Porto weather January

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Visitors who picture Porto in winter as cold usually pack too much wool and too little rain gear. Porto weather january is mild by northern standards, and wet: the month brings some of the year's heaviest rain and its shortest share of sunshine. Pack for showers rather than frost, and plan a trip that keeps its best outdoor day flexible.

Cool days, mild nights

The coldest month of the year is not a cold one. The Porto january weather average temperature runs from a daytime high of 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) to a night-time low of 5.2 °C (41.4 °F), which is jacket weather rather than coat-and-gloves weather.

What sets January apart is the rain. It averages 147.1 mm (5.8 in), making it the fourth wettest month after December, November and October, and the sun shines for just 124 hours, the joint lowest of the year with December. A rainy week and a bright one are both possible, so the forecast from IPMA, Portugal's weather institute, is worth reading in the days before you go.

A January day in Porto usually starts cool and stays that way, with the gap between the average high and low at 8.6 degrees. That gap matters more than the high itself: a morning walk to a museum needs a warmer layer than the early afternoon does, and an evening by the river needs it again. The months either side show how settled January is. December is a little wetter, February a little drier and warmer, and none of the three brings anything like the sunshine of spring.

With 124 hours of sun across the whole month, the brighter hours are worth protecting. Outdoor sightseeing fits best into the middle of the day, when the average temperature is at its highest.

The coldest month averages 13.8 °C by day and 5.2 °C at night.

Planning the days

Build the trip around what works in rain: museums, port cellars in Gaia and long lunches. Keep one outdoor plan, such as the river cruise, for whichever day the forecast shows as driest.

February is slightly warmer at 15.0 °C (59.0 °F) and drier at 110.5 mm (4.4 in), and March brings a jump in sunshine to 192 hours. For the whole year at a glance, the Porto weather page sets January against every other month, and February follows on.

A realistic January plan puts two or three fixed indoor visits into each day and leaves the gaps flexible. Port cellars on the Gaia bank make a good anchor for a wet afternoon, and so do the city's museums. A river cruise or a walk across the Dom Luís I bridge belongs on the day the forecast shows the least rain, even if that means changing the order of the week.

For clothes, the combination that works is a waterproof outer layer over a warm mid layer, rather than one heavy coat. Days around 14 °C can feel warm in the sun and cold in the rain, and a layer that comes off easily handles both.

Common questions

Is January a good time to visit Porto?

It suits travellers who want a quieter city and do not mind rain. Days average 13.8 °C, and the month's 147.1 mm of rain calls for indoor plans.

Does it snow in Porto in January?

The average January low is 5.2 °C, well above freezing, so snow in the city is not something to plan for.

What should I pack for Porto in January?

A waterproof jacket, an umbrella, layers for days around 14 °C and shoes with grip for wet streets.