Gangneung weather in January

In January, Gangneung sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -8°C, with 44 mm of precipitation across 5.7 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 1°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 24 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Gangneung's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gangneung's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-8°
1st coldest
Precipitation
44 mm
5.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
7:44 AM – 5:23 PM
Cloud cover
42%
2nd clearest
Wind
12 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Gangneung is city in South Korea.

Density
200/km²
people per km²
Founded
~129 BCE

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 1°C through the month.

A typical January day in Gangneung reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -8°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 5°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°C cooler than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-7
21-7
31-8
41-8
51-8
61-8
71-8
81-8
91-8
101-8
111-8
121-8
131-8
141-8
151-8
161-9
171-9
181-9
190-9
200-9
210-9
220-9
230-9
241-9
251-9
261-9
271-9
281-9
291-9
301-9
311-9

How January really feels in Gangneung

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.

Gangneung 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 / -8°445.75.69.70.0
Feb / -7°445.7510.50.0
Mar / -1°689.15.911.71.4
Apr15° / 818.81.412.94.6
May20° / 11°878.90146.4
Jun23° / 16°11911.4014.66.4
Jul25° / 20°21915.9014.35.7
Aug26° / 20°22917.3013.55.5
Sep22° / 14°18612.2012.36.1
Oct17° / 828.50.1115.7
Nov10° / 637.51.8102.5
Dec / -5°365.33.89.40.0

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 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37228
47228
57129
67129
77030
86832
96733
106733
116535
126535
136436
146436
156436
166337
176337
186337
196337
206337
216337
226436
236337
246436
256436
266535
276535
286535
296535
306634
316535

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Gangneung gets around 44 mm of rain and snow over 5.7 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 18% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11514
21514
31514
41514
51514
61615
71615
81716
91716
101817
111817
121818
131918
141919
151919
162019
172020
182020
192120
202120
212120
222120
232120
242020
252019
262019
271918
281918
291917
301817
311817

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 12 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:45 AM to 7:36 AM, and sunset from 5:11 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.47:455:11
29.47:455:11
39.47:455:12
49.57:455:13
59.57:455:14
69.57:455:14
79.57:455:15
89.57:455:16
99.57:455:17
109.57:455:18
119.67:455:19
129.67:455:20
139.67:455:21
149.67:455:22
159.67:445:23
169.77:445:23
179.77:445:24
189.77:435:25
199.77:435:26
209.77:435:28
219.87:425:29
229.87:425:30
239.87:415:31
249.87:415:32
259.97:405:33
269.97:405:34
279.97:395:35
2810.07:395:36
2910.07:385:37
3010.07:375:38
3110.07:365:39

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.79 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.42 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.79 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.6Moderate
22.6Moderate
32.6Moderate
42.6Moderate
52.6Moderate
62.6Moderate
72.6Moderate
82.6Moderate
92.6Moderate
102.6Moderate
112.7Moderate
122.7Moderate
132.7Moderate
142.7Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.8Moderate
182.8Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
243.0Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Gangneung

In seasonPeak

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

Gangneung sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Gangneung's rainy season runs June–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 Gangneung?

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 Gangneung.

What to pack for Gangneung in January

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

In January, Gangneung sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -8°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 6 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

Sea temperature near Gangneung in January

The nearest coast averages about 10°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 14 km away) is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 9°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 1 to Oct 7 — about 3.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

5°10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan10Bracing
Feb9Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr12Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug24Warm
Sep22Refreshing
Oct19Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec13Bracing

UV index in Gangneung 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 Gangneung peaks around August 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateAug 16UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Gangneung 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 Gangneung is worst in March — around 40 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.4× the cleanest month (September, 17 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMar 2239 µg/m³Sep 1817 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan26Moderate
Feb30Moderate
Mar40Poor
Apr38Poor
May35Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec22Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Gangneung?

Gangneung sits at 37.8°N, 128.9°E, 77 m above sea level, in South Korea. The nearest listed city is Jumunjin, 16 km away.

SantyokuSokchoPyeongchangT’aebaekNeietsuKosong

Topography around Gangneung

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gangneung has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 163 m around an average of 48 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,166 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,646 m.

The land around Gangneung is covered by trees (46%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 3 km, trees (59%) and water (26%) within 16 km, and trees (65%) and water (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
163 m
16 km
1,166 m
80 km
1,646 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Jumunjin 16 km · Donghae City 31 km · Santyoku 44 km · Sokcho 56 km · Pyeongchang 60 km · T’aebaek 65 km · Neietsu 73 km · Kosong 78 km

South Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 57% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$36,227
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
8.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 522
Religion
none 60%Protestant 17%Buddhist 16%Catholic 6%

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 Gangneung (37.7527°, 128.8724°, elevation 77 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).