Bismarck weather in January: Bismarck, North Dakota: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Bismarck in January has a normal high of 23°F and a normal low of 2°F, a daily mean of 13°F, holding near 23°F all month. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal January, 0.48 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of −5°C and low of −16°C, 12 mm of precipitation and 23 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationBismarck Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00024011
- Location46.77°N 100.76°W
- Elevation1,658 ft (505 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population77,772
- Jan 23° 2°
- Feb 28° 7°
- Mar 41° 19°
- Apr 56° 30°
- May 68° 42°
- Jun 78° 53°
- Jul 85° 58°
- Aug 84° 56°
- Sep 73° 46°
- Oct 57° 33°
- Nov 41° 19°
- Dec 28° 8°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Bismarck in January?
The normal high is 23°F and the normal low 2°F, for a daily mean of 12.8°F. January is 5.1°F cooler than December and 4.7°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Bismarck and the 12th wettest. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 6.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 7°F and 19°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 26%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 24°F | 4°F | 26% | 6% |
| January 8 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% |
| January 15 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% |
| January 22 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% |
| January 31 | 24°F | 3°F | 26% | 5% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 31, coldest night January 15)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 24°F | 4°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 2 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 3 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 4 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 5 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 6 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 7 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 8 | 23°F | 3°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| January 9 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 10 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 11 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 12 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 13 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 14 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 8 h 50 min |
| January 15 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h |
| January 16 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h |
| January 17 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h |
| January 18 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h |
| January 19 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h |
| January 20 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 21 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 22 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 23 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 24 | 23°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 25 | 24°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 26 | 24°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 27 | 24°F | 2°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 28 | 24°F | 3°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 29 | 24°F | 3°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 30 | 24°F | 3°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 31 | 24°F | 3°F | 26% | 5% | 9 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 23°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 2°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 0.48 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 8.9 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 31
- Daylight
- 8 h 40 min to 9 h 30 minJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 78%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024011; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Bismarck in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 26% on average, highest around January 1 (26%). In all, 0.48 in falls on 8 days of a normal January.
In a normal January in Bismarck, 31 nights fall to freezing, 21 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 8.9 inches.
Snow falls on 10 days in a normal January, and an inch or more covers the ground on 26 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024011.
How humid and windy is Bismarck in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 23°F with 66% relative humidity and a dew point of 13°F; at 6 a.m. it is 12°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 8.8 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 12°F | 7°F | 81% | 7.5 mph | 46% |
| 9 a.m. | 12°F | 7°F | 80% | 8.0 mph | 49% |
| noon | 19°F | 11°F | 71% | 10.1 mph | 47% |
| 3 p.m. | 23°F | 13°F | 66% | 11.6 mph | 54% |
| 6 p.m. | 20°F | 12°F | 72% | 9.3 mph | 52% |
| 9 p.m. | 16°F | 10°F | 78% | 8.4 mph | 58% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024011. 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 Bismarck?
The warmest January temperature on Bismarck's official record (since 1874) is 63°F, on January 8, 2002; the coldest is −45°F, on January 13, 1916. The wettest January brought 1.64 in (1877); the snowiest, 25.0 inches (1982).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 12.8°F: 2021 25.8°F (+13.0), 2022 13.1°F (+0.3), 2023 13.6°F (+0.8), 2024 15.4°F (+2.6), 2025 13.5°F (+0.7), 2026 15.8°F (+3.0). 6 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25.8°F | +13.0°F | 0.29 in |
| 2022 | 13.1°F | +0.3°F | 0.66 in |
| 2023 | 13.6°F | +0.8°F | 0.20 in |
| 2024 | 15.4°F | +2.6°F | 0.32 in |
| 2025 | 13.5°F | +0.7°F | 0.13 in |
| 2026 | 15.8°F | +3.0°F | 0.32 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BISthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024011. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Bismarck compare across North Dakota?
Across the 92 places PlainClimate covers in North Dakota, January normal highs run from 13°F in Langdon to 29°F in Amidon; Bismarck's is 23°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.