The sea temperature at Nuuk today is 1.4 °C (35 °F) – only for cold-water swimmers. The usual October average is 2.1 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is 1.1 to 1.3 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 3 °C to 1.4 °C. Rarely swimmable – the sea seldom averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1.1°C / 29.9°F | -0.7°C / 30.8°F | -0.3°C / 31.4°F |
| February | -1.6°C / 29.2°F | -1.4°C / 29.5°F | -1.1°C / 30.0°F |
| March | -1.5°C / 29.2°F | -1.3°C / 29.6°F | -1.0°C / 30.3°F |
| April | -1.0°C / 30.3°F | -0.5°C / 31.0°F | -0.1°C / 31.7°F |
| May | 0.1°C / 32.2°F | 0.6°C / 33.0°F | 1.2°C / 34.1°F |
| June | 1.8°C / 35.2°F | 2.3°C / 36.1°F | 3.1°C / 37.6°F |
| July | 3.7°C / 38.6°F | 4.4°C / 40.0°F | 5.3°C / 41.6°F |
| August | 4.3°C / 39.7°F | 5.1°C / 41.1°F | 6.0°C / 42.8°F |
| September | 3.1°C / 37.5°F | 3.8°C / 38.9°F | 4.4°C / 40.0°F |
| October | 1.7°C / 35.1°F | 2.1°C / 35.9°F | 2.6°C / 36.6°F |
| November | 0.5°C / 33.0°F | 1.0°C / 33.8°F | 1.4°C / 34.4°F |
| December | -0.5°C / 31.1°F | 0.3°C / 32.5°F | 0.8°C / 33.5°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | -9.8°C / 14.4°F | -9.5°C / 14.8°F | -9.3°C / 15.3°F |
| February | -12.7°C / 9.1°F | -12.3°C / 9.8°F | -11.4°C / 11.4°F |
| March | -9.0°C / 15.8°F | -7.9°C / 17.8°F | -6.2°C / 20.8°F |
| April | -3.7°C / 25.3°F | -2.3°C / 27.9°F | -0.6°C / 30.9°F |
| May | -1.8°C / 28.8°F | 0.1°C / 32.1°F | 1.8°C / 35.3°F |
| June | 3.0°C / 37.4°F | 4.8°C / 40.7°F | 6.6°C / 43.9°F |
| July | 6.1°C / 42.9°F | 8.0°C / 46.5°F | 10.0°C / 50.0°F |
| August | 5.8°C / 42.5°F | 7.3°C / 45.2°F | 9.1°C / 48.4°F |
| September | 3.4°C / 38.0°F | 4.5°C / 40.2°F | 6.4°C / 43.4°F |
| October | -0.5°C / 31.1°F | 0.3°C / 32.5°F | 1.7°C / 35.0°F |
| November | -5.1°C / 22.9°F | -4.8°C / 23.4°F | -4.5°C / 23.9°F |
| December | -9.4°C / 15.1°F | -9.1°C / 15.6°F | -9.0°C / 15.7°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Nuuk holidays
Nuuk is the capital of Greenland, a town of about 20,000 people on a peninsula at the mouth of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord on the south-west coast. Behind the colourful wooden houses rises Sermitsiaq, a steep mountain on an island across the water that appears in almost every picture of Nuuk.
Beaches
Nuuk is not a beach resort: the shore is bare rock and small coves, and the North Atlantic water off Greenland stays cold even in July. A swim in Nuuk is a short cold-water dip, the kind locals take from the rocks or after a sauna, rather than a day on the sand. The sea temperature on this page is measured off the western shore of central Nuuk.
Things to do
The old Colonial Harbour of Nuuk holds the Greenland National Museum, known for the 15th-century mummies found at Qilakitsoq, and the statue of the missionary Hans Egede on the hill above. Katuaq, the cultural centre with its wave-shaped façade, shows films and concerts. Boat trips go up the Nuuk Fjord past icebergs and abandoned settlements, and in summer humpback whales often feed close to Nuuk. Marked hiking trails climb the nearby peaks, and on dark winter nights the northern lights are regularly visible from the edge of town.
Weather and best time to visit
Nuuk has a polar tundra climate, with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. June and July bring very long days with only a brief twilight at night, as Nuuk lies just south of the Arctic Circle. Fog and fast changes of weather are common on the coast, so warm, windproof layers belong in the bag in every month. Winter is the season for snow, dog sledding elsewhere in Greenland and the northern lights.
Hotels and where to stay
Most hotels in Nuuk are in the compact centre, within walking distance of the harbour, the museum and the shops of the main street. Guesthouses, apartments and a few hostels fill the rest, and rooms book up quickly in summer and around events, so booking ahead is wise.
Signature hotels: Hotel Hans Egede
Airport and getting there
Nuuk Airport (GOH) lies a few kilometres north-east of the centre, a short taxi ride away; city buses also stop there, with journey times depending on the route. Since its longer runway opened, jets fly to Nuuk directly from Copenhagen and, in summer, from a few other cities, while domestic flights by Air Greenland link it with the rest of the country. There are no roads between Greenland's towns, so onward travel is by plane or coastal ship.