Iceland’s Spring Weather - What to Expect

When is Spring In Iceland?

Keep in mind that Iceland is just below the Arctic Circle, so what is normally expected as ‘spring’ conditions for most will be a little different.  For practical purposes let’s frame Spring in Iceland as April and May. FYI, June through August is the high-season for Iceland.  

Why choose Spring?

Besides lower costs and fewer people, Iceland can be quite beautiful in Spring. The birds are returning and the arctic plant life is responding to abundant sunshine, turning the bleak winter landscape into a green and verdant one.  Also, for you tour seekers, passageways and highland roads start opening up as winter loosens its grip. Last but not least, museums, galleries and other tourists attractions that close in winter are all now open and the long days will help maximize your vacation time!

What you can expect from the Weather

Let’s just get this out of the way - Iceland is not a warm place. But, it is also not as cold as many imagine.  Iceland benefits from a relatively warm ocean current, called the Gulf Stream, that moderates temperatures.  But, the Gulf Stream also has the effect of bringing weather (especially to the west coast where Reykjavik is located) in the form of frequent cloud cover and drizzly rainfall. Iceland is also infamous for its capricious weather. You can literally get four seasons in one day.  In general, you can expect to see snow in the mountains but rarely at lower elevations. And, even if it does snow in Spring, it won't last long.

Temps - The average temps in April are low to mid 40s for the highs and hovering around freezing for the lows. In May, the temperatures continue their upward push with highs climbing into the low to middle 50s, and the lows well above freezing.  

Precipitation - Expect fairly persistent cloud cover and light to moderate rainfall. That doesn’t mean you won’t get blue skies; the odds of which increase the deeper you get into Spring. It also - as already mentioned - doesn’t mean that you won’t see snow, as there is still this possibility all the way into May. Lastly, speaking from data averages, the likelihood of precipitation is a little lower in May. This continues to improve the closer we get to summer.

Daylight - The days are quickly growing longer at this time of year. In the beginning of April you’ll enjoy about 13 ½ hours of daylight, and by the end of April the days will be almost 17 hours long.  May starts with almost 17 hours of daylight and keeps growing until by the end of May, the sun will be up 20 hours!

So, bring lots of layers, some good walking shoes so you can be prepared for the variety of weather Iceland might throw at you!  No matter what weather you encounter, Iceland will leave lasting memories as one of the most epic adventure destinations in the world.  We promise that's not just hyperbole, but you decide for yourself!

Book your Iceland Spring accommodation with Berjaya Hotels, offering a family of nine locations located in all of the countries prime locations, and two hotels in Reykjavik. Cheers!