Moscow Weather in January

January cold

January is the cold heart of the Moscow winter. The average high is -8°C and the low is -14°C, and it's cloudy, damp and often gloomy, with just 1.6 hours of sun a day. If you can pick your dates, aim for June or August to September instead, when the weather is much kinder. If January is your only option, the cold is manageable, but you'll need to plan for it. Snow and slush can make pavements slippery, so long walks between sights may leave you worn out.

The trick is to keep outings short and warm up often. Visit the Kremlin Armoury or the Tretyakov Gallery, then thaw out over borscht or tea. Ice skating at the GUM rink on Red Square is a seasonal option, but don't count on a long day outdoors.

Holidays and crowds

New Year's celebrations spill into early January, and Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7. Central Moscow gets festive, with lights and decorations around Red Square and Nikolskaya Street. That can make the holiday period busy, especially around the main squares and skating rinks.

Once the New Year break is over, the city is generally quieter than in summer, when more visitors come for sightseeing. Hotel prices can also drop outside the holiday rush, though the first days of January are the exception. If crowds put you off, wait until the New Year celebrations have ended before you visit Red Square.

Make the cold manageable

Plan your day around the Metro. Stations such as Mayakovskaya are worth seeing in their own right, and the trains make it easy to duck indoors between sights. When you want a cosy meal, try pelmeni, Russian dumplings, at a café near the centre.

Travelling with kids? Keep outdoor stops short, then take a warm break inside GUM before heading back to the rink or the Metro.