Climate - Reykjanesbær (Iceland)

The climate of Reykjanesbær is subpolar oceanic, with cold winters and very cool summers.
The city is located in the southwest of Iceland, on the coast, 30 km (18 mi) south-west of Reykiavik, in the peninsula called Suðurnes, and is formed by the union of the cities of Keflavik, Njarðvík and Hafnir.
The climate is very similar to that of Reykjavik, although it is slightly milder and rainier given the more exposed position to the sea.
The latitude of Reykjanesbær is 64°00'N. On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises around 11:20 am and sets around 3:35 pm. On the longest day, June 21, the sun rises at 3 am and sets two minutes after midnight (this happens because of the time zone adopted by Iceland). The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur from April 28 to August 14.
The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 0.3 °C (33 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 11 °C (52 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,075 millimeters (42.3 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 65 mm (2.6 in) in the driest months (May, July) to 115 mm (4.5 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, 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 9:25 am and sets at 6 pm, while in mid-March, it rises at 7:45 am and sets at 7:30 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.
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 -8/-9 °C (16/18 °F), however, it can occasionally drop to lower values. At Keflavik airport, the coldest record is -17.5 °C (0.5 °F), recorded in January 1968. Over the decades, the cold spikes have become less and less low. In the 1970s, the temperature dropped to -14.5 °C (6 °F) in January 1971 and in January 1979. From 1980 to 2020, it dropped to -13 °C (8.5 °F) on a few occasions, the last time in December 2011.

The summer is cool, with fairly frequent rains. There are very cool periods, with highs of 10/12 °C (50/54 °F), especially in June, but also milder periods.
On the warmest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 18/19 °C (64/66 °F). From 1952 to 2020, the temperature reached or exceeded 20 °C (68 °F) on the following occasions: 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in July 1976 and in July 1980, 21 °C (70 °F) in July 1991, 20 °C (68 °F) in July 1994 and in August 2003, 25 °C (77 °F) in August 2004 (record), 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in July 2008, 23 °C (73.5 °F) in July 2010, and 20.5 °C (69 °F) in July 2017.



The sea temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). So, it is very cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Reykjanesbær 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.