Early January 1 January
55°F
Typical afternoon high
17% historical wet-day frequency
France · Beach
Is January a good time?
January averages 53°F afternoons and 55°F seas, with about 7 rain days. Check seasonal openings.
Historical Languedoc-Roussillon regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Montpellier, Carcassonne and Nîmes; conditions vary within the region.
Planning to sightsee in Carcassonne? The weather score rates beach conditions. Sightseeing rates good (6.2/10).
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your January
Afternoons around 53°F (12°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 39°F (4°C): a warm coat. About 9 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical January.
The sea averages 55°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.
The sun rises about 08:17 and sets about 17:34 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 39°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 53°F (12°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical January.
Early, middle or late?
Early and late January have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 55°F on the 1st, versus 54°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 17% to 26% between those dates.
55°F
Typical afternoon high
17% historical wet-day frequency
53°F
Typical afternoon high
22% historical wet-day frequency
54°F
Typical afternoon high
26% 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.
Public holidays · 2027: 1 Jan New Year's Day.
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155° | 255° | 355° | ||||
| 454° | 554° | 654° | 754° | 854° | 954° | 1054° |
| 1153° | 1253° | 1353° | 1453° | 1553° | 1653° | 1753° |
| 1853° | 1953° | 2053° | 2153° | 2253° | 2353° | 2453° |
| 2553° | 2653° | 2754° | 2854° | 2954° | 3054° | 3154° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons hold at about 54°F (12°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 17–29%. Local schools are out 1–3 January 2027.
Schools here are off 1–3 January 2027 (Christmas holidays). Public holidays: 1 Jan New Year's Day. 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.)
Visitor season
Off season. January averages 5% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than December. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.
Overnight stays across Languedoc-Roussillon do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Well 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.
Year-to-year variation
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 50°F (10°C) and 57°F (14°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 53°F (12°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 12; half the years had 5–9.
Rain days in each January
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 51°F | 6 |
| 2012 | 54°F | 3 |
| 2013 | 52°F | 9 |
| 2014 | 55°F | 11 |
| 2015 | 53°F | 5 |
| 2016 | 55°F | 9 |
| 2017 | 50°F | 7 |
| 2018 | 57°F | 12 |
| 2019 | 51°F | 5 |
| 2020 | 55°F | 9 |
| 2021 | 51°F | 8 |
| 2022 | 54°F | 2 |
| 2023 | 53°F | 6 |
| 2024 | 56°F | 5 |
| 2025 | 55°F | 8 |
Checked against 157 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Dec | Jan | Feb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 55°F | 53°F | 56°F |
| Sea | 58°F | 55°F | 54°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Overnight demand | 6% | 5% | 7% |
December: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than January. More overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. December guide →
February: Warmer afternoons than January. More overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. February guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. January stays as your reference.
March and November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than January, without a substantially busier visitor season.
Your comparison
Overnight stays are 6% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the December guide →| Typical conditions | January | December |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 53°F | 55°F |
| Nights | 39°F | 41°F |
| Sea | 55°F | 58°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 |
| Visitor season | Off season | Off season |
| Overall / 10 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Month rank | #12 | #11 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.2 | #12 | 53°F | 39°F | 55°F | 7 | 2.8 | Off season |
| February | 4.6 | #10 | 56°F | 40°F | 54°F | 7 | 3.6 | Off season |
| March | 5.3 | #8 | 62°F | 43°F | 55°F | 7 | 4.7 | Off season |
| April | 7.1 | #6 | 67°F | 47°F | 58°F | 6 | 6.5 | Low season |
| May | 7.6 | #3 | 74°F | 53°F | 62°F | 6 | 8.0 | Low season |
| June | 7.8 | #2 | 83°F | 61°F | 69°F | 4 | 9.2 | Moderate season |
| July | 7.2 | #5 | 88°F | 64°F | 72°F | 3 | 9.8 | Busy season |
| August | 6.6 | #7 | 88°F | 64°F | 73°F | 4 | 9.5 | Peak season |
| September | 7.9 | #1 | 79°F | 59°F | 70°F | 5 | 9.0 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.5 | #4 | 71°F | 54°F | 66°F | 8 | 7.1 | Low season |
| November | 4.9 | #9 | 60°F | 46°F | 62°F | 9 | 4.3 | Off season |
| December | 4.5 | #11 | 55°F | 41°F | 58°F | 7 | 3.4 | Off season |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Toulouse & the PyreneesMidi-Pyrénées · France · about 90 miles
Balanced Overall 6.8 · Good weather, 50°F (10°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
AuvergneFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 6.5 · Fair weather, 45°F (7°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 5.2 · Fair weather, 54°F (12°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 8.0 · Very good weather, 57°F (14°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 5.4 · Fair weather, 46°F (8°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Languedoc-Roussillon's weather ranks 27 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Languedoc-Roussillon.
Valencia & the Costa BlancaSpain · about 350 miles
Good weather (6.0): 8°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, busier for its season (low season), cheaper
MurciaSpain · about 460 miles
Good weather (6.3): 9°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
AndalusiaSpain · about 590 miles
Good weather (5.4): 7°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (low season), cheaper
MelillaSpain · about 660 miles
Very good weather (7.3): 12°F warmer afternoons, cheaper
Óbidos, Nazaré & the Tagus ValleyPortugal · about 680 miles
Fair weather (4.3): 6°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (low season), cheaper
It's off season, 5% of the busiest month and 82% below its average month. That means about 19,000 overnight visitors on a typical January night across the region, 84% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 13,000 more: 68 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 49 |
| How our weather was checked | 157 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.0°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 6 |
| Busiest month here | August · 119 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 50th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 84% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 68 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.0% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−8% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 3.0 million |
| Statistical region | FRJ1 · Languedoc-Roussillon |
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.