Hobart (Tasmania) weather in January
January in Hobart: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#1 of 12 months in Hobart · #2 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 96/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 24°C
- Nights
- 14°C
- Wet days
- 5
- Sun
- 11.2 h
- Humidity
- 66%
- Daylight
- 15 h

Traveller notes on Hobart in January
Tasmania's forum calls January prime season, though the island's weather stays notoriously changeable — hot, even 40°C days on record, alongside the odd summer snow at altitude. Regulars' standard advice is layers regardless of the forecast, since a single day can swing from cold to warm and back.
Other months in Hobart
Regulars are direct that Tasmania's famous weather variability is genuinely lived experience here, temperatures swinging from a warm 32.5C one day to as low as 13C the next within the same trip, no reliable pattern to plan around. Our row backs that mild, still-showery average sitting between those extremes, 19.9C over 10.4C nights feeling 8C, with 55.6mm of rain across 8.5 days and humidity at 70 percent. Regulars are consistent brief rain showers are the norm rather than heavy downpours, cloudy skies more common than sunny ones despite the reasonable average temperature. Layers and a proper waterproof shell remain the standard packing advice regardless of the forecast on arrival. The sea sits at a cool 15.5C. The record: 10.8 hours of sun, a 19.2 kph wind and one of the cleanest air readings in this project, AQI 22.
Hobart-forum threads on early December weather describe genuinely pleasant, mild-to-warm days as the norm, but posters are consistent this is still Tasmania, where a chilly, windy afternoon can follow a warm morning with little notice even at the height of summer. One visitor logged a surprising 31C day with barely any humidity, well above the seasonal average, underscoring how variable the month can run year to year. Nights stay genuinely cool regardless of how warm the day got, and a light jacket or spray shell is standing advice for evenings on the waterfront. Kunanyi/Mount Wellington above the city can hold a dusting on its upper slopes even into early summer some years, a real contrast to the mild town below. Regulars call December a great value month, before the peak summer crowds arrive. The record: 21.7C days feeling like 20C, 12C nights, a 17.1C sea, 67 percent humidity and 11.8 hours of sun.
Tasmania-forum threads on October weather split sharply: one visitor calls it the worst month of the year, grey skies, driving rain, sleet and high wind cycling through in a single day, while another calls the same month great, mild and with longer daylight than the depths of winter. Both camps agree spring blossoms are in full bloom regardless of which version of the sky shows up. September and October together are singled out as genuinely windy and blustery months, worth factoring into any outdoor plans along the waterfront or up on the mountain. The standing advice repeated across every thread is to pack for all four seasons in a single day, since Tasmania's weather is called capable of delivering sun, rain and cold within the same afternoon. The record: 18.1C days feeling like 16C, 8.7C nights, 64mm across 11 days, a 13.1C sea, 71 percent humidity and 9.9 hours of sun.
March is the month Tasmania's summer wanes. Regulars describe high teens to low twenties cooling through the month - our row gives 21.7C days over 12.3C nights - and the feeling as a bit of crispness in the air rather than actual cold. February into mid-March is the stretch they name for warm patches, and March, April and sometimes early May can deliver a late Indian summer that is more settled than midsummer. For autumn colour, Mount Field National Park outside Hobart is where Australia's native deciduous tree turns, though that is an April and May event. The record: 7.6 precipitation days carrying 39.2mm, 8.8 hours of sun, a 17.7C sea and AQI 18, the cleanest air in this round.
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Hobart climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Hobart 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 crowdsAustralia Day, Sydney to Hobart finish, Summer holidays in Australia(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Hobart'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 weatherHobart's weather peaks January–March.
January includes Sydney to Hobart finish.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Hobart in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Holiday
Australia Day
26 JanNational holidayCrowdedClosures26 January is a national public holiday, and for many a day of protest, near the end of the summer school break: capital cities hold fireworks, concerts and citizenship ceremonies alongside Invasion Day rallies, some shops shorten hours, and roads are busy as families head home. Source ↗
- Hazard
Bushfire season
1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallySmoke seasonA dry spell in the highlands can put smoke over the Derwent for days and close the walking tracks around the city. The fire service publishes the danger rating by region each day. Source ↗
- Festival
Sydney to Hobart finish
26 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe leaders reach Constitution Dock about two days out of Sydney and the rest trickle in for a week, into a waterfront food festival that runs through New Year. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Hobart — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Hobart?
Hobart in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Hobart?
- January in Hobart: nice, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Hobart on SeasonMap's comfort score (96/100).
- What is the weather like in Hobart in January?
- In January, Hobart averages a daily high of 23.6°C and a low of 14.1°C, with about 35.5 mm of rain over roughly 4.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Hobart in January?
- Hobart has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 18 in January.
Within 300 km: Cradle Mountain's Shuttle bus into the park on 1 Jan – 31 Dec.