Rotterdam weather in January
January in Rotterdam: cold, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Rotterdam · #1161 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 49/100 (tier F)
- Days
- 7°C
- Nights
- 1°C
- Wet days
- 15
- Sun
- 3.7 h
- Humidity
- 86%
- Daylight
- 8 h
Traveller notes on Rotterdam in January
Forum posters describe January across the Netherlands, Rotterdam included, as capable of almost anything - temperatures anywhere between -15C and 15C, with varying degrees of rain, snow, or clear skies possible on a given day. Posters consistently recommend a proper winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves, warm sweaters and genuinely warm, weatherproof footwear regardless of forecast. Posters are direct that snow isn't guaranteed, and even when it does fall it typically doesn't stick around for long. Posters generally caution that forecasts here are only reasonably reliable about 2-3 days out, so treating a longer-range prediction as certain is a mistake. Posters generally rate January as workable for a Rotterdam visit with the right packing, but genuinely unpredictable day to day.
Other months in Rotterdam
The Dutch line the forum keeps quoting for July is "if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes" — and the numbers bear it out: around 22°C on average, but posters describe 28°C one day and 15°C the next, and sunny mornings turning to thunder by the afternoon. Rain lands on about thirteen days. Layers plus a small umbrella or poncho is the standing advice, with a big thin scarf as the adjustable extra. July is also crowded and pricier once the school holidays start. Rotterdam-specific: the bike paths, the harbour boat tours, Delfshaven and the water taxi all survive a shower.
Add your own note from Rotterdam's card on the map.
Rotterdam climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Rotterdam 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 crowdsIFFR, Christmas and New Year, Christmas holidays in Netherlands(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Rotterdam'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 weatherRotterdam's weather peaks June–August.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Rotterdam in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
IFFR
22 Jan – 8 Feb · usuallyFilm festivalCrowdedBook earlyEleven days of first and second features from everywhere, which is the one thing that reliably fills this city in deep winter. Screenings sell out early; the day passes are the way in. Source ↗
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresChristmas Day and the Second Christmas Day are public holidays, with many shops, museums and restaurants closed or on short hours, and 1 January is one of the few days nearly everything shuts. Consumer fireworks are now banned nationally, so midnight is quieter than it was. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Rotterdam — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Rotterdam?
Rotterdam in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Rotterdam?
- January in Rotterdam: cold, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Rotterdam on SeasonMap's comfort score (49/100).
- What is the weather like in Rotterdam in January?
- In January, Rotterdam averages a daily high of 6.9°C and a low of 1.4°C, with about 84.5 mm of rain over roughly 14.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Rotterdam in January?
- Rotterdam has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 31 in January.
- Does it snow in Rotterdam in January?
- Rotterdam sees roughly 2.1 cm of snowfall in January.
Within 300 km: The Hague's New Year's dive at Scheveningen on 1 Jan, and Amsterdam's Amsterdam Light Festival on 26 Nov – 17 Jan.