Climate - Djúpivogur (Iceland)

The climate of Djúpivogur is subarctic, with cold winters and very cool summers, or even a little cold.
The small town is located on the east coast of Iceland, about 50 km (30 mi) from the eastern edge of Vatnajökull, Iceland's largest glacier.
The latitude of Djúpivogur is 64°38'N. On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises around 11:00 am and sets around 2:50 pm. On the longest day, June 21, the sun rises at 2:10 am and sets at 11:50 pm. The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur from April 26 to August 16.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -0.3 °C (31 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 9.1 °C (48 °F). Here are the average temperatures (measured at the Teigarhorn weather station).

Precipitation amounts to 1,230 millimeters (48.4 inches) per year: it is therefore quite abundant. It ranges from 70 mm (2.8 in) in the driest months (April, June) to 150 mm (5.9 in) in the wettest (October). Here is the average precipitation.

As is typical of Iceland, the weather is often unstable and windy. Snowfalls typically occur from October to April or early May, although they rarely prevail over rain for long periods.
The winter, from December to March, is cold, cloudy and windy, with very short days in the first part, which then gradually become longer (in mid-February, the sun already rises at 9:00 am and sets at 5:30 pm, while in mid-March, it rises at 7:15 am and sets at 7:00 pm).
During some periods, the temperature fluctuates around freezing, and rainfall alternate with snowfall.
There are also quite mild periods, in which the temperature reaches 7/8 °C (45/46 °F), but it often rains and a strong wind blows. Occasionally, the wind coming down from the mountains (even if covered with snow) can bring mild temperatures, even in the dead of winter. In December 1970, the temperature reached 15 °C (59 °F), and in January 2005 it reached 16.5 °C (61.5 °F).
There are also very cold periods, characterized by snow and frost, which generally last no more than a week.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to around -10 °C (14 °F), however, it can occasionally drop to lower values. The coldest record is -23 °C (-9.5 °F), recorded even in early April 1968 (it must be said that March is still a fully winter month, and given the maritime climate, in spring temperatures rise late). However, it was an exceptional value, considering that both before and after, the temperature never reached even -20 °C (-4 °F). In fact, it dropped to -19.5 °C (-3 °F) in March 1969, to -17.5 °C (0.5 °F) in December 1973, to -16 °C (3 °F) in March 1992, and to -16 °C (3 °F) in January 1993. After that, it never dropped below -15 °C (5 °F), but only to -14 °C (7 °F) in March 1998, to -13 °C (8.5 °F) in February 2002, and to -14 °C (7 °F) in January 2008.

The summer is very cool, and sometimes even cold, especially in June. The rains are also frequent in this season. However, there can be very mild periods of two or three days, in which the temperature reaches or exceeds 20 °C (68 °F).
The heat record of 30.5 °C (87 °F), registered in June 1939, represents the highest temperature ever recorded in Iceland. It seems to us a dubious fact, considering that later the temperature reached 26.5 °C (79.5 °F) in July 1945 and in July 1975, and then it no longer even reached 25 °C (77 °F), but a few times (in August 1994, in July 1998, and in July 1999), it reached 23.5 °C (74.5 °F).



The sea temperature ranges between 7 °C (45 °F) and 11 °C (52 °F). So, it is cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Djúpivogur is the summer, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, there are often cloudy skies, rain and a bit of cold. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a jacket and a sweater even in the height of summer.