Germany - weather in January

In January, the middle of winter, the weather in Germany is cold and gray.

January in Germany is generally the coldest month of the year. The average daily temperature is around 3 °C (37 °F) in the west (North Rhine-Westphalia), the mildest part as it is influenced by the Atlantic, while it is around freezing in the eastern part (Berlin, Saxony, Thuringia) as well as in the southeast (Bavaria).

Precipitation is quite frequent everywhere, but is a little more abundant in the western part and lighter in the eastern one. In the mountainous areas, in the Harz massif, in the center of Germany (see Brocken) and in the small portion of the Alps in the far south (see Zugspitze) it is abundant and occurs in the form of snow. However, it can sometimes snow even in the lowlands, especially in the east and in Bavaria.

During cold waves, which are becoming rarer due to global warming, the temperature can drop several degrees below freezing, especially in the east and south, where it can drop to -15 °C (5 °F) (it has also dropped to lower values ​​in the past).

When the westerlies blow strongly, the weather becomes milder, and the temperature can exceed 10 °C (50 °F), but there can be moderate or strong winds, especially in the north.

The days are still among the shortest of the year, however, their length gradually increases over the course of the month. In January, the average day in Germany is 8 hours long in the north and 9 hours in the south.

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of January in Germany in a selection of locations.

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Monthly climate averages - January

(from north to south)


























See also: Germany, the weather in December - February
The climate of Germany