Gothenburg weather in January

In January, Gothenburg sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 70 mm of precipitation across 12 wet days and about 7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 2°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 6 h 18 min at the start of January to 7 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Gothenburg's 10th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gothenburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
70 mm
12 wet days
Daylight
6 h 54 min
8:54 AM – 3:49 PM
Cloud cover
75%
10th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
0.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Gothenburg is second-largest city in Sweden and capital of the Västra Götaland County.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Founded
1621

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 2°C through the month.

A typical January day in Gothenburg reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -3°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

-15°-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12-2
22-2
32-2
42-2
52-2
62-2
72-2
82-2
92-2
102-2
112-2
122-2
132-2
142-2
152-2
162-2
172-2
182-2
192-2
202-2
212-2
222-2
232-2
242-3
252-3
262-3
272-3
282-3
292-3
302-3
312-3

How January really feels in Gothenburg

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Gothenburg weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -2°70125.370.0
Feb / -3°5410.15.290.0
Mar / -1°49103.711.40.4
Apr11° / 5310.20.8142.6
May16° / 7211.3016.34.7
Jun18° / 10°9812.4017.65.6
Jul21° / 12°9412.8017.16.0
Aug20° / 12°118150155.6
Sep16° / 9312.9012.54.6
Oct11° / 9413.80.4102.4
Nov / 7112.41.37.60.5
Dec / -1°7312.63.86.40.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22674
32674
42674
52674
62575
72575
82575
92575
102476
112476
122476
132377
142377
152377
162476
172476
182476
192476
202575
212575
222674
232872
242872
252872
262872
272971
282971
292872
302872
312773

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Gothenburg gets around 70 mm of rain and snow over 12 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 39% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 5 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14216
24216
34216
44216
54216
64316
74316
84316
94316
104316
114316
124316
134317
144217
154217
164117
174017
183917
193818
203718
213718
223618
233619
243519
253519
263519
273419
283420
293420
303519
313519

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

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 6 h 18 min at the start of January to 7 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 90 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 9:05 AM to 8:30 AM, and sunset from 3:26 PM to 4:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
16.39:053:26
26.49:053:27
36.49:043:28
46.49:043:29
56.59:033:31
66.59:033:32
76.59:023:34
86.69:023:35
96.69:013:37
106.69:003:38
116.78:593:40
126.78:583:42
136.88:573:43
146.88:563:45
156.98:553:47
166.98:543:49
177.08:533:51
187.08:513:53
197.18:503:55
207.18:493:57
217.28:473:59
227.38:464:01
237.38:444:03
247.48:424:05
257.48:414:08
267.58:394:10
277.68:374:12
287.68:364:14
297.78:344:16
307.88:324:19
317.88:304:21

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 0.44 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.28 kWh/m² to a high of 5.81 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 0.44 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.3Dim
20.3Dim
30.3Dim
40.3Dim
50.3Dim
60.3Dim
70.3Dim
80.3Dim
90.3Dim
100.3Dim
110.4Dim
120.4Dim
130.4Dim
140.4Dim
150.4Dim
160.4Dim
170.4Dim
180.5Dim
190.5Dim
200.5Dim
210.5Dim
220.5Dim
230.5Dim
240.6Dim
250.6Dim
260.6Dim
270.6Dim
280.7Dim
290.7Dim
300.7Dim
310.7Dim
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Gothenburg?

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
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Gothenburg.

What to pack for Gothenburg in January

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

In January, Gothenburg sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Gothenburg in January

The nearest coast averages about 3°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 18°C and coldest in February near 2°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan3Bracing
Feb2Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun15Cool
Jul18Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct12Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec5Bracing

UV index in Gothenburg in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Gothenburg peaks around June 18 at about 5 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJun 18UV 5Dec 20UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Low
Apr3Moderate
May5Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Gothenburg?

Gothenburg sits at 57.7°N, 12.0°E, 10 m above sea level, in Sweden. The nearest listed city is Majorna, 3.0 km away.

Topography around Gothenburg

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gothenburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 106 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 169 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 344 m.

The land around Gothenburg is covered by artificial surfaces (58%) and trees (29%) within 3 km, trees (54%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
106 m
16 km
169 m
80 km
344 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Majorna 3.0 km · Mölndal 6.0 km · Västra Frölunda 7.0 km · Partille 9.0 km · Björlanda 10 km · Mölnlycke 10 km · Kungälv 18 km · Lerum 19 km

Sweden travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 87% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$63,133
2025
Happiness
7.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 609
Religion
Church of Sweden 54%none or unspecified 37%other 9%

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 Gothenburg (57.7072°, 11.9668°, elevation 10 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. 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).