Climate averages 1991–2020
Longyearbyen weather
in January.
A freezing month with moderate precipitation: the 10th warmest and the 9th driest of the year.
Long-term climate patterns, not a forecast for a particular trip.
January is a freezing month in Longyearbyen: daytime highs average -11.1°C and nights cool to about -15.9°C. By daytime temperature it is the 10th warmest of the 12 months.
Expect about 43 mm of precipitation on roughly 9 days, which makes January a month with moderate precipitation (the 9th driest of the 12 months). In January the sun does not rise above the horizon.
From January to February, average highs fall by 0.5°C to -11.6°C, and monthly precipitation falls from 43 mm to 31 mm.
The annual picture
January in context
Monthly precipitation
Average total · mmAverages from hourly ERA5 reanalysis data. Actual weather varies from year to year. How these numbers are calculated
Every month, side by side
Longyearbyen climate table
| Month | Average highHigh / low | Average low | Precipitation mm/month | Wet days ≥1 mm/day | Daylight hours/dayDaylight h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January, selected | -11.1°C-15.9°C | -15.9°C | 43 | 8.9 | 0.00 h, polar night: no sunrise |
| February | -11.6°C-16.3°C | -16.3°C | 31 | 7.2 | 2.02 h |
| March | -11.7°C-16.3°C | -16.3°C | 35 | 8.4 | 11.211 h |
| April | -8.1°C-12.3°C | -12.3°C | 23 | 6.8 | 20.520 h |
| May | -1.6°C-4.5°C | -4.5°C | 21 | 6.0 | 24.024 h, midnight sun: no sunset |
| June | 3.3°C1.6°C | 1.6°C | 17 | 5.0 | 24.024 h, midnight sun: no sunset |
| July | 8.1°C5.3°C | 5.3°C | 32 | 8.2 | 24.024 h, midnight sun: no sunset |
| August | 6.8°C3.9°C | 3.9°C | 40 | 9.0 | 23.423 h |
| September | 2.4°C-0.8°C | -0.8°C | 45 | 9.8 | 14.715 h |
| October | -4.0°C-8.0°C | -8.0°C | 41 | 9.1 | 6.06 h |
| November | -6.8°C-11.6°C | -11.6°C | 47 | 10.3 | 0.00 h, polar night: no sunrise |
| December | -9.6°C-14.4°C | -14.4°C | 45 | 9.7 | 0.00 h, polar night: no sunrise |
Precipitation (rain or snow, as water) is the average of the 30 separate monthly totals. A wet day is a local calendar day with at least 1 mm of precipitation. Daylight is the calculated sunrise-to-sunset length, not measured sunshine.
Read the numbers correctly
Climate, not a promise.
These patterns help compare months. They cannot tell you the weather on a specific day of your trip.
Sources, method and limitsHow these numbers are made (what the highs, lows and rain days mean, the sources and the model cell used for Longyearbyen) is explained once on the Longyearbyen year overview and on the Sources, method and limits page.