Venice weather in early January

Go to the Weather Underground website wunderground.com and follow the link for trip planner. You can see the actual weather conditions (temps, rain, etc) by day for the last 12 years. I was in northern Italy for a week in February, varied from cloudy to rainy to sunny, Venice included.

http://www.wunderground.com/tripplanner/index.asp
is the site mentioned by Chani.

What you have to take into account is the windchill factor when it blows in from central Europe. We were in Venice end Feb/begining March this year and while the temperatures were above freezing and it was fairly pleasant out of the wind it was eye wateringly cold in it. We found it the same in early December a couple of years earlier. Winter in Venice is statistically colder than London or Paris. Despite all that it is the time we choose to visit. On the other hand, although it is not what you are looking for, the air was so clear it seemed to be sparkling.

Checking the Weather Underground site, it looks like there have been stretches of fog and rain in early to mid January over the past few years. Guess I'll just have to take my chances. Nighttime photography in that city should also be rewarding. Coming from Boston, cold and windy is the norm around here. Thanks for your input. Merrill

"I'm looking for lousy weather: foggy, overcast days, even rain." Yep, thats exactly what you will find. With Northern Europe having a pretty tough winter already, you might find MORE of what you are looking for than expected. :)

Merrill, you should come visit us in Seattle. I can practically guarantee that kind of weather about 9 months out of the year. :-) But seriously, I have heard and read that Venice in January has the potential to be miserable for the precise reasons mentioned above.

We were in Venice from 12/312006 until 01/03/2007. Some of the days we were there were lousy, foggy, cold, drizzly,overcast, and rainy. It also created a great atmosphere for walking and taking unique photos, more mysterious than the photos you get on a sunny day. The fog created an air of mystery and intrigue. It was cold, but there were still lines to get into the bigger sites, San Marco, Doges Palace, Rialto, etc. But we enjoyed the Peggy Guggenheim and lesser known, yet interesting places, especially on the "other side: of the Rialto bridge. Even if you stay a week in Venice, surely you will take one or two day trips out of the city and the weather will be better. Think about Verona and Padua.

I've visited Verona a number of times and, as Rick says, it's one of the quintessential Italian cities; easy to get your arms around it. I love the passegiata on a warm evening. I have yet to check out Padua. Merrill

Just spent 4 days/3nights in Venice 12/3-6. It was cold, mostly rainy and windy except for one lovely day with blue sky and sunshine! Wore silk longjohns every day and a down coat, with 2 other layers. Take an umbrella and enjoy the walks, as photos are better if your hands aren't shaking from the chill!