Gothenburg weather in January

January in Gothenburg: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Gothenburg🇸🇪 Sweden · Scandinavia · City39
  1. 39Jan
  2. 47Feb
  3. 60Mar
  4. 74Apr
  5. 84May
  6. 92Jun
  7. 90Jul
  8. 87Aug
  9. 79Sep
  10. 65Oct
  11. 53Nov
  12. 42Dec

#12 of 12 months in Gothenburg · #1287 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 39/100 (tier F)

Days
4°C
Nights
-1°C
Wet days
13
Sun
2.5 h
Humidity
88%
Daylight
7 h
Gothenburg, Sweden
Photo: Deepraj Thapa · Pexels

Traveller notes on Gothenburg in January

Other months in Gothenburg

Forum posters describe February in Gothenburg as cold with a cold wind and a real chance of below-freezing temperatures, though the city's coastal position means any snow that falls tends to melt quickly rather than build up - sleet is more the norm than accumulating snow here. Posters note conditions can vary meaningfully by year, sometimes approaching -20C with real snow cover, other times milder and rainier around 0C. Posters are consistent that if snow does arrive it's more likely late in the month than early, and that daylight is visibly returning by February compared to the depths of the Swedish winter. Posters generally rate February as cold, wet and windy but variable enough that some visits land relatively mild, layered clothing the reliable recommendation either way.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe December snow chances in Gothenburg as slim, with one local estimating under 10% probability thanks to the city's oceanic, maritime climate similar to the UK's - better snow odds lie 40-60 minutes outside town in spots like Alingsås, Gråbo or Skövde. Posters generally describe December weather as miserable in a mild way: hovering around freezing, often rainy, and frequently windy rather than dramatically cold or snowy. Posters consistently flag how little daylight December brings, with sunrise around 8:50am and sunset near 3:25pm by mid-month. Posters generally still rate December worthwhile for Gothenburg's Christmas atmosphere, despite the short days and rain-prone, snow-scarce conditions.
Tripadvisor community · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Gothenburg forum regulars describe August as genuinely unpredictable in both directions: high pressure can bring “sunny days and temperatures in the mid to upper 70s [°F],” or the same week can turn “windy, overcast...with occasional showers and temperatures in the low 60s.” The range quoted overall spans “12-30 degrees Celsius,” with the back half of the month typically cooling toward “18 degrees” by day. Regulars call it usually a pretty nice month overall, and early August specifically gets recommended for an archipelago trip — high season there, so booking ahead matters. Standard advice: pack layers and rain gear regardless of the forecast, since Scandinavian weather this time of year genuinely swings both ways. Our record: 20.1°C days, 14.1°C nights, 15.6 rain days and 129.7mm of rain — mild with real rain frequency, matching the “can go either way” read.
Tripadvisor community · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June in Gothenburg is the long-daylight month — around eighteen hours of it — but the forum is careful about temperature: posters describe mid-June arriving chilly and rainy enough for sweaters and jackets before turning sunny and warm, and put typical days at 16–19°C against a monthly average high near 21. Light showers with sunny spells between is the standard pattern. The date that actually matters is Midsummer: shops close around 2pm on Midsummer's Eve, 21 June, and stay shut on Midsummer's Day, one of only three days a year when nearly everything closes. Celebrations start about noon with dancing round the maypole; the 23rd runs like an ordinary Sunday.
Tripadvisor community · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Gothenburg's card on the map.

Gothenburg climate normals — January

Daytime high4°C / 39°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low-1°C / 31°F
Feels like (high)0°C / 32°F
Sea temperature4°C / 38°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall80 mm / 3.1 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days13 days
Humidity88%💦 very humid
Dew point-1°C / 30°F
Sunshine2.5 h/day
Daylight7.4 h
Wind21 km/h / 13 mph
Snowfall14.1 cm / 5.6 in
Air quality (US AQI)28🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Gothenburg 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.

BusyChristmas holidays in Sweden, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Gothenburg'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).

Toughest weatherGothenburg's weather peaks June–August.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Gothenburg in January

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Festival

    Goteborg Film Festival

    24 Jan – 5 Feb · usuallyBook early

    Scandinavia's largest film event: ten days, several hundred films and cinemas full at eleven in the morning in the darkest part of the year. It is the reason to be here in January. Source ↗

What's on around the world in January →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Gothenburg — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Gothenburg?

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Gothenburg in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit Gothenburg?
January in Gothenburg: cold, a little rain, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Gothenburg on SeasonMap's comfort score (39/100).
What is the weather like in Gothenburg in January?
In January, Gothenburg averages a daily high of 3.9°C and a low of -0.6°C, with about 79.6 mm of rain over roughly 12.9 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Gothenburg in January?
Gothenburg has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 28 in January.
Does it snow in Gothenburg in January?
Gothenburg sees roughly 14.1 cm of snowfall in January.

Within 300 km: Copenhagen's Christmas in Tivoli, julefrokost around 14 Nov – 3 Jan, and Oslo's Jul i Vinterland on 7 Nov – 3 Jan.