This article is part of our guide to when to visit Tromsø.
January is the coldest, snowiest month in Tromsø, and it holds the year’s quiet turning point. The month opens still inside the polar night, with the sun below the horizon and only a few hours of blue twilight around midday. Then, around the middle of the month, the sun climbs back over the horizon for the first time since late November, and the city marks it. If you come for the aurora, January gives you the most reliable dark skies of the whole season. If you come for the light, you get to watch it return.
The end of the polar night, and Soldagen
For the first two weeks of January, Tromsø is still in the polar night. The sun stays below the horizon, and the day is a long twilight rather than proper daylight. Then, on the 15th of January, the sun rises above the horizon again for the first time in almost two months, though the mountains around the city keep it hidden from the center for a few more days (nordnorge.com).
The city celebrates it on the 21st of January, a day called Soldagen. Bakeries work through the night making solboller (sweet sun buns), and people gather at viewpoints around the island to catch the first low rays. It’s a genuine local tradition rather than a tourist event, and it tells you something about what the dark means here, and what its ending is worth.
After that, the daylight comes back fast. By the end of January, you have several hours of real light around the middle of the day, climbing quickly toward the long days of spring.
Northern lights in January
January is one of the strongest months of the whole aurora season, and the reason is simple: it’s still dark for most of the day, so the viewing window is long, and the winter weather often brings the clear, cold, stable nights the aurora needs. Established Arctic high pressure in midwinter tends to mean some of the clearest skies of the year.
As always, cloud is the variable that decides most nights, not the aurora itself. The lights are active throughout the season; whether you see them depends on if the skies are clear or not. This is why the honest advice never changes: give yourself several nights, and be ready to travel toward a gap in the cloud. A guide who chases the clear sky will get you under the aurora far more often than waiting in one place.
Nobody can promise you the lights, and anyone who does is selling something. What January gives you is long darkness and often the most stable skies of the year, which is about as good as the odds get.
The weather in Tromsø in January
January is the coldest month, but milder than the latitude suggests, because the Gulf Stream runs up the coast. Daytime highs usually sit around -3°C to -5°C, with nights dropping to roughly -8°C, and on the coldest nights it can fall below -10°C (met.no). Windchill near the water makes it feel colder than the number reads.
Snow is well established by January, making it one of the snowiest months of the year. Conditions still swing: a mild, wet spell can arrive and turn snow to slush before the cold returns. Ice underfoot is constant, and the pavements get genuinely slick.
What to pack for Tromsø in January
Layers, and proper ones. Cotton is the enemy here; it holds moisture and stays cold and wet against your skin. Wool is what you want next to the body.
The honest short list:
- A wool base layer, top and bottom, the single most important thing
- A warm mid-layer, fleece, or wool
- A windproof, waterproof outer shell
- A proper winter hat, warm gloves, and a scarf or buff for your face
- Warm, waterproof boots with grip
- Ice grips that slip over your boots, cheap and light, and the thing that saves you on icy pavements
Most aurora and activity operators, including us, provide thermal suits and boots for the tours themselves, so you don’t need expedition gear for a few nights out. You will want your own warm layers for the city and for waiting outside. Dress for standing still in the cold, because waiting for the aurora is a stationary activity.
Best things to do in Tromsø in January
January is peak winter, which means the full range of Arctic activity is running: dog sledding, snowmobiling, reindeer visits, whale watching in the early part of the month, and the aurora most nights the sky allows. The returning light in the second half of the month also opens up the daytime, so it’s worth using the growing twilight for the Fjellheisen cable car and the view over the city and the fjord. For the darker afternoons, Polaria, the Arctic Cathedral, or a slow lunch in town all work.
Is January a good time to visit Tromsø?
For the aurora, it’s one of the best months of the year: long darkness, often the clearest and most stable skies, and full winter snow. It’s also the coldest month, and the first half is still deep in the polar night, so if you need daylight to enjoy a trip, come later in the month or wait for spring. But if you want the Arctic winter at its fullest, with the added moment of the sun’s return, January is hard to beat.
Tromsø in January: FAQ
Does the sun come back in January in Tromsø?
Yes. The polar night ends and the sun rises over the horizon again on the 15th of January, though the mountains keep it out of view of the city center for a few more days. The return is celebrated on the 21st of January, a local day called Soldagen.
Is January a good month for the northern lights in Tromsø?
It’s one of the best. The days are still dark for most of the month, giving a long viewing window, and midwinter often brings the clearest, most stable skies of the season. Cloud is the main variable, so several nights and a willingness to travel help.
How cold is Tromsø in January?
January is the coldest month, with daytime highs usually around -3°C to -5°C and nights near or below -8°C, though the Gulf Stream keeps it milder than the latitude suggests. Windchill near the water makes it feel colder.
Is there snow in Tromsø in January?
Yes. January is one of the snowiest months, and snow is fully established, though a mild spell can briefly turn it to slush before the cold returns.
How many hours of daylight does Tromsø get in January?
Almost none at the start, when the city is still in the polar night, rising to several hours of real daylight by the end of the month as the light returns quickly after the 15th.
