Early January 1 January
42°F
Typical afternoon high
45% historical wet-day frequency
Denmark · City
Copenhagen
in January.
Is January a good time?
Cold days.
Fewer overnight stays than December.
January averages 40°F afternoons and 40°F seas, with about 14 rain days. Later January is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 40°F
- Sea
- 40°F
- Visitor demand
- 37%of July peak
Historical Hovedstaden regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day.
Overall match
4.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather3.9/10Fair
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostExpensivefor Europe; Denmark-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your January
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 40°F (4°C): a warm coat; nights around 30°F (−1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 8 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in January?
The sea averages 40°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 8 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:29 and sets about 16:05 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 30°F (−1°C); afternoons reach about 40°F (4°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical January.
Typical afternoon
40°F (4°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Januarys
Night low
30°F (−1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
40°F (4°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
7h 37m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late January?
Early January is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 42°F on the 1st, versus 40°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 45% to 36% between those dates.
Mid January 15 January
40°F
Typical afternoon high
41% historical wet-day frequency
Late January 31 January
40°F
Typical afternoon high
36% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Daily calendar & holiday datesJanuary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
January 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142° | 242° | 341° | ||||
| 441° | 541° | 641° | 741° | 840° | 940° | 1040° |
| 1140° | 1240° | 1340° | 1440° | 1540° | 1639° | 1739° |
| 1839° | 1939° | 2039° | 2139° | 2239° | 2339° | 2439° |
| 2539° | 2640° | 2740° | 2840° | 2940° | 3040° | 3140° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for January 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons cool from about 41°F (5°C) in the first week to 40°F (4°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 33–49%.
Elsewhere in January 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 21%, Spain 24%, Italy 20%, Poland 17%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds, cost and getting there
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Moderate season. January averages 37% of July's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than December.
Overnight stays across Hovedstaden do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Denmark as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 148 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from Newark, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles and 3 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat
Year-to-year variation
How much does January vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 36°F (2°C) and 46°F (8°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 40°F (4°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 17; half the years had 11–15.
Rain days in each January
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
2 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no January in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
1 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded JanuaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 36°F | 13 |
| 2012 | 40°F | 14 |
| 2013 | 36°F | 11 |
| 2014 | 38°F | 17 |
| 2015 | 42°F | 16 |
| 2016 | 36°F | 14 |
| 2017 | 39°F | 5 |
| 2018 | 41°F | 15 |
| 2019 | 40°F | 13 |
| 2020 | 46°F | 13 |
| 2021 | 38°F | 14 |
| 2022 | 43°F | 9 |
| 2023 | 44°F | 16 |
| 2024 | 37°F | 14 |
| 2025 | 42°F | 7 |
Checked against 5 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
December, January
or February?
| Typical conditions | Dec | Jan | Feb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 43°F | 40°F | 41°F |
| Sea | 43°F | 40°F | 38°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 14 | 8 |
| Overnight demand | 55% | 37% | 43% |
December: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than January. More overnight demand. December guide →
February: Cooler sea and fewer rain days than January. More overnight demand. February guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with January Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. January stays as your reference.
March to November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than January, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
January or December?
Overnight stays are 55% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the December guide →| Typical conditions | January | December |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 40°F | 43°F |
| Nights | 30°F | 34°F |
| Sea | 40°F | 43°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 14 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
| Month rank | #12 | #11 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.9 | #12 | 40°F | 30°F | 40°F | 14 | 3.9 | Moderate season |
| February | 5.3 | #10 | 41°F | 29°F | 38°F | 8 | 4.3 | Moderate season |
| March | 5.9 | #7 | 47°F | 31°F | 39°F | 7 | 5.3 | Moderate season |
| April | 6.0 | #6 | 55°F | 37°F | 43°F | 7 | 6.6 | Busy season |
| May | 6.4 | #4 | 64°F | 45°F | 50°F | 9 | 8.0 | Busy season |
| June | 6.5 | #1 | 71°F | 52°F | 59°F | 8 | 9.1 | Busy season |
| July | 6.5 | #2 | 73°F | 56°F | 64°F | 12 | 9.1 | Peak season |
| August | 6.3 | #5 | 72°F | 55°F | 65°F | 10 | 9.2 | Peak season |
| September | 6.5 | #3 | 66°F | 50°F | 62°F | 8 | 8.3 | Busy season |
| October | 5.8 | #8 | 57°F | 44°F | 55°F | 12 | 5.9 | Busy season |
| November | 5.6 | #9 | 48°F | 38°F | 49°F | 9 | 4.9 | Moderate season |
| December | 5.1 | #11 | 43°F | 34°F | 43°F | 14 | 4.1 | Moderate season |
Near here
Nearby places in January
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Skåne & southern Swedenabout 50 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 39°F (4°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
ZealandDenmark · about 60 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 40°F (5°C) · Low season · Cost expensive
Mecklenburg-VorpommernBaltic coast · Germany · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 40°F (5°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Schleswig-HolsteinGermany · about 160 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 41°F (5°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
West PomeraniaPoland · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 3.0 · Poor weather, 39°F (4°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better January weather than Copenhagen
Copenhagen's weather ranks 33 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside Denmark have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Copenhagen.
ZagrebCroatia · about 700 miles
Fair weather (4.9): 4°F warmer afternoons, 6 fewer rain days, cheaper
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 710 miles
Good weather (5.7): 8°F warmer afternoons, 8 fewer rain days, cheaper
Bologna & Emilia-RomagnaItaly · about 780 miles
Good weather (5.7): 10°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (low season), cheaper
BelgradeSerbia · about 830 miles
Fair weather (4.9): 4°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
Rome & LazioItaly · about 950 miles
Good weather (6.2): 15°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 37% of the busiest month and 44% below its average month.The figures cover the whole Hovedstaden region, suburbs included. That means about 24,000 overnight visitors on a typical January night across the region, 50% of them from Denmark itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 3,100 more: 13 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 55 |
| How our weather was checked | 5 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 2°F (1.2°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 12 |
| Busiest month here | July · 33 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.2% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 82nd percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 50% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 13 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.4% |
| National hotel-price season | Denmark historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−8% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.9 million |
| Statistical region | DK01 · Hovedstaden |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.