Bethel weather in January: Bethel, Alaska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Bethel in January has a normal high of 13°F and a normal low of 1°F, a daily mean of 7°F, rising from 12°F on the 1st to 17°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal January, 0.77 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −11°C and low of −17°C, 20 mm of precipitation and 24 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationBethel Airport
- Station IDUSW00026615
- Location60.78°N 161.83°W
- Elevation102 ft (31 m)
- Population6,335
- Jan 13° 1°
- Feb 20° 7°
- Mar 22° 7°
- Apr 37° 21°
- May 52° 34°
- Jun 62° 45°
- Jul 64° 49°
- Aug 61° 47°
- Sep 53° 39°
- Oct 38° 26°
- Nov 24° 13°
- Dec 16° 4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Bethel in January?
The normal high is 13°F and the normal low 1°F, for a daily mean of 6.9°F. January is 3.1°F cooler than December and 6.4°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Bethel and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 5°F, from 12°F on January 1 to 17°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 8.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between -2°F and 16°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 12°F | 0°F | 32% | 9% |
| January 8 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% |
| January 15 | 12°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% |
| January 22 | 13°F | 2°F | 30% | 8% |
| January 31 | 17°F | 4°F | 31% | 9% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 6)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 12°F | 0°F | 32% | 9% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 2 | 12°F | 0°F | 32% | 9% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 3 | 12°F | 0°F | 32% | 9% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 4 | 12°F | 0°F | 32% | 9% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 5 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 5 h 50 min |
| January 6 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 6 h |
| January 7 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 6 h |
| January 8 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 6 h |
| January 9 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 6 h 10 min |
| January 10 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 9% | 6 h 10 min |
| January 11 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 10 min |
| January 12 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 11°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 12°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 12°F | 0°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 30 min |
| January 16 | 12°F | 1°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 12°F | 1°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 40 min |
| January 18 | 12°F | 1°F | 31% | 8% | 6 h 40 min |
| January 19 | 12°F | 1°F | 30% | 8% | 6 h 40 min |
| January 20 | 13°F | 1°F | 30% | 8% | 6 h 50 min |
| January 21 | 13°F | 2°F | 30% | 8% | 6 h 50 min |
| January 22 | 13°F | 2°F | 30% | 8% | 7 h |
| January 23 | 14°F | 2°F | 30% | 8% | 7 h |
| January 24 | 14°F | 2°F | 30% | 8% | 7 h 10 min |
| January 25 | 14°F | 3°F | 30% | 8% | 7 h 10 min |
| January 26 | 15°F | 3°F | 30% | 8% | 7 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 15°F | 3°F | 31% | 8% | 7 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 15°F | 3°F | 31% | 8% | 7 h 30 min |
| January 29 | 16°F | 4°F | 31% | 8% | 7 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 16°F | 4°F | 31% | 9% | 7 h 40 min |
| January 31 | 17°F | 4°F | 31% | 9% | 7 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 13°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 1°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.77 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 9.4 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 30
- Daylight
- 5 h 50 min to 7 h 40 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00026615; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Bethel in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around January 1 (32%). In all, 0.77 in falls on 9 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Bethel, 30 nights fall to freezing, 25 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 9.4 inches.
Snow falls on 9 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 30 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00026615.
How humid and windy is Bethel in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 10°F with 80% relative humidity and a dew point of 5°F; at 6 a.m. it is 7°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 13.9 mph, most often from the northeast in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 7°F | 3°F | 81% | 13.7 mph | 44% |
| 9 a.m. | 6°F | 3°F | 84% | 13.8 mph | 33% |
| noon | 8°F | 3°F | 80% | 13.9 mph | 34% |
| 3 p.m. | 10°F | 5°F | 80% | 14.4 mph | 30% |
| 6 p.m. | 10°F | 4°F | 79% | 14.0 mph | 46% |
| 9 p.m. | 8°F | 3°F | 81% | 13.9 mph | 45% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026615. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for January in Bethel?
The warmest January temperature on Bethel's official record (since 1923) is 49°F, on January 6, 1942; the coldest is −52°F, on January 25, 1947. The wettest January brought 6.48 in (1952); the snowiest, 57.4 inches (1952).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 6.9°F: 2021 10.2°F (+3.3), 2022 4.6°F (−2.3), 2023 10.1°F (+3.2), 2024 10.8°F (+3.9), 2025 17.0°F (+10.1), 2026 -1.9°F (−8.8). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10.2°F | +3.3°F | 1.37 in |
| 2022 | 4.6°F | −2.3°F | 0.76 in |
| 2023 | 10.1°F | +3.2°F | 1.40 in |
| 2024 | 10.8°F | +3.9°F | 0.47 in |
| 2025 | 17.0°F | +10.1°F | 3.27 in |
| 2026 | -1.9°F | −8.8°F | 1.05 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BETthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00026615. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Bethel compare across Alaska?
Across the 85 places PlainClimate covers in Alaska, January normal highs run from −11°F in Chicken to 41°F in Metlakatla; Bethel's is 13°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.