SeasonMapGstaad weather in January
Switzerland
January in Gstaad: cold, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 15 rainy days.
#1 of 12 months in Gstaad · #252 of 1383 destinations to visit in January · comfort 87/100 (tier A)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Gstaad in January
Gstaad's forum has a thread specifically for visitors who aren't skiing, which tells you something useful: regulars point non-skiers toward the fondue hikes and the valley's hiking trails, with the Château-d'Oex hot air balloon festival a genuine draw if your January dates happen to overlap it.
Add your own note from Gstaad's card on the map.
Gstaad climate normals — January
| Daytime high | 3°C / 37°F | 🧥 cold |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | -5°C / 22°F | |
| Feels like (high) | 0°C / 32°F | |
| Rainfall | 160 mm / 6.3 in | ⛈ soaked |
| Rainy days | 15 days | |
| Humidity | 79% | 💦 very humid |
| Dew point | -4°C / 25°F | |
| Sunshine | 5.6 h/day | |
| Daylight | 9.1 h | |
| Wind | 8 km/h / 5 mph | |
| Snowfall | 96.3 cm / 37.9 in | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 30 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Gstaad 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.
Peak crowdsChristmas and New Year, Christmas holidays in Switzerland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Gstaad'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).
Best weatherGstaad's weather peaks December–February, best around January.
January includes Sommets Musicaux.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Gstaad in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Sommets Musicaux
28 Jan – 8 Feb · usuallyMajor festivalNine days of chamber music in the churches of Saanen and Rougemont and the chapel above Gstaad, staged in the middle of the ski season rather than around it. Small halls, so tickets go before the programme is out. Source ↗
- Season
Ski season
10 Dec – 5 Apr · usuallyA wide, low, gentle area spread over several villages, which is why it is more about the walk back to the village than the vertical. Glacier 3000 above it holds snow far longer.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
20 Dec – 6 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe fortnight the chalets are all occupied and the promenade is the point rather than the piste. Rates are at their year's high and the good tables are booked from the autumn. Source ↗
- Festival
New Year Music Festival
26 Dec – 10 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearBook earlyClassical concerts across Gstaad, Rougemont, Saanen, Lauenen and Chateau-d'Oex from just after Christmas to just after New Year, timed for the people already in the chalets. Tickets move with the chalet bookings, not after them. Source ↗
- Season
Snow season
Ski seasonAbout 96 cm of snow falls in the month.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Gstaad — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Gstaad?
Gstaad in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Gstaad?
- January in Gstaad: cold, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 15 rainy days. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Gstaad on SeasonMap's comfort score (87/100).
- What is the weather like in Gstaad in January?
- In January, Gstaad averages a daily high of 2.6°C and a low of -5.3°C, with about 160.4 mm of rain over roughly 14.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Gstaad in January?
- Gstaad has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 30 in January.
- Does it snow in Gstaad in January?
- Gstaad sees roughly 96.3 cm of snowfall in January.
Other months in Gstaad
Compare Gstaad in January
Warmer or cooler than Gstaad in January
Similar destinations in Central Europe — January
Within 300 km: Interlaken's Harder Potschete on 2 Jan, and Grindelwald's World Snow Festival on 19–24 Jan.