St. John's, Newfoundland (St. John's) weather in January

January in St. John's, Newfoundland: freezing, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

St. John's, Newfoundland🇨🇦 Canada · Northeast & Atlantic Canada · City33
  1. 33Jan
  2. 38Feb
  3. 46Mar
  4. 59Apr
  5. 71May
  6. 80Jun
  7. 90Jul
  8. 88Aug
  9. 77Sep
  10. 66Oct
  11. 51Nov
  12. 36Dec

#12 of 12 months in St. John's, Newfoundland · #1330 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 33/100 (tier F)

Days
2°C
Nights
-6°C
Wet days
15
Sun
3.9 h
Humidity
80%
Daylight
9 h
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Photo: Daniel Battersby · Pexels

Traveller notes on St. John's, Newfoundland in January

Other months in St. John's, Newfoundland

Regulars are direct that this is the rainiest month of the year here, occasionally worsened by the remnants of a hurricane or tropical storm pushing in extra rain, and specifically recommend the first ten days as the sweet spot before it turns cooler and the odds of snow climb. Our row backs that cool, genuinely wet read, 13.1C over 4.1C nights feeling 0C, with 84.2mm of rain across 9.8 days and a trace of early snow, 0.1cm. Regulars are consistent the city itself stays fully in swing for visitors even as some seasonal attractions wind down, Signal Hill's visitor center specifically closing around the 10th of the month. The sea sits at a cold 9.4C. The record: humidity 80 percent, 5.6 hours of sun, a 26.1 kph wind and AQI 34.
RainiestMonthHereFirstTenDaysAreBest · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
May here is rain, wind and fog, and regulars say the variation is the real story: one day near freezing, the next 15C. Our row averages 11.7C but reads as 8C, with nights at 1.4C feeling like -3C in a 25 kph wind, 73.7mm across 11.6 days, and 2.1cm still sitting in the snow column. A hooded coat, because the rain and sleet here travel sideways, and a sweater underneath it. Icebergs are why many people come and nobody on the board will promise them: they drift on currents and pack ice, they turn up any time from March into July, and mid to late May is a good bet rather than a safe one. Dress for the boat - the sea is 1.5C. The record: humidity 80 percent, 8.6 hours of sun and AQI 35.
IcebergsNeverGuaranteed · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
September is one of the better months for weather here and the worst trade you can make for wildlife. The fog thins - this city averages 124 fog days a year, but they are far fewer after mid-July - and the coast clears. The icebergs, though, run March to about July, so late September offers little or no chance of one, and the puffins and whales are thinning too, with the humpbacks starting their move to calving grounds. Our row gives 18.3C days over 8.7C nights that feel like 6C, a 25.3 kph wind and a 12.9C sea. The record: 90.9mm across 10.2 days, 7.3 hours of sun and AQI 36.
GoodWeatherWrongMonthForBergs · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June in St John's has a local name for its fog - capelin weather - blanket fog that can sit for days, and regulars are honest that it is the month's one real drawback in a month that is not warm to begin with. Our row gives 17.9C by day feeling like 16C, 7.1C at night, and a 4.5C sea. After mid-July it is less common. The trade they offer in exchange is the reason to come at all: the same capelin run brings the whales, and June is prime iceberg season, though the bergs that reach St John's, Bay Bulls and Ferryland have melted small by the time they get this far south. Mid-June averages nearer 18C by day and 12 at night. The record: 11.2 precipitation days carrying 81.4mm, humidity 84 percent and a 23.8 kph wind.
CapelinWeather · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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St. John's, Newfoundland climate normals — January

Daytime high2°C / 35°F🥶 freezing
Nighttime low-6°C / 21°F
Feels like (high)-3°C / 27°F
Sea temperature1°C / 34°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall128 mm / 5 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days15 days
Humidity80%💦 very humid
Dew point-4°C / 24°F
Sunshine3.9 h/day
Daylight8.9 h
Wind31 km/h / 20 mph
Snowfall51.5 cm / 20.3 in
Air quality (US AQI)35🍃 good

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

Crowds in St. John's, Newfoundland 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.

BusyWinter / Christmas break in Canada, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for St. John's, Newfoundland'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 weatherSt. John's, Newfoundland's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in St. John's, Newfoundland in January

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

  • Hazard

    Winter storm season

    1 Jan – 31 Mar · usuallyWinter storms & galesClosures

    This is among the snowiest and windiest cities in the country, and a single storm shut it entirely for a week in 2020. Flights are the first thing to go and the airport is the only way out. Source ↗

  • Season

    Snow season

    Ski season

    About 52 cm of snow falls in the month.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in January →

Where is St. John's, Newfoundland?

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St. John's, Newfoundland in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit St. John's, Newfoundland?
January in St. John's, Newfoundland: freezing, rainy, with clean air — one of the weakest months to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for St. John's, Newfoundland on SeasonMap's comfort score (33/100).
What is the weather like in St. John's, Newfoundland in January?
In January, St. John's, Newfoundland averages a daily high of 1.9°C and a low of -5.9°C, with about 127.5 mm of rain over roughly 14.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in St. John's, Newfoundland in January?
St. John's, Newfoundland has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in January.
Does it snow in St. John's, Newfoundland in January?
St. John's, Newfoundland sees roughly 51.5 cm of snowfall in January.