Istanbul weather in January
In January, Istanbul has an average high of 8 °C47 °F and an average low of 4 °C38 °F, with about 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation. January is the coldest month of the year and ranks 2nd for precipitation.
How January compares with other months
Compared with December, January is 2 °C3.6 °F cooler on average. Compared with February, January is 0.7 °C1.2 °F cooler on average and wetter by 11 mm0.4 in. Daylight lasts about 9.5 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 83% and the average cloud amount 76%.
Is January a good time to visit Istanbul?
January is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is cool (average high 8 °C47 °F), nights are cold (average low 4 °C38 °F) and it is fairly wet (79 mm3.1 in). The most comfortable months in Istanbul are May–October.
What to wear in January
For Istanbul in January, pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
January in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 847 | 438 | 793.1 |
| Üsküdar | 847 | 438 | 793.1 |
| Ümraniye | 846 | 337 | 853.3 |
| Küçükçekmece | 847 | 338 | 793.1 |
| Maltepe | 846 | 337 | 853.3 |
| İzmit | 948 | 134 | 863.4 |
| Nilüfer | 1050 | 235 | 843.3 |
| Bursa | 949 | 134 | 843.3 |
| Çorlu | 846 | 134 | 732.9 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F cooler: Çorlu.
Other months in Istanbul
- January8 °C47 °F / 4 °C38 °F
- February9 °C49 °F / 4 °C39 °F
- March12 °C53 °F / 6 °C42 °F
- April16 °C60 °F / 9 °C48 °F
- May21 °C70 °F / 14 °C57 °F
- June26 °C79 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- July29 °C84 °F / 22 °C71 °F
- August29 °C84 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- September25 °C77 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- October20 °C68 °F / 14 °C58 °F
- November15 °C59 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- December10 °C50 °F / 6 °C42 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Istanbul in January?
In January the average high in Istanbul is 8 °C (47 °F) and the average low is 4 °C (38 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Istanbul in January?
On average about 79 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation falls in January; it ranks 2nd of the 12 months.
Is January the warmest month in Istanbul?
No. The warmest month in Istanbul is August, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F). The coldest month is January, with an average low of 4 °C (38 °F).
How long is the day in Istanbul in January?
In the middle of January the day in Istanbul lasts about 9.5 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Istanbul in January?
The average relative humidity in January is about 83%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Istanbul in January?
On average about 76% of the sky is covered by cloud in January. This is the mean cloud amount from satellite data, not the number of sunny days.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.