Korouoma in January: Frozen Waterfalls, Snow and Winter Conditions

Is January a Good Time to Visit?

Yes. January is one of the safest choices if the frozen waterfalls are the main reason for your trip. The falls start to freeze from mid-December, so by January they have had time to thicken, and the ice-climbing season, which runs from December to early April, is well under way. Mammuttiputous, the roughly 60-metre ice wall at the end of many tour routes, is normally in condition through the month.

The trade-offs are cold and short days. If you can choose your dates, February gives you the same ice with more light; our page on Korouoma in February sets out the difference.

Early January vs Late January

Early January (the 1st to about the 10th) is still deep midwinter. The sun rises around 11 a.m. and sets before 2 p.m. in Rovaniemi, so on a seven-hour tour you drive out and back in the dark and walk part of the canyon in blue twilight. The ice is ready, but the light is short.

Late January (from about the 20th) feels like a different month. On 31 January the sun rises at 9:22 and sets at 15:39, which gives you most of the canyon walk in daylight. You keep the deep snow and full ice, so late January is the better half for most visitors.

Rovaniemi sits just south of the Arctic Circle, so the sun does rise every day in January, if only briefly at the start of the month. The days lengthen by five to eight minutes a day through the month.

How Cold Is It?

Cold enough to plan for. The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s 1991–2020 averages for Rovaniemi airport are a daily high of −7.3 °C and a daily low of −13.5 °C in January, and the record low there is −38.1 °C. Those are averages: a cold week can sit far below them, and the canyon floor can feel colder than town because cold air settles in it.

You spend several hours outside. Stopping for photographs or standing below the ice walls feels much colder than walking, and your hands and feet cool first.

What Should You Wear?

Dress in layers for a full day outdoors: thermal base layers, a wool or fleece mid-layer, insulated outerwear, winter boots, thick mittens or gloves with liners, a warm hat and a neck warmer. Many guided tours supply thermal overalls and boots, which is the easiest way to deal with January cold if you did not pack for Lapland. You still bring your own base layers, hat and gloves. Our guide to what to wear for the Korouoma hike has the full list.

Bring a spare phone or camera battery and keep it in an inside pocket. Batteries drain fast in this cold.

Will You See the Northern Lights?

Possibly, but not on the tour. Korouoma tours run in the day and get you back to Rovaniemi in the late afternoon or early evening. January nights are long and dark, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute puts the chance of seeing an aurora on a dark, cloudless night at about one in two in central Lapland and one in four around Oulu; Rovaniemi lies between the two. Cloud is the usual problem, so plan an aurora evening as a separate trip and keep a spare night for it.

Is January Good for Photography?

Yes, for the ice and the snow, with limited light. Early in the month you get long blue twilight and low pink skies around midday, which suit moody shots of the frozen falls. Late January adds a few hours of low sun. A tripod helps in the twilight, and cold batteries are the main thing that cuts a shoot short.

Which Tour to Book in January

For a January visit, the tour that supplies warm clothing matters more than usual. The Rovaniemi: Korouoma Canyon Frozen Waterfalls Hike & BBQ includes pickup from your Rovaniemi accommodation, thermal overalls and winter boots, a campfire barbecue and a group of up to eight. It is rated 4.9/5 from more than 1,600 reviews and starts at $92 per person.

If you would like snowshoes available and pickup from accommodation outside the city centre, Wild about Lapland’s Korouoma tour also includes winter clothing and boots. It is rated 4.8/5 from more than 1,500 reviews and starts at $169. Our comparison of Korouoma tours covers the other operators.

Driving yourself is possible, but in early January you drive both legs of the close-to-two-hour trip in darkness on snow and ice. The comparison of a guided tour vs driving yourself sets out when a tour is the easier choice.

Final Thoughts

If you want big frozen waterfalls, deep snow and true midwinter conditions, January is an excellent time to make the trip from Rovaniemi. Book the second half of the month if you want daylight on the ice, dress for −20 °C even if the forecast is milder, and check the booking calendar for your exact date.