Venice in Early January

I was there the first week of last January. It was brutally cold at times, so be sure to dress warm (hat, etc.). There wasn't any flooding, although that doesn't mean there couldn't be. It was lovely to be there then - much less crowded.

I was there for several days during the first week of January 2018. It was definitely cool, with some breeze and occasional showers. I was glad for my wool coat, hat and scarf. There was one day of slight flooding, but only in and near Piazza San Marco, and vendors were out in droves selling one-time-use plastic "boots" (several sizes; 10 euros) that they would put on your feet and legs, up to your knees, for tourists to wear. I loved Venice at that time of year; far fewer tourists, yet still so lovely! There is an app that was recommended to me for keeping track of flooding and which streets in particular have flooded in case of "acqua alta." The app is "WVF" - stands for "Water on Venice Floor."

Any time you can go to Venice and avoid the huge tourist surge of high season is a good time to go.

I went a couple of years ago. We had no rain all week and most days were cold and sunny - c 6 degrees Celsius daytime. The hotel said we were lucky with the weather. We didn’t see any flooding.

All the main sights are open, but we found that many restaurants had closed for the month, in the lull between New Year and Carnivale.

Expect anything weather wise. I arrived in Venice (VCE) in February (2013) the day after Carnival. Our plane was early but it took over an hour to exit the aircraft because of snow. Departing flights were held and blocked the gates. We were parked a distance from the terminal and watched the Italians push snow around our airplane. As noted, it took an hour or so for them to figure out that you had to push the snow in one direction to clear enough of a space to get the buses and portable stairs to the aircraft. the Italians in Venice aren't experienced with snow removal.

Snow was not the problem as much as water. If I had gotten to Venice a day earlier, I would have need hip boot or waders to see the town. Acqua alta didn't read the calendar to know that know that October to January are the high probability months for a flood event. Folks who were in Venice for the Acqua alta event said that their first floor (above ground level) became the temporary hotel reception area when the ground floor was underwater.

But that said, other than the high water, proper dress and waterproof boots are all you need.

Nice explanation here of causes and what to expect. In 2015 I arrived near the beginning of an acqua alta event. I was able to get from the train station to the campo about 300 meters from my hotel in the Dorsoduro before puddles stopped me. If I hadn't had a heavy (for me) spinner suitcase, I could have walked around the water. As it was, I parked in a cafe for an hour or two and waited for the water to subside.

Been there several times in late January, including Acqua Alta events, which can be a minor inconvenience and fascinating to watch how the city goes about its business in spite. Weather can be chilly to surprisingly warm. Its weather, ya takes your chances.