LongyearbyenPhoto: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0Svalbard · Europe
Best time to visit Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen on Svalbard sits deep in the Arctic: polar night in winter, midnight sun in summer, polar bears around. Cold all year.
Climate decision
Best travel months for Longyearbyen
Top recommendation
Next highest scores
Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.
Latest 5-year values 2021–2025
Average of the five most recent complete years compared with the 1991–2025 climate average.
February · Mean daily maximum
-8.7 °C
1991–2025: -10.8 °C
+2.2 °C · higher
September · Wet days
17.8 days/month
1991–2025: 16.1 days/month
+1.7 days/month · higher
December · Monthly precipitation
52.5 mm/month
1991–2025: 66.4 mm/month
-13.9 mm/month · lower
August · Sea temperature
6.3 °C
1991–2025: 5 °C
+1.3 °C · higher
July: 0/155 days at or above 30 °C; highest single value 12.4 °C.
Five-year historical sample, not a weather forecast or long-term climate trend. Individual hot days can be far above the monthly mean.
Annual profile · Seasonal contrast
Longyearbyen: temperature opens and closes the travel window
Average daily highs span 16.4 °C across the year. This marked contrast shapes the choice of month more than small differences in rain or sunshine.
The key decision
Choose the suitable temperature range first. Within that window, dryness and sunshine identify the stronger month.
Lowest average daily low
March · -16.7 °C
Highest average daily high
July · 5.1 °C
Warmest sea
August · 5 °C
Most sunshine
June · 7.6 h
Month by month
Overall suitability per month. Tap a month for details.
All climate figures compared
The table is the complete accessible data view; the charts below highlight selected patterns.
| Month | Avg high °C | Avg low °C | Rainy days (est.) | Rain mm | Sun h/day (est.) | Humidity % | Wind m/s | Sea °C | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -11 | -16 | 15 | 63 | 0.0 | 97 | 4.5 | 1 | 13 |
| February | -11 | -16 | 14 | 53 | 0.0 | 97 | 4.2 | 1 | 16 |
| March | -11 | -17 | 13 | 58 | 1.0 | 96 | 4.0 | 1 | 17 |
| April | -8 | -14 | 11 | 43 | 3.9 | 93 | 3.7 | 1 | 26 |
| May | -3 | -6 | 12 | 46 | 6.5 | 88 | 3.3 | 1 | 28 |
| June | 1 | -1 | 12 | 40 | 7.6 | 90 | 2.7 | 2 | 29 |
| July | 5 | 3 | 15 | 56 | 6.5 | 90 | 2.8 | 5 | 23 |
| August | 4 | 2 | 16 | 64 | 4.0 | 91 | 2.7 | 5 | 19 |
| September | 0 | -2 | 16 | 72 | 1.6 | 93 | 3.0 | 4 | 15 |
| October | -5 | -9 | 15 | 65 | 0.2 | 94 | 3.4 | 2 | 14 |
| November | -7 | -12 | 15 | 66 | 0.0 | 95 | 3.9 | 1 | 14 |
| December | -9 | -14 | 15 | 66 | 0.0 | 96 | 4.3 | 1 | 13 |
Climate through the year
Compare temperature, rainy days, sunshine and, for coastal destinations, sea temperature month by month.
Find a place to stay
Where to stay in Longyearbyen
Compare available stays, prices and cancellation terms for Longyearbyen on Booking.com.
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Useful next decisions
Similar destinations
The number is the overall climate score, not a similarity score.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Longyearbyen?
The best time depends on the trip type; the cards above show each monthly decision.
Which month has the highest average daily maximum temperature in Longyearbyen?
The average daily maximum temperature in Longyearbyen is highest in July at around 5 °C.
When is the sea warmest at Longyearbyen?
In August, at around 5 °C.