Boston weather in January: Boston, Massachusetts: normal highs, lows, rain and records for January
Boston in January has a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 23°F, a daily mean of 30°F, falling from 38°F on the 1st to 37°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal January, 3.39 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 3°C and low of −5°C, 86 mm of precipitation and 36 cm of snow in January.
- NOAA stationBoston Logan International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014739
- Location42.36°N 71.01°W
- Elevation12 ft (4 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population673,458
- Jan 37° 23°
- Feb 39° 25°
- Mar 46° 31°
- Apr 56° 41°
- May 67° 50°
- Jun 76° 60°
- Jul 82° 66°
- Aug 80° 65°
- Sep 73° 58°
- Oct 62° 48°
- Nov 52° 38°
- Dec 42° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Boston in January?
The normal high is 37°F and the normal low 23°F, for a daily mean of 29.9°F. January is 5.8°F cooler than December and 1.9°F cooler than February. January is the 12th warmest month of the year in Boston and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 1°F, from 38°F on January 1 to 37°F on January 31. From one year to the next January's mean temperature typically moves about 4.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Januarys in three average between 26°F and 34°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 39%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 38°F | 25°F | 39% | 23% |
| January 8 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 23% |
| January 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% |
| January 22 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% |
| January 31 | 37°F | 23°F | 36% | 20% |
Every day of January: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon January 1, coldest night January 21)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | 38°F | 25°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 2 | 38°F | 25°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 3 | 38°F | 25°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 4 | 38°F | 25°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 5 | 38°F | 24°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 6 | 38°F | 24°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 7 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 8 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 23% | 9 h 10 min |
| January 9 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 10 | 37°F | 24°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 11 | 37°F | 23°F | 39% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 12 | 37°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 13 | 37°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 14 | 37°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 15 | 36°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 20 min |
| January 16 | 36°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 17 | 36°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 18 | 36°F | 23°F | 38% | 22% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 19 | 36°F | 22°F | 38% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 20 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 21 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 30 min |
| January 22 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 23 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 24 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 25 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 21% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 26 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 20% | 9 h 40 min |
| January 27 | 36°F | 22°F | 37% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 28 | 37°F | 22°F | 37% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 29 | 37°F | 22°F | 37% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 30 | 37°F | 22°F | 37% | 20% | 9 h 50 min |
| January 31 | 37°F | 23°F | 36% | 20% | 10 h |
- Normal high
- 37°FJanuary average
- Normal low
- 23°FJanuary average
- Precipitation
- 3.39 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 14.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 25
- Daylight
- 9 h 10 min to 10 hJanuary 1 to January 31
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014739; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Boston in January?
On a given January day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around January 1 (39%). In all, 3.39 in falls on 12 days of a normal January, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal January in Boston, 25 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 14.3 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal January.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014739.
How humid and windy is Boston in January?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 35°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 18°F; at 6 a.m. it is 27°F with 65% humidity. The wind averages 12.1 mph, most often from the west-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. | 27°F | 17°F | 65% | 11.2 mph | 49% |
| 9 a.m. | 29°F | 17°F | 61% | 12.4 mph | 35% |
| noon | 33°F | 18°F | 53% | 13.2 mph | 32% |
| 3 p.m. | 35°F | 18°F | 49% | 13.6 mph | 30% |
| 6 p.m. | 33°F | 18°F | 54% | 12.0 mph | 37% |
| 9 p.m. | 31°F | 18°F | 58% | 11.8 mph | 45% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014739. 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 Boston?
The warmest January temperature on Boston's official record (since 1872) is 74°F, on January 12, 2020; the coldest is −13°F, on January 24, 1882. The wettest January brought 10.55 in (1979); the snowiest, 43.3 inches (2005).
The January mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 29.9°F: 2021 31.0°F (+1.1), 2022 27.4°F (−2.5), 2023 37.8°F (+7.9), 2024 33.1°F (+3.2), 2025 28.8°F (−1.1), 2026 28.0°F (−1.9). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| January | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31.0°F | +1.1°F | 2.02 in |
| 2022 | 27.4°F | −2.5°F | 2.33 in |
| 2023 | 37.8°F | +7.9°F | 5.23 in |
| 2024 | 33.1°F | +3.2°F | 7.64 in |
| 2025 | 28.8°F | −1.1°F | 2.17 in |
| 2026 | 28.0°F | −1.9°F | 2.21 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BOSthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014739. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does January in Boston compare across Massachusetts?
Across the 35 places PlainClimate covers in Massachusetts, January normal highs run from 30°F in Pittsfield to 40°F in Edgartown; Boston's is 37°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.