January weather in Spain and Portugal

Where? Both countries have varied climates.

Both or either one. Who has the best weather in January?

I agree that the south will be your best bet for weather, but it won’t be so cold that you can’t also enjoy visiting Madrid, Barcelona, or Lisbon. January highs in Madrid, for example, should be in the upper 40s to around 50 degrees F. I was in Madrid in late November, and the actual temps were about average with low 50s for highs. It was partly cloudy/partly sunny about a third of the time, cloudy the rest, and drizzly on a couple of days. January is cooler than late November, but the sun/cloud/precipitation is about the same. A coat is fine, but even a warmer jacket will do. You probably won’t want to have lunch outside, but people were doing it. There are other travelers on the Helpline that have travelled Spain extensively at different times of year and could probably provide more color than I can. Winter storms do occur in the north, but I just don’t think you necessarily need to rule out some of the most significant sightseeing because of a concern about super cold weather. However, I’m also influenced a bit by brutal Iowa winters…49 in January would feel like summer. :)

Thanks everyone for your input.