Baghdad weather in January
January in Baghdad: cool, dry, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#6 of 12 months in Baghdad · #604 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 74/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 18°C
- Nights
- 5°C
- Wet days
- 4
- Sun
- 8.8 h
- Humidity
- 63%
- Daylight
- 10 h
Traveller notes on Baghdad in January
Other months in Baghdad
Forum posters consistently name March through May as a good season for central Iraq, including Baghdad, in sharp contrast to summer, when daily highs above 40C make travel genuinely unpleasant. Posters note that Iraqi Kurdistan, further north, can still be cold and rainy at this point in spring, a real regional contrast worth knowing before planning an itinerary that spans both areas. Posters also point to winter as a solid alternative window given its milder temperatures. Posters generally rate March as a comfortable, moderate-temperature time to visit Baghdad specifically, well ahead of the extreme summer heat, though forum discussion consistently emphasizes checking current security guidance alongside any weather planning for Iraq.
Add your own note from Baghdad's card on the map.
Baghdad climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Baghdad in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Baghdad's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherBaghdad's best weather comes in March, April and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Baghdad in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Street flooding in the first rains
25 Oct – 31 Jan · usuallyFlood seasonThe season's first heavy downpours regularly overwhelm Baghdad's drainage and pumping stations: underpasses and main roads flood, traffic seizes up and some districts sit in water for a day or more. Leave slack for airport runs after a storm. Source ↗
Where is Baghdad?
Baghdad in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Baghdad?
- January in Baghdad: cool, dry, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Baghdad on SeasonMap's comfort score (74/100).
- What is the weather like in Baghdad in January?
- In January, Baghdad averages a daily high of 17.6°C and a low of 5.1°C, with about 19.8 mm of rain over roughly 3.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Baghdad in January?
- Baghdad has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 113 in January.