Weather in the Azores in January
Averages, what the month actually feels like, and what is on while you are here.
January averages
| Measurement | Ponta Delgada, south coast | Ribeira Grande, north coast | Mount Pico summitModel grid cell at 1,758 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 17 °C | 16 °C | 7 °C |
| Average low | 15 °C | 14 °C | 2 °C |
| Daylight | 10.0 h | 10.0 h | 10.3 h |
| Sea temperature | 18 °C | – | – |
Temperature and daylight, averaged over the ten years from 2016 to 2025 and recomputed from the Open-Meteo archive rather than typed in by hand. The model works in cells roughly ten kilometres across, so each column describes an area rather than one thermometer. Checked against IPMA's Ponta Delgada normal, the temperatures land within about a degree and a half. Sea temperature averages the years 2022 to 2025. The marine record is shorter than the air record, so it rests on fewer years.
Rain in January
Ponta Delgada averages 74 mm of rain in January, on 7 days with a millimetre or more.
The high interior and the north-facing slopes are wetter than the coast in every month of the year, often several times over. IPMA publishes no station normal for the uplands or for the summit of Mount Pico, so this page puts no millimetre figure on them rather than one it cannot check.
Rainfall: the IPMA climate normal for the Ponta Delgada observatory (station 522, 58 m), averaged over the 30 years from 1981 to 2010. The ten-year reanalysis behind the table above is not used for rain. Its grid cell is about ten kilometres across and these islands are only a few cells wide, so it averages the coast with the slopes that climb behind it, where most of the rain falls. Measured against the station normal it runs well high in the summer months.
What January feels like
January is the coolest month at sea level, and cool in the Azores still means the mid-teens by day. Fronts come in off the Atlantic one after another, and the bright spells between them are short but sharp. The high ground behaves like a separate island and can sit under cloud all day while the coast stays dry.
What to pack
Layers rather than bulk: a fleece, a light waterproof shell and shoes with real grip. Add gloves and a warm hat if you intend to be above 1,500 metres before dawn.
What to do in January
The waterfalls on Flores and in the north of São Miguel are as full as they get and the trails are empty. The Gorreana tea plantation is open all year, the hot springs at Furnas are at their best in cold weather, and a calm morning is the one to take the boat or the short hop to another island.
Worth knowing before you book
Storms close trails, sometimes for a week at a time, and strong wind cancels the inter-island flights and the ferries. Check trail status the evening before rather than at the trailhead.
Quick answers
- How warm is it in the Azores in January?
- In Ponta Delgada an average January day reaches 17 °C and falls to 15 °C overnight. The summit of Mount Pico averages 7 °C in the same month, so the mountain needs its own layer.
- Does it rain in the Azores in January?
- Ponta Delgada records about 74 mm across January, on 7 days with a millimetre or more of rain. The north coast and the mountains take several times as much in the same weeks, which is why the two halves of the island can look like different holidays.
- Can you swim in the sea in January?
- The sea averages 18 °C in January. The Azores sit in open ocean with no shallow shelf to warm the water, so it stays close to that figure all month.
- How long are the days in January?
- About 10.0 hours between sunrise and sunset, which sets how much of a long trilho you can fit in before dark.