Snæfellsnes weather: month by month, daylight and northern lights

Arnarstapi through the year
Month	Sunrise – sunset	Daylight	South coast				North coast
Month	Sunrise – sunset	Daylight	High	Low	Rain	Wind	High	Rain
Jan	11:10–16:18	5 h 08	3°	-2°	133 mm	7 m/s	3°	81 mm
Feb	09:33–18:04	8 h 32	3°	-2°	115 mm	7.1 m/s	3°	82 mm
Mar	07:53–19:34	11 h 41	3°	-2°	140 mm	6.9 m/s	3°	73 mm
Apr	06:00–21:10	15 h 10	6°	1°	102 mm	6.2 m/s	6°	45 mm
May	04:13–22:51	18 h 38	9°	3°	98 mm	5.8 m/s	9°	40 mm
Jun	02:48–00:21No real night	21 h 33	13°	7°	76 mm	4.9 m/s	12°	32 mm
Jul	03:37–23:40No real night	20 h 03	15°	9°	94 mm	4.9 m/s	14°	34 mm
Aug	05:21–21:53	16 h 32	14°	8°	128 mm	5 m/s	13°	51 mm
Sept	06:56–20:00	13 h 04	11°	6°	208 mm	6.2 m/s	11°	78 mm
Oct	08:27–18:12	9 h 45	7°	3°	163 mm	6.8 m/s	7°	68 mm
Nov	10:09–16:27	6 h 18	5°	-0°	155 mm	7.2 m/s	4°	69 mm
Dec	11:35–15:24	3 h 49	3°	-2°	140 mm	6.9 m/s	3°	85 mm

What the numbers mean

Summer (June–August)

The warmest months average 14–15 °C at midday on the south coast and rarely much more. From mid-May to late July the sky never gets darker than twilight, so you can walk the coast at midnight. The driest months are June and July; September is the wettest on the south side, averaging over 200 mm.

Autumn (September–October)

Still 9–13 hours of daylight, darker nights for the aurora, and the first winter storms. Snowcat tours on the glacier stop after July, and the Djúpalónssandur toilets close in mid-October.

Winter (November–February)

Rarely very cold at sea level: average lows are around −2 °C, average highs about 3 °C. The problem is light and wind. With 4–6 hours of daylight a full loop of the peninsula is tight, and the two mountain passes, Fróðárheiði (361 m) between the south and north coasts and Vatnaleið (229 m) on the way to Stykkishólmur, are where snow and wind bite first. Check umferdin.is or call 1777 (06:30–22:00) before you set off. Arctic Adventures drops Ytri Tunga from its tour in December and January for lack of daylight.

Spring (March–May)

Daylight comes back fast: from 11½ hours in mid-March to 18½ in mid-May. Snowcat tours start in March, whale watching from Ólafsvík in February, and by late April the nights are already too light for the aurora.

Northern lights

You need three things at once: real darkness, a clear sky and solar activity. Snæfellsnes has little light pollution outside the villages, and Kirkjufell and Búðakirkja are favourite foregrounds. Darkness is the hard limit. We calculated that at Arnarstapi the sun stays less than 12° below the horizon all night between about 26 April and 17 August 2026, so the sky never gets dark enough. From late August to mid-April it can happen on any clear night.

Arnarstapi under snow, from above — Simaron, CC BY-SA 2.0

What to pack, any month

A windproof and waterproof jacket and trousers: wind and rain, not cold, are the usual problem.
Warm layers, hat and gloves, even in summer by the glacier.
Shoes with grip; microspikes from October to April for icy paths.
An eye mask in June and July.

Questions people ask

What is the best month to visit Snæfellsnes?

For long days and open roads, June to August: over 16 hours of daylight and average highs of 14–15 °C on the south coast. For northern lights with daylight left for sightseeing, September–October or February–March.

Can you see the northern lights on Snæfellsnes?

Yes, away from the villages the sky is very dark. But not in early summer: at Arnarstapi the sun never gets more than 12° below the horizon between about 26 April and 17 August, so the sky never gets dark enough. You need darkness, clear skies and solar activity together; the Icelandic Met Office publishes a cloud and aurora forecast.

How many hours of daylight are there in winter?

On 15 December the sun rises at Arnarstapi at 11:35 and sets at 15:24: under four hours. On 15 January it is just over five hours, and by 15 February eight and a half.

Is it always windy?

Often. The average wind speed on the south coast is about 7 m/s from November to February and about 5 m/s in June and July. Gusts are what matter on the road: hold car doors with both hands.

Does it rain more on the south or north side?

The south. Bláfeldur, on the south coast near Arnarstapi, averages about 1,550 mm a year; Stykkishólmur on the north coast about 740 mm.

Snæfellsnes weather, daylight and the northern lights

The next four days

Month by month