North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany
Cologne in January
In January, Cologne averages a daytime high of 5 °C and a night-time low of 0 °C, with about 70 mm of rain over the month. It falls outside Cologne's most comfortable months, May, June and September.
- Average high
- 5 °C
- Average low
- 0 °C
- Rain in the month
- 70 mm
- Daylight on 15 Jan
- 8 h 30 min
- Comfortable month
- No
- Places to stay
- 87
When to go
How January compares with the rest of the year in Cologne
January is tied for the coolest month in Cologne by average daytime high; across the year the highs run from 5 °C to 24 °C and the lows from 0 °C to 14 °C. By day, January is about the same as December, and February is 1 °C warmer than January.
January brings 70 mm of rain, more than the monthly average of 70 mm (840 mm a year); it is the 7th wettest month.
On 15 January the sun is up for about 8 h 30 min, against 8 h at the shortest and 16 h 30 min at the longest point of the year (calculated from the latitude, sunrise to sunset).
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 °C | 0 °C | 70 mm | |
| February | 7 °C | 0 °C | 61 mm | |
| March | 11 °C | 3 °C | 56 mm | |
| April | 15 °C | 5 °C | 49 mm | |
| May | 19 °C | 9 °C | 66 mm | Yes |
| June | 22 °C | 12 °C | 76 mm | Yes |
| July | 24 °C | 14 °C | 90 mm | |
| August | 24 °C | 14 °C | 85 mm | |
| September | 20 °C | 11 °C | 71 mm | Yes |
| October | 15 °C | 7 °C | 63 mm | |
| November | 9 °C | 4 °C | 71 mm | |
| December | 5 °C | 1 °C | 83 mm |
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
When to go
Is January a good time to visit Cologne?
Not by the measure used here: the average high of 5 °C is below 18 °C. The comfortable months in Cologne are May, June and September; the nearest are September, before, and May, after.
The measure is about weather for a city stay only; it says nothing about events, school holidays or prices.
Public holidays in Germany in January
Nationwide public holidays; shops and offices may close on these dates.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Cologne
This guide lists 87 places to stay in Cologne: 13 chain properties with their details and own websites, and 74 hotels recorded in Wikidata. By straight-line distance from the centre: under 1 km, 38; 1–3 km, 31; 3–10 km, 10; 10 km or more, 2.
Sources: climate from CRU TS v4.10 (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia; Open Database License), 1991–2020 averages; day length calculated from the latitude; public holidays from the OpenHolidays API (ODbL); places to stay from each operator's own public pages and Wikidata. How this guide is made.