Iwŏn-ŭp weather in January

In January, Iwŏn-ŭp sees average daytime highs of 0°C and overnight lows near -6°C, with 31 mm of precipitation across 6.6 wet days and about 9.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 0°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 12 min at the start of January to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Iwŏn-ŭp's 3rd-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Iwŏn-ŭp's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-6°
1st coldest
Precipitation
31 mm
6.6 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:52 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
42%
3rd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
2.37 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Iwŏn-ŭp is human settlement in North Korea.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 0°C through the month.

A typical January day in Iwŏn-ŭp reaches about 0°C in the afternoon and slips back to -6°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 4°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 1°C cooler than February.

-15°-10°-5°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-5
21-5
31-5
41-5
51-5
60-5
70-5
80-5
90-5
100-5
110-5
120-5
130-5
140-5
150-6
160-6
170-6
180-6
190-6
200-6
210-6
220-6
230-6
240-6
250-6
260-6
270-6
280-6
290-6
300-6
310-6

How January really feels in Iwŏn-ŭp

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Iwŏn-ŭp weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -6°316.67.39.50.0
Feb / -4°235.15.410.40.0
Mar / 285.23.811.70.5
Apr11° / 406.10.8132.9
May15° / 10°667.2014.25.1
Jun19° / 15°626.1014.86.5
Jul23° / 20°14110.1014.66.6
Aug24° / 21°15011.2013.66.7
Sep21° / 17°896.8012.37.0
Oct16° / 11°465.70.110.95.8
Nov / 497.229.81.9
Dec / -3°376.95.89.20.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27030
37030
46931
56931
66832
76733
86634
96535
106535
116436
126337
136337
146238
156238
166238
176238
186139
196139
206238
216238
226337
236337
246436
256436
266535
276634
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Iwŏn-ŭp gets around 31 mm of rain and snow over 6.6 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 22% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11920
21920
32020
42021
52021
62022
72122
82123
92224
102224
112325
122325
132326
142326
152426
162427
172427
182426
192326
202326
212325
222225
232224
242124
252123
262023
272022
282022
292022
302022
312022

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 14 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 12 min at the start of January to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:53 AM to 7:43 AM, and sunset from 5:04 PM to 5:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.27:535:04
29.27:545:04
39.27:545:05
49.27:545:06
59.27:545:07
69.27:545:08
79.27:545:09
89.37:545:09
99.37:545:10
109.37:535:11
119.37:535:12
129.37:535:13
139.47:535:14
149.47:535:15
159.47:525:16
169.47:525:17
179.47:525:18
189.57:515:19
199.57:515:21
209.57:505:22
219.57:505:23
229.67:495:24
239.67:495:25
249.67:485:26
259.77:485:27
269.77:475:28
279.77:465:30
289.87:455:31
299.87:455:32
309.87:445:33
319.97:435:34

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.37 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.06 kWh/m² to a high of 5.87 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.37 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.2Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.2Moderate
72.2Moderate
82.2Moderate
92.2Moderate
102.2Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.5Moderate
232.5Moderate
242.5Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.6Moderate
272.6Moderate
282.7Moderate
292.7Moderate
302.8Moderate
312.8Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Iwŏn-ŭp

In seasonPeak

In January, Iwŏn-ŭp sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Iwŏn-ŭp sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Iwŏn-ŭp's rainy season runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Iwŏn-ŭp?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Iwŏn-ŭp.

What to pack for Iwŏn-ŭp in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Iwŏn-ŭp sees daytime highs around 0°C and nights near -6°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Iwŏn-ŭp in January

The nearest coast averages about 6°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in August at about 23°C and coldest in February near 5°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 15 to Sep 22 — about 2.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb5Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr7Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun16Cool
Jul20Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct17Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec8Bracing

UV index in Iwŏn-ŭp in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Iwŏn-ŭp peaks around August 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighHighVery highHighModerateLowAug 18UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Iwŏn-ŭp in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Iwŏn-ŭp is worst in April — around 47 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.7× the cleanest month (August, 17 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateApr 947 µg/m³Aug 2217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan29Moderate
Feb36Poor
Mar46Poor
Apr47Poor
May36Poor
Jun25Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Iwŏn-ŭp?

Iwŏn-ŭp sits at 40.3°N, 128.7°E, 2 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Changam-ch’on, 33 km away.

Changam-ch’onSinp’oYuktae-dongHongwŏnSamho-rodongjaguKapsan-ŭpKiljuHwadae

Topography around Iwŏn-ŭp

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Iwŏn-ŭp.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Iwŏn-ŭp has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 100 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,000 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,358 m.

The land around Iwŏn-ŭp is covered by cropland (47%) and water (38%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and water (32%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
100 m
16 km
1,000 m
80 km
2,358 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Changam-ch’on 33 km · Sinp’o 50 km · Yuktae-dong 54 km · Hongwŏn 68 km · Samho-rodongjagu 79 km · Kapsan-ŭp 91 km · Kilju 91 km · Hwadae 91 km

North Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Safe drinking water
67%
of population, 2023
Road deaths
24.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Iwŏn-ŭp (40.3231°, 128.6553°, elevation 2 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).