SeasonMapTromsø (Tromso) weather in January
Norway
January in Tromsø: freezing, rainy, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing.
#12 of 12 months in Tromsø · #1365 of 1383 destinations to visit in January · comfort 24/100 (tier F)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Tromsø in January
Other months in Tromsø
Tromsø's forum calls October the wettest month of the year locally — genuinely no pattern to the rain, capable of days on end wet or days on end cloudy, changing quickly with sudden clear breaks. Regulars flag it as touch-and-go for early winter conditions too: some years bring icy roads and snow on the ground by late October, others stay closer to freezing rain. Layered, genuinely waterproof and windproof gear is standard advice regardless.
Add your own note from Tromsø's card on the map.
Tromsø climate normals — January
| Daytime high | -1°C / 30°F | 🥶 freezing |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | -6°C / 21°F | |
| Feels like (high) | -6°C / 21°F | |
| Rainfall | 133 mm / 5.2 in | 🌧 rainy |
| Rainy days | 17 days | |
| Humidity | 83% | 💦 very humid |
| Dew point | -7°C / 20°F | |
| Sunshine | 0.2 h/day | |
| Daylight | 1.8 h | |
| Wind | 14 km/h / 9 mph | |
| Snowfall | 115 cm / 45.3 in | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 32 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Tromsø 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 crowdsTromso International Film Festival, Christmas holidays in Norway, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Tromsø'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 weatherTromsø's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Tromsø in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Tromso International Film Festival
12–20 Jan · usuallyCrowdedA week of cinema in the middle of January, including screenings outdoors in the snow. It is the reason the town is busy before the light comes back. Source ↗
- Festival
The sun comes back
20–23 JanPolar nightThe sun clears the mountains on 21 January for the first time since November and the town marks it with sun buns and people standing on the bridge at noon. Two months of dark end in about an hour. Source ↗
- Festival
Nordlysfestivalen
24 Jan – 5 Feb · usuallyMajor festivalA week of concerts across the town at the turn of January and February — classical, jazz and whatever else fits — with the lights themselves outside if the sky cooperates. Source ↗
- Nature
Aurora season
15 Sep – 5 Apr · usuallyDirectly under the auroral oval, so a quiet night still shows something from September to early April. The problem is coastal cloud, which is why the chase buses drive inland for hours.
- Nature
Orca and humpback in the fjords
1 Nov – 20 Jan · usuallyWhale seasonThe herring come into the fjords north-east of the city and the whales follow them, in the four hours of blue twilight that count as day. Boats run from Skjervoy rather than Tromso itself.
- Nature
Polar night
About 1.8 hours of daylight a day in January; the light is the story, not the sights.
from the climate normals
- Season
Snow season
Ski seasonAbout 115 cm of snow falls in the month.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Tromsø — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Tromsø?
Tromsø in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Tromsø?
- January in Tromsø: freezing, rainy, with clean air — not the time — well below freezing. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Tromsø on SeasonMap's comfort score (24/100).
- What is the weather like in Tromsø in January?
- In January, Tromsø averages a daily high of -1.2°C and a low of -6°C, with about 133 mm of rain over roughly 17.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Tromsø in January?
- Tromsø has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 32 in January.
- Does it snow in Tromsø in January?
- Tromsø sees roughly 115 cm of snowfall in January.
Other months in Tromsø
Compare Tromsø in January
Warmer or cooler than Tromsø in January
Similar destinations in Northern Europe — January
Within 300 km: Svolvær's Aurora season around 10 Sep – 5 Apr.