Iceland Weather

Iceland climate

Iceland's weather is famously unpredictable, shaped by its position where warm Gulf Stream waters collide with cold Arctic currents. Reykjavik's winters are surprisingly mild for a subarctic capital, averaging around 0°C in January.

The interior highlands are vast, uninhabited deserts of glaciers and lava fields with far more extreme conditions than the coast. Iceland's glaciers generate katabatic winds and sudden whiteout conditions.

Summer brings the midnight sun from mid-May through late July. Volcanic activity adds another dimension, as eruptions can produce ash clouds and volcanic fog.