# January in Italy: what's open, and how cold

> January 1 and 6 are national holidays, Milan averages 37.8°F, Passo Rolle 25°F and Trapani 52.5°F. The Bolzano Christmas market runs to January 6, 2027.

URL: https://myitalia.it/plan/january-in-italy
Last updated: 2026-09-11

January has two national holidays, the 1st and the 6th, and on 1991-2020 normals it averages 25.0°F (-3.9°C) at Passo Rolle in the Dolomites against 52.5°F (11.4°C) at Trapani in western Sicily.

## Two holidays in the first six days

January 1 and January 6, Epiphany, are both national civil holidays under law 260 of 1949, so the first week of the year has two days on holiday hours. Offices, many shops and some services close or cut their hours on both.

After the 6th, the next national holiday is Easter Monday, which moves with Easter, and then April 25. The whole calendar is on [public holidays in Italy](/plan/public-holidays).

## Christmas ends on January 6

The Bolzano Christmas market, in Piazza Walther and along via Isarco, runs from November 27, 2026 to January 6, 2027. Its last day is Epiphany, which is also the day the national holiday season ends.

If you arrive on January 7, you arrive after the season: the rest of it is on [December in Italy](/plan/december-in-italy).

## January, city by city

January is Milan's coldest month, averaging 37.8°F (3.2°C) at Linate with a mean low just below freezing, 31.3°F (-0.4°C), and a mean daily high of 45.1°F (7.3°C).

Across the country the January means rise from north to south, on the 1991-2020 normals:

- Milan Linate: 37.8°F (3.2°C)
- Venice Tessera: 38.7°F (3.7°C)
- Florence Peretola: 43.9°F (6.6°C)
- Rome Ciampino: 45.5°F (7.5°C)
- Naples Capodichino: 48.6°F (9.2°C)
- Trapani Birgi: 52.5°F (11.4°C)

These are airport or edge-of-town stations. The historic centers, where you will spend the day, run slightly warmer than the table.

## Up in the Dolomites

Passo Rolle, at 2,004 meters in the Dolomites, averages 25.0°F (-3.9°C) in January, with a mean high of 29.7°F (-1.3°C), so an average January day there never gets above freezing. Only February is colder at that height.

Dobbiaco, a valley town at 1,222 meters in Alto Adige, averages 25.2°F (-3.8°C) in January, and its mean low of 18.1°F (-7.7°C) is below the pass's 19.8°F (-6.8°C). On these numbers the valley floor has colder nights than the pass above it. Snow and lift data are not in our verified set; the rest of the mountain climate is on [weather in the Alps](/plan/weather-in-the-alps).

## Who travels in January

In 2025, 442,000 American travelers came to Italy to see family and friends, 7.2% of US visitors, staying 11.9 nights against 8.7 for vacationers. Their months are December and January.

They also go where vacationers do not: Calabria 25 times more often than US vacationers, Abruzzo 20 times more. In January part of the south runs on family visits rather than tourism, and the [Calabria roots trip page](/roots/in-calabria) is written for that traveler.

## What isn't settled for January 2027

No 2027 January event is in our verified set beyond the Bolzano market's closing day, and museum winter hours vary from site to site. Check each museum's own page for your week rather than a seasonal summary.

## FAQ

### Is January 6 a holiday in Italy?

Yes. Epiphany, January 6, is a national civil holiday under law 260 of 1949, like January 1. Offices, many shops and some services close or keep holiday hours, and the Bolzano Christmas market, open since November 27, 2026, closes that day.

### How cold is southern Italy in January?

Mild by northern standards. On 1991-2020 normals January averages 45.5°F (7.5°C) in Rome, 48.6°F (9.2°C) in Naples and 52.5°F (11.4°C) at Trapani in western Sicily, against 37.8°F (3.2°C) in Milan. The stations sit at airports, so city centers run a little warmer.

