate rain.On average, there are about 9 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:
Sofia wettest month is May, where a typical day has a 45% chance of precipitation and 73 mm of rainfall per day. February, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 17% chance of precipitation and 22 mm of rainfall per day.
Snow
Amount of snow in mm during January in Sofia based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 16% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 99 mm.
January is one of the snowiest months in Sofia.
Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last January in Sofia?
This is the weather in Sofia in January 2023:
1 January
🌫️
+11°C
2 January
🌫️
+11°C
3 January
🌫️
+12°C
4 January
☁️
+9°C
5 January
☀️
+11°C
6 January
☀️
+12°C
7 January
☀️
+11°C
8 January
☀️
+9°C
9 January
🌫️
+7°C
10 January
🌧️
+5°C
11 January
☁️
+5°C
12 January
☁️
+5°C
13 January
☁️
+7°C
14 January
☁️
+7°C
15 January
☁️
+7°C
16 January
🌫️
+5°C
17 January
☁️
+15°C
18 January
☁️
+17°C
19 January
☀️
+18°C
20 January
🌧️
+9°C
21 January
🌧️
+10°C
22 January
🌫️
+11°C
23 January
☁️
+8°C
24 January
☁️
+4°C
25 January
☁️
+2°C
26 January
🌨️
+1°C
27 January
🌨️
0°C
28 January
🌨️
+1°C
29 January
🌨️
+1°C
30 January
☁️
0°C
31 January
🌨️
+3°C
In January 2023 Sofia had 5 sunny days, 12 cloudy days, and 3 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +8°C, with an absolute maximum of +18°C and a minimum of 0°C. The average humidity was 81%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 27%. The average wind speed was 3 m/s, with a maximum of 12 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?
Climate Change over Years
This is how Sofia climate have been changing during last 43 years period.
The climate in Sofia in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1991 (+14°C) and the highest in 2014 (+19°C). The driest year was 1993 with only 278 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2013 with 1194 mm.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Sofia in January:
Is January a good time to visit Sofia?
It’s always a good time to visit Sofia, 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 Sofia in January?
Not really, January is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.
Is Sofia rainy in January?
Sofia is usually dry in January. Plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring.
Is it sunny in Sofia in January?
Usually, it’s not very sunny in Sofia in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.
Other cities in Bulgaria
Check out the weather for other cities in Bulgaria.
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Sofia, 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.