Climate of Iceland

Climate averages for the whole year

Day: the average daily temperature during the day is between 1°C and 14°C
Night:the average nighttime temperature is between -2°C and 9°C
Sea temperature: the sea temperature is between -3°C and 19°C
Rain: it rains 162 days and there is a total of approximately 313 mm rainfall
Snow: it snows an average of 38 days per year
Sun hours: throughout the year there are 1672 sun hours

Maximum temperature:	between 1°C and 14°C
Warmest month:	14°C in July
Coldest month:	1°C in December
Night temperature:	between -2°C and 9°C
Sea temperature:	between -3°C and 19°C
Dry days:	165 days
Days with rain:	162 days
Days with snow:	38 days
Total rain sum:	313 mm
Hours of sunshine:	1672 hours

Climate of Iceland
Temperature graph
Precipitation graph
Climate chart of Iceland
The best travel time for Iceland
Climate of Iceland by month
Experiences with the weather of Iceland
Popular destinations Iceland

Temperature graph

This graph shows the average maximum temperature (red) and minimum temperature (blue) for Iceland.

Precipitation graph

This graph shows the average amount of rainfall per month for Iceland.

Do you want to go to Iceland?

These are the travel companies where you can book a trip to Iceland:

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Climate table of Iceland

In this climate table you can see at a glance what the average weather per month is for Iceland. The data has been collected over a 30-year period, from which an average per month has been derived. From year to year the differences may be larger or smaller, but with this climate table you have a good idea of what the weather for Iceland might be like in a given month.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Day temp. (°F)	35	35	36	41	47	53	57	55	50	43	38	34
Night temp. (°F)	30	30	30	34	39	46	48	47	43	38	33	28
Water temp. (°F)	27	44	46	61	65	66	62	64	53	46	42	43
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Precipitation (inch)	15	11	12	9	8	7	7	9	10	14	10	11
Days with rain	13	11	11	14	14	15	17	14	17	14	12	10
Days with snow	6	6	9	6	1	-	-	-	-	-	4	6
Dry days	12	11	11	10	16	15	14	17	13	17	14	15
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hours per day	2	3	4	5	7	4	7	8	5	4	3	3
Wind force (Bft)	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	4	4	4	4
UV-index	1	1	2	2	3	3	4	3	2	2	1	2

Best time to visit Iceland

July and August, which are the hottest months in Iceland, have traditionally been the most preferred months for tourists to visit the country. And because there is continuous daylight in June, there are almost as many tourists as there are during the height of summer. However during this time of year, poor weather like heavy rain and strong winds may and does occur. Due to the unpredictable climate of the island, it is not uncommon for a single day to have elements of all four seasons.

Considering that Iceland's climate may maintain a comfortable temperature far into the first week of October, traveling there in September may be the best option. May also features more hours of daylight, making it ideal for outdoor excursions, and milder temperatures. However, this may not be the greatest time to visit if you are interested in visiting some of the more distant hills and fjords, since some roads are still blocked as they thaw from the snowy cover that they had over them over the winter.

The greatest time of year to go hiking in Iceland is during the summer, as this is the only season in which all of the mountain roads are passable and the majority of the country's most well-known paths are available.

When is the best time to see whales in Iceland?

The months of June and July are ideal for whale watching in Iceland. Northern Iceland has a longer season for seeing humpbacks, minkes, and dolphins, which cruise the Atlantic from May to August; some few humpbacks even stay until the end of the year. Blue whales also travel through in the summer.

Minke whales and dolphins can be seen near Reykjavik during the summer months, while orcas concentrate in West Iceland around the Snaefellsnes peninsula in the first part of the year.

When is the best time to visit the hot springs?

Hot water baths in Iceland are an important part of the Icelandic culture, providing both social and wellness advantages. The public pools in Reykjavik are available all year. Visit them in September or the first half of October, while they're still still reachable by mountain road but the tourist numbers have greatly decreased.

When visiting the Blue Lagoon, the world's most well-known geothermal spa, visitors will find less crowds by going in the off-seasons.

Climate of Iceland by month

What is the average climate in a given month for Iceland? Click on a month to see all monthly averages for sunshine, maximum and minimum temperatures, percent chance of rain per day, snowfall and number of rainy days.

January