### Is it cold enough to ski in the Dolomites in January?

On the temperature, yes: Passo Rolle, at 2,004 meters, averages 25.0°F (-3.9°C) in January with a mean daily high of 29.7°F (-1.3°C), so an average day stays below freezing. Snow depth and lift openings are not in our verified data; check the resort.

### Does it freeze in Milan in January?

On an average night, yes. Milan Linate's January mean low is 31.3°F (-0.4°C) on 1991-2020 normals, with a mean high of 45.1°F (7.3°C) and a monthly mean of 37.8°F (3.2°C), which makes January the coldest month of the year there.

### Is anything still Christmassy in Italy after New Year?

The Bolzano Christmas market, in Piazza Walther and along via Isarco, runs from November 27, 2026 to January 6, 2027, so it covers the first six days of January. January 6 is also Epiphany, a national holiday, which closes the season.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta montagna alpina: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Passo Rolle (Dolomiti, Trentino) (2004 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 3.2 °C; mese piu' freddo feb (-4.4 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (11.9 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Passo_Rolle_16021.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Milano: normali climatiche 1991-2020 della stazione Milano Linate (108 m s.l.m.). Temperatura media annua 14.2 °C; mese piu' freddo gen (3.2 °C di media), mese piu' caldo lug (25.1 °C di media). | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Milano_Linate_16080.csv); [ISPRA - Sezione Climatologia Operativa, applicazione 'Valori climatici normali'](https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/) | high | 2032-12-31 |
| Le normali 1991-2020 quantificano l'ampiezza climatica italiana: fra Passo Rolle (2004 m, media annua 3,2 °C) e Napoli Capodichino (17,1 °C) corrono quasi 14 °C; a gennaio si va da -3,9 °C a Passo Rolle a +11,4 °C a Trapani; a luglio le massime medie vanno da 16,2 °C a Passo Rolle a 32,3 °C a Firenze. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Passo_Rolle_16021.csv); [doc 2](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Napoli_Capodichino_16289.csv); [doc 3](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Trapani_Birgi_16429.csv); [doc 4](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Firenze_Peretola_16170.csv); [doc 5](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Milano_Linate_16080.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |
| Le festivita' civili nazionali italiane sono fissate dalla legge 260/1949 e successive modifiche e comprendono, oltre alle domeniche: 1 e 6 gennaio, 25 aprile, lunedi' dopo Pasqua, 1 maggio, 2 giugno, 15 agosto, 1 novembre, 8 dicembre, 25 e 26 dicembre. | [Camera dei Deputati](https://www.camera.it/leg17/561?appro=app_festivita_norme) | medium | 2029-12-31 |
| Il Mercatino di Natale di Bolzano si tiene in piazza Walther e lungo via Isarco dal 27 novembre 2026 al 6 gennaio 2027, con inaugurazione il 26 novembre alle 17 | [Azienda di Soggiorno e Turismo di Bolzano](https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/) | medium | 2027-01-31 |
| Nel 2025, 442.000 viaggiatori statunitensi sono venuti per parenti e amici (7,2%) fermandosi 11,9 notti contro 8,7; vanno in Calabria 25 volte e in Abruzzo 20 volte piu' del turista in vacanza, e arrivano a dicembre e gennaio. | [Banca d'Italia, Indagine sul turismo internazionale](https://www.bancaditalia.it/statistiche/tematiche/rapporti-estero/turismo-internazionale/) | medium | 2027-07-31 |
| Dobbiaco (Alto Adige, 1222 m), normali 1991-2020: media annua 6,5 °C, con gennaio a -3,8 °C (minima media -7,7 °C) e luglio a 16,6 °C; il fondovalle alpino ha inverni piu' freddi delle citta' di pianura ma estati fresche e non afose. | [WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 - serie trasmessa dall'Italia (stazioni del Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare), archivio NOAA NCEI accession 0253808](https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/6.6/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Dobbiaco_16033.csv) | medium | 2032-12-31 |

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