SeasonMapZakopane weather in January
Poland
January in Zakopane: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit.
#1 of 12 months in Zakopane · #312 of 1383 destinations to visit in January · comfort 86/100 (tier A)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Zakopane in January
Zakopane's forum calls January close to a snow guarantee, especially later in the month, with regulars reporting temperatures dropping to -12 to -18°C during their visits. Regulars flag the period from late January through early March as school-holiday season and genuinely busy, so booking ahead matters even outside the New Year rush.
Add your own note from Zakopane's card on the map.
Zakopane climate normals — January
| Daytime high | 2°C / 35°F | 🥶 freezing |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | -7°C / 20°F | |
| Feels like (high) | -2°C / 28°F | |
| Rainfall | 57 mm / 2.2 in | 🌦 some rain |
| Rainy days | 13 days | |
| Humidity | 87% | 💦 very humid |
| Dew point | -6°C / 22°F | |
| Sunshine | 4.5 h/day | |
| Daylight | 8.7 h | |
| Wind | 12 km/h / 7 mph | |
| Snowfall | 42 cm / 16.5 in | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 26 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Zakopane 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 crowdsSki jumping World Cup, Polish winter school holidays, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Zakopane'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 weatherZakopane's weather peaks December–February, best around January.
January includes Ski jumping World Cup.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Zakopane in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Ski jumping World Cup
12–28 Jan · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook earlyThe Wielka Krokiew fills with tens of thousands of Poles for a January weekend, flares and all. It has been the town's biggest event since 1980 and the dates are set late. Source ↗
- Holiday
Polish winter school holidays
15 Jan – 28 Feb · usuallyCrowdedThe regions take their two weeks in rotation from mid-January to the end of February, so six weeks of school holidays land here back to back. It is the busiest stretch of the winter. Source ↗
- Season
Halny wind
1 Oct – 30 Apr · usuallyWind seasonRiskThe Tatra foehn comes over the ridge warm and violent, takes roofs and whole stands of spruce with it, and closes the cable car. Locals blame it for their headaches and are probably right.
- Hazard
Winter smog
15 Nov – 15 Mar · usuallyA resort at the foot of a national park with some of the worst winter air in Poland: coal stoves in the valley and no wind to move it. The Tatra ridges above it are clear. Source ↗
- Season
Ski season
15 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyKasprowy Wierch is the serious end and it is a cable car with a queue, not a lift system; Nosal and the local hills are the rest. Snow is reliable at the top, patchy in the town.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year crush
22 Dec – 4 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyHalf of Poland comes to the mountains for the holidays and Krupowka is a slow-moving crowd from morning to midnight. Beds triple in price and the road from Krakow can take five hours. Source ↗
- Season
Snow season
Ski seasonAbout 42 cm of snow falls in the month.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Zakopane — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Zakopane?
Zakopane in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Zakopane?
- January in Zakopane: freezing, a little rain, with clean air — one of the best months to visit. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Zakopane on SeasonMap's comfort score (86/100).
- What is the weather like in Zakopane in January?
- In January, Zakopane averages a daily high of 1.7°C and a low of -6.6°C, with about 56.7 mm of rain over roughly 13.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Zakopane in January?
- Zakopane has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 26 in January.
- Does it snow in Zakopane in January?
- Zakopane sees roughly 42 cm of snowfall in January.
Other months in Zakopane
Compare Zakopane in January
Warmer or cooler than Zakopane in January
Similar destinations in Central Europe — January
Within 300 km: Budapest's Advent markets around 14 Nov – 1 Jan, and Vienna's Ball season around 8 Jan – 20 Feb.